PassTime GPS Mobile Asset Tracking Solutions
PassTime GPS Mobile Asset Tracking Solutions

Why Car Theft Skyrocketed on the West Coast, and How Auto-theft Tracking Devices Can Fight Back

October 4, 2024

A 2024 report found that West Coast states like California, Washington and Oregon topped the nation for having the most stolen cars in 2022. High-population metropolitan areas top the list of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people:

  • Bakersfield, California: 1,072
  • Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon: 796
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington: 758
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Berkley, California: 699

Here are the 10 most stolen cars in 2022 by year, make and model:

  1. 2004 Chevy pickup: 49,903 thefts
  2. 2006 Ford pickup: 48,175 thefts
  3. 2000 Honda Civic: 27,113 thefts
  4. 1997 Honda Accord: 27,089 thefts
  5. 2013 Hyundai Sonata: 19,602 thefts
  6. 2017 Hyundai Elantra: 19,602 thefts
  7. 2015 Kia Optima: 18,221 thefts
  8. 2021 Toyota Camry: 17,904 thefts
  9. 2005 GMC pickup: 16,622 thefts
  10. 2001 Honda CR-V: 13,832

As you can see, the years, makes and models of the most stolen cars vary. Older vehicles lack modern anti-theft technologies while thieves have learned to exploit weaknesses in some newer models—even hacking into the car’s system through its headlights or by using transponders to steal keyless entry codes.

The trend in rising car thefts isn’t new. From 2019–2022, motor vehicle thefts rose by 25%. Every 31 seconds, a car is stolen in the U.S.

If you run a car dealership or finance vehicles in these hotspots, you need GPS tracking devices to protect your assets from theft and quickly recover them if they are stolen.

Anti-theft vehicle trackers help you mitigate financial risk

Your vehicle assets are more than just a product—they represent your cash flow and profitability. When your assets are at risk, so are your finances. Whether you’re a Buy Here Pay Here dealer, a franchise dealer or a finance company, you need to protect every one of your assets so you can continue to sustain and grow your business.

With GPS-based auto-theft tracking devices, you have peace of mind knowing where your assets are on and off the lot. If an asset goes missing, you can quickly locate it in real time to make recovery fast and easy, reducing costs. With the right anti-theft GPS vehicle tracker, you can improve your financial position in multiple ways:

  • Expand originations thanks to lower loan and theft risk.
  • Complete faster, lower-cost recoveries if an asset is stolen.
  • Increase on-time or bridge payments and reduce delinquent payments with automated collections technology.

How to compare auto-theft tracking devices for your needs

Every Buy Here Pay Here and franchise dealer and every finance company will have unique needs. If your finances are tight, affordability might be your primary concern when it comes to anti-theft vehicle tracking. If you find yourself in the hot seat and a target of thieves, you’ll need a more robust anti-theft vehicle tracker to help prevent theft before it starts. If you need theft protection/recovery and payment-collections technology, you’ll need an auto-theft tracking device that covers both pain points.

Here are some considerations when choosing an auto-theft tracking device for your needs and budget.

Affordability

A battery-powered auto-theft tracking device will be your most affordable option because it can be installed almost anywhere by anyone in seconds. Look for a GPS recovery device with the following features:

  • 5-year battery life and cold-weather performance
  • Geofencing capabilities
  • Waterproof and dust-tight design
  • Optimized speed for responsiveness and communication
  • Dual-location technology with both cellular and GPS tracking with greater sensitivity and connectivity in remote locations

Theft deterrence

Preventing theft takes a multi-pronged approach. Be sure an anti-theft vehicle tracking device is in your defensive strategy. Look for anti-theft vehicle trackers with built-in starter-interrupt functionality and tamper and tow detection so you can be instantly notified when would-be thieves are at work on your asset.

Theft protection plus payments technology Protecting your assets from theft might be just one business challenge you need solved. If improving your financial position is also top of mind, turn to an auto-theft tracking device that addresses both needs. Look for a device with tamper and tow detection and automated vehicle-disable functionality alongside a device that includes scheduled and on-demand payment-collection technology.

Turn to PassTime for all your anti-theft vehicle tracking needs

For more than a quarter century, PassTime has been a leader in innovative anti-theft vehicle tracking and GPS recovery devices. With exceptional 24/7 support and over 99% device reliability, you can count on us to be there when and how you need us.

Case in point: in 2023, we helped a Houston-based dealer recover six vehicles within hours. We worked with the dealer and local law enforcement to quickly track and recover every stolen asset. Whether your assets are hit by theft or fraud, we can help track and recover them.

At PassTime, we offer multiple auto-theft tracking devices to fit your needs and budget. You can even use our devices to help your customers combat theft once they leave the lot.

Encore and InTouch VP: Affordability and rugged reliability

Our fourth-generation, battery-powered Encore device helps you scale up your anti-theft vehicle-tracking approach quickly and affordably. Because this device fits in the palm of your hand, it’s extra stealthy. Install it in less than a minute in hidden areas of an asset that a thief might overlook. With geofencing included, you’ll be notified when an asset leaves your geographic boundary. InTouch VP is the software vehicle-protection system to track all Encore devices and recover assets quickly and easily.

TRAX SI: Affordable hard-wired solution with optional anti-theft features

TRAX SI is designed to be low cost and easy to install in multiple locations. Optional anti-theft features like starter interrupt and door lock/unlock controls give you more agency over every asset. Built-in geofencing gives you the power to create and monitor up to 50 geofence boundaries at one time.

InTouch: Anti-theft vehicle tracking and lot management in one

Protect your assets with InTouch’s built-in tamper and tow detection and geofencing functionality. Know where your assets are 100% of the time, on and off the lot. InTouch also helps you protect your assets against extreme weather to reduce insurance costs and sends customers maintenance and recall alerts for an enhanced customer-service experience.

Select GPS: Feature-rich, anti-theft vehicle tracking

If you need a customized solution, Select GPS is your go-to auto-theft vehicle tracking and GPS recovery device. Select GPS gives you ultimate control over your assets and your vehicle communications. Remotely disable the starter, detect tampering and towing, create geofences and send proactive communications to customers with this single solution. Select GPS makes it easy for you to scale your anti-theft vehicle-tracking efforts and upgrade to advanced features at any time.

Elite: Anti-theft vehicle tracking that protects your profitability

Get anti-theft functionality that provides location history data, gives you a remote vehicle-disable option and includes tow-detect and tamper notifications all in one with Elite. In addition to theft protection, Elite also helps you lower your financing risk, increase your overall portfolio and drive profitability. Here’s how.

  • Improve customer communication to increase on-time and bridge payments while lowering payment delinquencies.
  • Save time and money by targeting those unresponsive or late customers.
  • Lower the risk of financing to new customers.
  • Reduce repossession costs with pinpoint-location tracking.
  • Mitigate risk and improve your overall portfolio performance and profitability.

West Coast dealerships and finance companies can’t afford not to work with PassTime to prevent auto theft. Protect your West Coast assets with PassTime’s suite of anti-theft vehicle-tracking solutions. Get in touch or request a custom quote for your needs.

Need SupportClient LoginGet A Quote
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram