Car Vandalism - How To Protect Myself and My Car

Reader Question

I think I’ve crossed the wrong crowd the wrong way.

They’ve been breaking into my car and doing things to my brakes and accelerator. I haven’t reported it because I think if they do it enough times I can just catch them at it. I also heard that someone else that crossed them the wrong way somehow had their accelerator messed with so that the car did not stop until it ran headlong into a tree at 70+ mph.

I do not want that to happen to me.

What can I do to daily check for within my car before I drive it to know that it has not been messed with?

Thank you for taking a moment

Oh My that is horrible!!

Do you have a car alarm, with a siren that goes off? I would HIGHLY recommend you get an alarm that will go off when the doors or window are tampered with. You can get a pretty inexpensive remote control system usually less than $200. I would do this first.

You don’t want people to have access to the inside of your vehicle or under your hood. Most alarms systems (talking about an aftermarket alarm from a car stereo and car alarm shop…not an alarm from the car manufacturer) will disable the ignition system and sound the alarm anytime someone opens a door, breaks a window or opens the hood.

Someone COULD do something from underneath the vehicle….like cut a brake hose or brake line…..but that should be apparent to you when you apply the brake pedal. I suppose someone could also attach a spring to the throttle cable from under the vehicle, which would hold the accelerator open at full throttle.

If this was the case though the engine RPMS would race out of control as soon as you started the engine. I would also make sure you have a locking gas cap.

Adding sugar or dirt to your fuel tank is a common practice among vandals, and it can REALLY mess things up! You can buy a locking fuel cap at any auto parts store. I would also make a walk around inspection of the vehicle before you just take off to work each morning.

I would look for, hood being loose or signs of forced hood entry, hubcaps that look like they have been removed and lug nuts holding the wheels on possibly loosened, any fluid leaks under the vehicle especially around the inside of the tires where the brake lines and hoses are.

I am so sorry this is happening to you, I hope and pray that this stops immediately.

Blessings,

Austin Davis