What happens to stolen cars?

[Krassus]

What happens to most stolen cars? Are they chopped up for parts? Re-sold domestically? Exported overseas? Do people just drive em and risk getting caught, or do criminal organizations have some sort of a 'legalization' method set up?

 

[conjur]

Scientific experiments.

 

[deerslayer]

I can't tell you that.

 

[Gyrene]

Most stolen cars are stolen.

 

[amdskip]

Striped and disposed of.

 

[Evadman]

Chop shops. THey get torn up and sold off as parts. A car is worth 2-3x as much as parts than a whole car.

 

[Pepsi90919]

this

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: deerslayer
I can't tell you that.

I could, but then I'd have to kill you.

Many are chopped up for parts and many used to end up in South America.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
this

:Q

 

[OS]

a couple different things;

1) stripped for parts and then dumped. Be very afraid if you drive an Integra. :Q

2) vin removed and reregistered/sold

3) shipped out of country

4) abusively driven/joy ride and/or vandalized and then dumped.

5) any combination of the above

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Krassus
What happens to most stolen cars? Are they chopped up for parts? Re-sold domestically? Exported overseas? Do people just drive em and risk getting caught, or do criminal organizations have some sort of a 'legalization' method set up?

All of the above. Except maybe that "legalization" thing, never heard of anything like that.

 

[Krassus]

Originally posted by: OS
2) vin removed and reregistered/sold

But how can they reregister a car without a VIN? Or do they replace it with another one? But wouldn't that require someone with access to government computers?

 

[jemcam]

The vast majority of stolen cars are recovered within a week or so since they are stolen by young kids to joy ride and trash. The insurance companies pay to have them repaired or simply total them because it is cost prohibitive to repair to the owners satisfaction. Those cars are then repaired as well as possible and sold at auctions. (Now you know where the buy here pay here lots get their cars!)

The ones that aren't recovered are usually shipped overseas. Most trucks and 4WD's go to South America where they command premium prices and need no titles.

Others that stay here have their VIN's changed from a totalled car bought at an auction with good titles. The thieves usually change the VINs and sell the car as a rebuilt total, then dispose of the old stolen VIN. What many of these thieves or chop shops don't realize is that are hidden VINs on all cars that only law enfocement personnel and the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) know about. They can find the real hidden VIN and expose a stolen car fairly easily. Most of these are never found unless for some reason the car comes under scrutiny such as being impounded or in a bad accident and red flags start waving.

This is the reason why titling laws have become so strict and is why it is hard to buy back your car after it is totalled. If you do buy it back, it should have a branded title that states the car can only be used as parts and cannot be driven again, prohibiting that VIN from ever being registered and titled again.

 

[jemcam]

I forgot to add that the cars that are shipped overseas are usually hidden in cargo containers full of something else with hidden compartments for the stolen car. The compartment appears to be full of produce, electronics, etc., but in the back of the container is a car. Unless Customs or the DEA completely empty out the container, the hidden walls are not found.

This is done on a daily basis in Miami where drugs and stolen cars are found in shipping containers.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: OS
a couple different things;

1) stripped for parts and then dumped. Be very afraid if you drive an Integra. :Q

2) vin removed and reregistered/sold

3) shipped out of country

4) abusively driven/joy ride and/or vandalized and then dumped.

5) any combination of the above

6) used in a crime

- M4H

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: jemcam
The vast majority of stolen cars are recovered within a week or so since they are stolen by young kids to joy ride and trash. The insurance companies pay to have them repaired or simply total them because it is cost prohibitive to repair to the owners satisfaction. Those cars are then repaired as well as possible and sold at auctions. (Now you know where the buy here pay here lots get their cars!)

The ones that aren't recovered are usually shipped overseas. Most trucks and 4WD's go to South America where they command premium prices and need no titles.

Others that stay here have their VIN's changed from a totalled car bought at an auction with good titles. The thieves usually change the VINs and sell the car as a rebuilt total, then dispose of the old stolen VIN. What many of these thieves or chop shops don't realize is that are hidden VINs on all cars that only law enfocement personnel and the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) know about. They can find the real hidden VIN and expose a stolen car fairly easily. Most of these are never found unless for some reason the car comes under scrutiny such as being impounded or in a bad accident and red flags start waving.

This is the reason why titling laws have become so strict and is why it is hard to buy back your car after it is totalled. If you do buy it back, it should have a branded title that states the car can only be used as parts and cannot be driven again, prohibiting that VIN from ever being registered and titled again.

I knew a girl one time who had a car with no title. I think she bought it in bumbfcuk alabama or something. (it was a crx). she had some dude with a wrecked crx replace EVERY vin number. I think she said it was in like 14 different places (including engine/tranny.) crazy....

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: se7enty7

Originally posted by: jemcam
The vast majority of stolen cars are recovered within a week or so since they are stolen by young kids to joy ride and trash. The insurance companies pay to have them repaired or simply total them because it is cost prohibitive to repair to the owners satisfaction. Those cars are then repaired as well as possible and sold at auctions. (Now you know where the buy here pay here lots get their cars!)

The ones that aren't recovered are usually shipped overseas. Most trucks and 4WD's go to South America where they command premium prices and need no titles.

Others that stay here have their VIN's changed from a totalled car bought at an auction with good titles. The thieves usually change the VINs and sell the car as a rebuilt total, then dispose of the old stolen VIN. What many of these thieves or chop shops don't realize is that are hidden VINs on all cars that only law enfocement personnel and the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) know about. They can find the real hidden VIN and expose a stolen car fairly easily. Most of these are never found unless for some reason the car comes under scrutiny such as being impounded or in a bad accident and red flags start waving.

This is the reason why titling laws have become so strict and is why it is hard to buy back your car after it is totalled. If you do buy it back, it should have a branded title that states the car can only be used as parts and cannot be driven again, prohibiting that VIN from ever being registered and titled again.

I knew a girl one time who had a car with no title. I think she bought it in bumbfcuk alabama or something. (it was a crx). she had some dude with a wrecked crx replace EVERY vin number. I think she said it was in like 14 different places (including engine/tranny.) crazy....

Interestingly, Alabama didn't have titles for cars until 1974.

BTW, does she have any idea how many felonies she committed by doing that?

 

[Krassus]

Originally posted by: jemcam
The vast majority of stolen cars are recovered within a week or so since they are stolen by young kids to joy ride and trash. The insurance companies pay to have them repaired or simply total them because it is cost prohibitive to repair to the owners satisfaction. Those cars are then repaired as well as possible and sold at auctions. (Now you know where the buy here pay here lots get their cars!) The ones that aren't recovered are usually shipped overseas. Most trucks and 4WD's go to South America where they command premium prices and need no titles. Others that stay here have their VIN's changed from a totalled car bought at an auction with good titles. The thieves usually change the VINs and sell the car as a rebuilt total, then dispose of the old stolen VIN. What many of these thieves or chop shops don't realize is that are hidden VINs on all cars that only law enfocement personnel and the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) know about. They can find the real hidden VIN and expose a stolen car fairly easily. Most of these are never found unless for some reason the car comes under scrutiny such as being impounded or in a bad accident and red flags start waving. This is the reason why titling laws have become so strict and is why it is hard to buy back your car after it is totalled. If you do buy it back, it should have a branded title that states the car can only be used as parts and cannot be driven again, prohibiting that VIN from ever being registered and titled again.

Don't kid yourself, nothing is secret anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if a simple net search revealed every hidden VIN for every model ever made