tea elle

I can get the lojack for $395. It reduces insurance costs and I've had a car recovered before because of it. How many in Cali have gotten it?

greenpelikan

I would say No.

If my car was stolen, I wouldn't want it back after its been molested. That is what insurance is for.

edgalang

I asked my insurace broker the same thing. Unfortunately he said it wouldnt do anything for my particular insurance company since it doesnt really do anything to prevent the car from being stolen, it just makes it easier to get back and chances are you still will have major damage on it. The car already has an immobilizer built in, and he said that is what they look for the most.

Firebird_EOU

Wouldn't LoJack be a deterent for theives?

pianoman41

When LoJack works, it works well. And contrary to some myths I've seen posted here and elsewhere, it *does* work in underground parking garages, under gas station canopies and inside metal garages--although at a reduced effectiveness. However, you must remember that the LoJack receiving units are permanently installed in police cars. You need to check if your police department where you live/work has LoJack, and if so how many units are in service at any given time. Here in Western MA the state police have LoJack. However, they only have a dozen or so cars with LoJack installed in the whole western part of the state. And because cruisers are assigned to individuals, if the trooper with LoJack isn't working the day/time your car is stolen, the LoJack unit is home in his driveway and won't do you any good. Also, remember even if your PD has LoJack coverage 24/7, you may be somewhere on vacation/travel that doesn't have it and Murphy's Law says that's when you'll need it.

A good aftermarket alarm system, keeping valuables out of sight, and parking in high traffic areas are the best defense. I've seen it posted here before but it's worth repeating--if thieves want your car, they will get it no matter what you do.

Road Rage

Pianoman:

A sufficiently metallic structure acts as a Faraday shield and would make Lojack ineffective - not too hard to do for professionals, but Lojack may help for joyriders.

thejavagod

I agree with the greenpelikan...

LoJack is useless, the car is usually recovered with quite a bit of damage and then the insurance company will just fix it and give it back to you...after which the car may start giving you serious problems. I would not want my car back if it was stolen!

thephantom

I was told by my insurance that it does not lower my premium and from what I heard, Lo Jack does not work that well. If someone steals your car 8 hours before you notice it, you would lose the car and the Lo Jack.

pianoman41

I have personally witnessed the recovery of a vehicle stored inside an enclosed metal shed (no windows) in the downtown metropolitan area of a city with a population of approximately 120,000. The original "track" started approximately 1 mile from the point of recovery. If the vehicle had been outside the shed the initial starting range probably would have been greater. The biggest problem in the city is echo reflections off of tall buildings--sometimes fools the receiving unit with the direction of the signal.

However, as mentioned before I am still not a big fan of LoJack. When it works, it does work well but a lot of things need to happen to be in the right place at the right time to get it back quickly and (more importantly) in one piece. Good aftermarket alarms work wonders as deterrents.

thephantom

From I was told... probably an auto theft expert.

If your car is stolen by an expert, they actually study your moves adn time your schedule so they can make arrangements that way. After they have acquire your vehicle, they would relocate it to an underground facility where the signal is either undetectable or very weak that the cops don't even bother checking on it. O could be wrong but that's what I heard.