It used to be back in the day that your car’s window would get smashed and your radio unit would be ripped out and resold on the black market, or maybe your tyres would be stolen and resold as well. However it seems that thieves these days are starting to change what they steal, and now it looks like car batteries are the new target.
According to a report from KGO-TV, it seems that there has been a rash of thefts in San Francisco in which car thieves would target vehicles such as the Toyota Prius hybrid and steal its battery. What they would do is smash the back window, cut through the connecting wires, and then take out the battery pack, all of which can be done in a time of about 20 minutes.
A new battery would cost about $2,500 stateside but according to John Nashed who was one of the victims, he claims to have found batteries listed on Craigslist where they are going for $900-$1,000. Of course there is the downside in which you don’t know how long the battery’s been used, but if the thieves managed to nab a freshly installed one, it is a pretty sweet deal.
The batteries are also not marked by serial numbers or VIN which makes them easier to sell. According to a car workshop in San Francisco, Luscious Garage, one way to prevent the theft of the battery is to replace the bolts with tamper-proof ones instead.