The biggest fear many car owners have is that their vehicle will be hijacked by a car thief. This might seem like a ridiculous fear to some of you, but it happens more often then you think. Back in 2017, there were a total of 773,139 cars stolen in the United States, which is a lot more than just a few random coincidences.

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Certain things make cars easier and more susceptible to being stolen. Your car might be at risk if you identify with anything on this list, but luckily, there are solutions. Keep reading to learn about the ten things that make cars easier to steal!

10 10. You Leave Your Car Running

We are often tempted in the cold winter months and hot summer months to leave our cars running when we are not in them. It should seem obvious that this should not be done, but some of us crave a car with a bearable temperature.

You should stop doing this immediately, or if you feel you have to due to a buildup of ice, make sure it is somewhere you can watch it. It is best if you pull it into your driveway, but you should never have it sitting unattended on the street or in a strange neighborhood away from your watchful eye.

9 9. You Don't Lock Your Car

Many of us often forget to lock our cars before heading inside for the night, but this is a big mistake. It is easy for a criminal to open a door and start it if they are practiced in the trade. It is basically like leaving the doors to your house wide open and telling everyone to come right in and take whatever they want.

That doesn't sound sensible, and neither is leaving your car doors unlocked. If you have trouble remembering you can try leaving yourself a reminder or making it a part of your routine to double-check you locked it up.

8 8. You Like to Park in Dark Areas

This should be common sense, but sometimes we all need a nice reminder not to park in the darkest part of a parking lot. This is easy pickings for car thieves, as the darkness hides them from prying eyes.

If a certain parking lot is always dark and you have no other options, you should park as close as possible to other cars in the same lot. You are much less likely to have your car stolen if it is near the store entrance around other patron's vehicles, rather than in the back in no-man's land.

7 7. It Has an Automatic Transmission

It is pretty rare today to find a car with a manual transmission, but they do still exist. They are prevalent in older vehicles and have grown out of style as the years have passed. These cars, in particular, are harder to steal as most car thieves don't know how to drive a manual car.

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They tend to focus their sights on cars with automatic transmissions because literally anyone can drive one. You might find a car thief here or there who knows their stuff, but you can feel better about the safety of your vehicle if it has a manual transmission.

6 6. Your Car Was Produced Prior to 1996

If your car was produced prior to 1996, then chances are it does not have the electronic features equipped in our cars today. These cars are also stolen, not to be resold, but to be stripped for parts instead. The demand for parts for older models is greater than the demand for the cars themselves.

If your car is over twenty years old then it might be in your best interest to purchase some anti-theft stickers as well as taking precautions to make sure your car is well-defended with some sort of alarm should a thief target your vehicle.

5 5. You Live in a Certain City

This may not make your car easier to steal, but it definitely means your more prone to theft. Certain cities in the United States are targeted by car thieves and are where most car thefts occur each year. A few of the cities include Albuquerque, Springfield, and Anchorage.

This isn't to say that car thefts only occur here because they actually occur all over the country. It is also safe to say that a car kept in the rural countryside is less at risk than a vehicle located in the heart of a bustling city.

4 4. Keyless Ignitions

When you buy a keyless ignition vehicle you are putting yourself at risk of car thievery. There have been some new products that have hit the market that were made specifically for car thieves. They look like a little black box, but this box makes it possible for them to use your remote start against you.

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There are some that amplify the signal of your key, and others that copy its unique remote signature. One solution, and possibly the only one, is to invest in a vehicle tracking service like Onstar, who can find your car and alert police to its location.

3 3. You Car is a Specific Color

This is again another reason why your car may be more susceptible to being stolen because car thieves generally target certain colors. You might think they would choose cars with fancy paint jobs or custom colors, but they actually prefer the opposite. The cars stolen the most come in basic colors like gold, black, white, and silver.

This helps not only with resale but also with being inconspicuous. If they chose to steal the hot pink SUV in the parking lot, people are going to notice them tampering with it, compared to a normal black SUV.

2 2. It Doesn't Have an Antitheft System

If your car is older, then chances are it does not come equipped with an antitheft system. Thieves know what types of cars they are looking for and can usually tell with a single look if a car is going to give away their criminal motives. If you know your vehicle does not have anti-theft measures then you should invest in some yourself.

There are devices that can attach to your tire or steering wheel, as well as electronic alarms you can install yourself. These will deter thieves from choosing your car to be the victim of their crime and will also give you peace of mind that your vehicle is safe from their hands.

1 1. Your Car is a Mess

You might think that just because your car is piled high with junk, it will deter a car thief from stealing your car, but you are wrong. They actually think the opposite, as they assume people with pristine vehicles care enough for their car to invest in anti-theft equipment. It might seem like a hassle to throw away your fast food bag or the wrappers you threw on the floor, but it could help keep your car off of a thief's radar.

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