Headlight thefts and stats, by Mike Bender
In some cities throughout the United States High-Intensity Discharge lights thefts have become an epidemic problem driving up theft stats for a variety of vehicles.
High-Intensity Discharge lights (HID), also known as Xenon headlamps, have appeared on many high-priced vehicles as standard equipment and are being offered in the aftermarket for a variety of other vehicles. HID throw a bluish light on the street and are the rage with car enthusiasts who modify less expensive cars such as Honda Civics and Acura Integras. The lights can cost $1,400 or more when new, but the replacement and repair costs after a thief pries them out with a crowbar can reach $7,000. One claim reached $10,000 due to lights, damage and airbag wiring cuts.
Porsche and Nissan have been hit particularly hard for theft of their HID lights. In late 2003 numerous Porsches were hit in Florida. The lights in Porsches were easy to pry out making them an easy target. Some Porsches have been hit multiple times. Thieves have preyed on the Cayenne's HID despite Porsche's efforts to make lights more difficult to steal. Nissan Maxima's have also been a popular target for several years. The New Jersey Attorney Generals office was aware of 756 thefts from 2002 & 2003 Maximas. Nissan has changed the headlight design for 2004 models to make the HIDs more difficult to steal. Boston was having a problem with Audi S4 HID thefts.
There is a lot of pending headlight technology that may keep this headlight theft trend going for many years. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), adaptive front lighting (AFS), headlight beams in digital format that are controlled by a computer to name a few. It is imperative that manufactures develop ways to inhibit theft prior to the problem and for consumers to utilize anti-theft methods and to report suspicious activity.
Many of the lights end up on sport compact vehicles. Some suspects state they are selling the stolen HIDs on the street for $400.00 a set. Help stop the theft and fraud by reporting any suspicious activity.
High-Intensity Discharge lights (HID), also known as Xenon headlamps, have appeared on many high-priced vehicles as standard equipment and are being offered in the aftermarket for a variety of other vehicles. HID throw a bluish light on the street and are the rage with car enthusiasts who modify less expensive cars such as Honda Civics and Acura Integras. The lights can cost $1,400 or more when new, but the replacement and repair costs after a thief pries them out with a crowbar can reach $7,000. One claim reached $10,000 due to lights, damage and airbag wiring cuts.
Porsche and Nissan have been hit particularly hard for theft of their HID lights. In late 2003 numerous Porsches were hit in Florida. The lights in Porsches were easy to pry out making them an easy target. Some Porsches have been hit multiple times. Thieves have preyed on the Cayenne's HID despite Porsche's efforts to make lights more difficult to steal. Nissan Maxima's have also been a popular target for several years. The New Jersey Attorney Generals office was aware of 756 thefts from 2002 & 2003 Maximas. Nissan has changed the headlight design for 2004 models to make the HIDs more difficult to steal. Boston was having a problem with Audi S4 HID thefts.
There is a lot of pending headlight technology that may keep this headlight theft trend going for many years. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), adaptive front lighting (AFS), headlight beams in digital format that are controlled by a computer to name a few. It is imperative that manufactures develop ways to inhibit theft prior to the problem and for consumers to utilize anti-theft methods and to report suspicious activity.
Many of the lights end up on sport compact vehicles. Some suspects state they are selling the stolen HIDs on the street for $400.00 a set. Help stop the theft and fraud by reporting any suspicious activity.
