Industry Voices | Understanding the Mind of a Wheel Thief: How to Beat Them at Their Own Game

Dealers throughout the U.S. have had wheels from their cars stolen. Why? The answer is simple – it is a quick, easy and lucrative crime for thieves, and there haven’t been sufficient protection solutions in the marketplace.

Why is that important? Insurance companies report wheel and tire theft claims have increased 6% year-on-year in Q42023. The average claim for four wheels and tires replaced on-site is for $2,800, but claims can range from $175–$40,000.

There are ways to beat a wheel thief, but it takes an understanding of their mindset to do so.

 First, it’s important to understand auto and wheel theft are incredibly common. Data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau suggests car theft in the U.S. occurs about once every 32 seconds.
Car and wheel theft are most frequent around major cities, and both common cars (e.g., Honda, Chevrolet, Ford) and luxury cars (e.g., Lexus, Genesis) are targets. Wheel and tire theft claims increased in 2023, according to WheelNet.

 Understanding the mindset of a thief can help protect millions of drivers — and dealers — from their illegal activities. To thieves, wheel theft is:

Many Americans protect their vehicles’ wheels with traditional “wheel locks” — specialized lug nuts, one per wheel, with an adapter for installation and removal. While these may deter some thieves, the sophisticated thief likely laughs and is undaunted by this insufficient solution, as they can purchase the exact same wheel lock and adapter you did and easily remove your lug nuts and wheels.

Wheel locks aren’t expensive, so one heist can net the thief thousands of dollars to spend on many of the common kits. 

Furthermore, the name “wheel locks” is a misnomer, as they do not actually lock. They are intended as a simple deterrent intended to push the thief toward another car on the street with more standard lug nuts.

Of course, the basic concept of locking up your valuable possessions makes sense for providing peace of mind.  Most people strive to protect themselves and their families with common locking solutions that involve a key or code to prevent items from being stolen. 

However, traditional wheel locking systems do not come with a key or a code, which leaves a door of access to unauthorized activity. Because of this, there is an unmet need for improvements, inventions and disruptive new technologies.

Thankfully, there is reason for optimism. There are innovative solutions designed to elevate one’s sense of wheel security and provide more layers of protection against theft. New products with enhanced security features are becoming available.

Some cover the lug nuts completely, while others use an individualized lock and physical key solution, making theft much more difficult.

There are even solutions with five components of security: a lug nut, a lock, a lock key, a cap and a cap key.  

Additionally, to protect against a wheel thief, here are three simple recommendations:

Park safe: Whenever possible, park your car in a garage or driveway instead of on-street.

Lock up: Lock your wheels like you lock your car doors – with a key! Use a product that provides an individualized solution like a lock and key for optimal theft deterrence.

Store safely: Store the key and/or adapter somewhere other than your glove compartment – thieves have broken car windows to search the glove compartment for the adapters.

Most Americans do not have extra thousands of dollars lying around to spend on replacement wheels shortly after purchasing a car. The invasive, awful feeling of being robbed is all too common if you discover your car is on cinder blocks with no wheels or, worse, completely gone. These new products aim to better protect your investment, your family, your security and your peace of mind.