Been investigating Lojack vehicle recovery system and trying to make a decision if it is worthwhile investment. This is the system that the police activate to find a stolen vehicle. Activation is routine stolen vehicle police report. This is the baseline Lojack service.

Searched F150Online and did not find much discussion.

Some of the "pros" seem to be a advertised high auto recovery rate. According to the local news, most car thefts are now done by professionals, and not amateurs. F150's nationally are one of the top 10 stolen vehicles, but this is not true locally. Possible insurance discount. Might increase re-sale value. Lojack will come to residence and install system. Installation about one hour. Warrantee period is two years. 100% refund if vehicle stolen and not recovered by police in 24 hours (applies to warranty period only). Truck may be worth more than insurance payout.

Some of the "cons" are is that my Lightning is paid for. No debt on a stolen vehicle to worry about. Lojack price with taxes is $625,which is not too high. County theft rate under 3000 vehiches a year, which is nothing compared to other, local jurisdictions. Not sure I want a vehicle back if, before it is found, it is stripped, or wrecked, or run to pieces.

Also, in very small print on Lojack brochure is what appears to be a disclaimer by the State Police of Maryland and Virginia, and the States themselves, about the effectiveness , accuracy, reliability, etc. of the Lojack system. Some disclaimer considering Lojack is operated by the police!!

Excuse long post. Any comments would be appreciated.

 

FORDSALES has a heckuva deal on these for "L" owners....check one of his posts for his website. I have received great service from Jim so I can recommend him highly...

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Silver 2000, Delivered, 2Mar00!
NLOC Member #344

 

When I was in traffic school they said in Orange County at least, cops are no longer allowed to pursue stolen vehicles. It's just not worth risking a high speed pursuit. They will not respond to a stolen vehicle call unless the theif has already parked the car and someone happens to find it.

However, for vehicles equipped with Lo-Jack, they will track the stolen vehicle until it comes to a dead stop then they will make the arrest. Obviously this is not possible without some sort of tracking system.

You should also look into other theft tracking systems. I think there is one called "tele-trac" that uses a more advanced GPS technology. Instead of having to call the cops and wait for it to be entered into the system, they use their own operator who talks directly with the police and guides them to the vehicle, immediately. Also it is global, whereas Lo-Jack only covers certain metropolitan areas. The drawback would be where does it leave you if they go out of business? Lo-Jack is here to stay, as the police actually incorporate the system into their vehicles/helicopters.

I got Lo-Jack as an option when I purchased my truck.

Mike

 

The disadvantage to the Lojak is that you have to call & report your car stolen, then they activate your Lojak. Any good theif knows where to look for the Lojak & can remove it BEFORE it's activated. You then have a Nojak! Lloyd

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2000 Black L #2189. Airaid & Superchip. Drag Results: Best ET: 13.41 @ 101.07 Best R/T .501 (twice) Best 60' 1.95 1973 Cutlass Supreme 455/450HP 4 speed. Too many Mods to list! 95 Olds Aurora 91 S10 305/700r4 project 2000 freightliner FL60 Rollback tow truck 1989 Ford F450 Wrecker My garage overuneth


[This message has been edited by LSchicago (edited 09-27-2000).]

 

There are several differences between Lojack and Teletrac.

Lojack, one time purchase fee.
(Deals on cost can be found)
Very slight reduction in insurance costs.
Approx 30 different locations on vehicle where the unit is mounted.
Not easily found when properly installed.
Nearly all departments within the major urban areas have receivers in vehicles and helicopters.
The system is activated when the police take a stolen report and the VIN # is entered as stolen. This usually happens as soon as the person reports the car stolen to police.
There is a very high, about 95%, recovery rate within 24 HRS.
Allows for peace of mind!

Teletrac

Initial cost.
Monthly cost for montering
Good recovery rate, actually percentage unk.
Activation upon stolen vehicle discovery and call to teletrac.
Larger in size compared to Lojack.
Allows for peace of mind.

Summary:

Both work, differently, but effectually.
Lojack in metropolitan areas, teletrac in all areas where GPS works. Teletrac cost money every month, Lojack, your are done with payments when it is installed.

MOST owners of quality vehicles who would pay for one of these units can be pretty assured that if the vehicle gets stolen, it is usually parked by the crooks for a "cooling" down period to see if it has a location device. This prevents police from locating chop shops or crooks residences.

You need to decide based on the facts. I also recommend a regular alarm, one of the above devices along with the passive alarm systems within our L's.

Good luck

 

LSChicago

Not so. There are a tremendous amount of places that the Lo-Jack is hidden and virtually impossible to find. Mine is actually behide the paneling on the L. No one would be able to find it.

Most pros know about Lo-Jack. And after the theft has taken place, the vehicle is usually parked at a parking lot and left to see what happens. Now the police have located the vehicle and also watch to see you comes back to pick it up.

This is how most vehicles with Lo-Jack are returned without damage. This is why I have one because if I have to have a stolen L back, I want it without damage.

Also, a lot of insurance companys give a discount if Lo-Jack is installed. Not that much but everything helps.

go to www.cars-n-trucks.com/lightning.htm
to compare Lo-jack prices so that you know if the dealership is making a ton of profit on you.

Generally it is sold for $595-$795.

 

FordSales, I have a vey good friend who works in a stereo shop. He knows that most Lojac installers install them in the same place most of the time for ease of install. If you have a good installer, great. If you got Joe Smo doing the install he may do whats easy. Also a lot of car theives are ex-installers. What better way to learn the tricks? Lastly some installers are theives, Mr. unsuspecting gives him the keys to the vehicle, home address, alarm codes ETC. Know your installer. Lloyd

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2000 Black L #2189. Airaid & Superchip. Drag Results: Best ET: 13.41 @ 101.07 Best R/T .501 (twice) Best 60' 1.95 1973 Cutlass Supreme 455/450HP 4 speed. Too many Mods to list! 95 Olds Aurora 91 S10 305/700r4 project 2000 freightliner FL60 Rollback tow truck 1989 Ford F450 Wrecker My garage overuneth

 

The biggest problem with any of the tracking devices is that your vehicle gets recovered. If your L. gets stolen, do you really want it back? Having chased and recovered hundreds of stolen vehicles my opinion is that if a vehicle of mine ever gets stolen I want it to disappear forever. I'll take the insurance settlement and move on.

 

Moonshine, what you stated is exactly what I was thinking from the get-go. Only problem is that the vehicle may be recovered anyway and the insurance company may not want to write if off because the damage is not too bad, or it is not obvious that the vehicle has been substantially abused, or whatever.

Thanks everybody for your comments. All well thought out and stated.

One of the reasons I thought about Lojack is a recent Washington Times new article about how professional car thieves are really moving into our area, including the Russian Mafia. There are at least 90 suspected chop shops in the area and, as usual, too few police assigned to shut them down.

 

One more thing to think about. Supposedly, from what a friend who had one was told, the Lojack isn't transferrable from one car to the next. This sounds like a load of crap. Any thoughts on this?

[This message has been edited by ralleyone (edited 09-28-2000).]

 

I had a LoJack in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was stolen. After finally getting the cops to activate it, we got it back that same night. It had been parked on a residential street for the "cooling off" period. Since it was reported to the Dade County Police and was found by the Coral Gables cops, they wouldn't post somebody to see if they could catch the thieves. If thatsounds like it doesn't make any sense then you feel the same way I did when they told me that. After advising the Dade County cops that we had it back and that they should turn off the LoJack we figured we were done. Not so. Two days later my wife was visiting our daughter when a Florida Highway cop knocks on the door and wants to know who owns the Jeep. You guessed it...it had never been turned off. We had driven it for two days with the LoJack on and never got stopped. You'll have to make up your own mind whether to buy one.
It is true that they will not transfer unit from one vehicle to another. I bitched about it and got one for about $300 or so. The prices are definitely negotiable. For our trucks why would you want one? You can't start they with-out the correct key. Thief would have to tow it in order to steal it.


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Mike
White 99 #837 5/3/99
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NLOC #0380

 

JMI, you are correct about the built-in ignition security system. However, I understand that there are master keys that exist that are used by auto repossessors. Also, I understand another trick is to pull the ignition and the thief puts their own ignition in and starts the vehicle. At least, a friend of mine, who had a brand new Tahoe that was stolen, was told this by the police. Apparently, some professional car thiefs specialize in specific vehicles and are equipped to steal just those vehicles.

I also have something called Autolock that freezes the brake pedal. Truck cannot be put in gear because the foot brake cannot be depressed.

But any theft prevention system can be defeated by a pro.