Protect Your Car From Rising Tire Theft With Wheel Locks

Over the past few years, most headlines about car crimes have been about people stealing catalytic converters for their rare metals.

But that doesn’t mean that previously common stolen items such as tires are a thing of the past. In fact, tire theft is on the rise in D.C. and Maryland. This is no minor inconvenience. Replacing four tires and rims can cost as much as $4,000 for a luxury vehicle.

The good news is that there’s a simple and inexpensive way to make it much harder for someone to steal your tires. Wheel locks thwart the crime by requiring a “key” to remove a lug nut. Without them, the only thing needed to steal tires is a jack and a socket wrench.

Even better news is that you may actually already have wheel locks. Many new vehicles now come with wheel locks. If you’re buying a new car, definitely ask the dealership if they are included and, if not, request that they can thrown them in. If you don’t have them and you park your car where it might be at risk, it may be worth the $50 to $500 that it costs to buy them. (Not surprisingly, generally the more expensive your car, the more your wheel locks will cost.)

Wheel locks do have just one downside. If you’ve got them, make sure to hold on to the key. CarCare To Go‘s Service Director recommends that you leave it you car because, “losing the key can be a major headache costing time and money.” And leave  it readily available in your car when you have it serviced.

If you lose your key, the cost of your next service for anything from tire repair to brake maintenance just went up. Many service centers can remove locking lug nuts without your key, but it can cause damage to the tires and will definitely require your buying new lug nuts.

To learn more about preventing tire theft and wheel locks check out this blog post on wheel locks where we interview CarCare To Go‘s Parts Manager Claire Treadway and Service Director Dan Burns. They answer questions including:

• What do wheel locks look like?
• How do wheel locks affect your service appointments?
• Where should you keep your wheel locks?

At CarCare To Go, we pride ourselves on not only providing the best possible service for your vehicle, but also to give owners the tools they need to maintain their car over its lifetime. If you have any questions about your vehicle, or would like your mechanic to help you understand where your wheel locks are and how they work, book your appointment now at CarCare To Go.

If you’re lucky enough to already have wheel locks you should still use CarCare To Go for all your car needs. Right now, they’re running a crazy special on your first oil change. It’s just $20.22. No catch. Seriously. It even covers synthetic oil.

You’ll wonder why you ever took care of your car any other way. Learn more here!