Item Most Stolen from Vehicles

What item is most often stolen from vehicles?

Is it:
(A) Stereo
(B) Wheels
(C) Air Bag
(D) DVD System

Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft. New airbags cost about $1,000 for Chatham drivers but go for $50 to $200 on the black market. Stolen airbags are making their way back into vehicles that have been in an accident. Of course, the vital danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them.

There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements are stolen or salvaged airbags – or no airbag is installed at all.

That is definitely an essential car part you don’t want to take a chance with, so we recommend following the following guidelines:

• Use a reputable collision repair center like Armstrong - Macko Automotive Ltd in Chatham that employs ASE certified mechanics.
• Inspect the invoice to ensure that the Chatham repair shop purchased the airbag from a ON manufacturer, dealer, or recycler.
• If you can inspect the airbag prior to installation, it should be packaged in a sealed container from the manufacturer or recycler.

You will see the SRS light (Supplemental Restraint System) when you first start your vehicle up. This tells you that the airbag system is activated. If you do not see the SRS light, there is a problem with the airbag system.

Give us a call.

Armstrong - Macko Automotive Ltd
77 Leeson Dr
Chatham, ON N7M 5T9
519-354-3070
www.armstrongmacko.com

At Armstrong - Macko Automotive Ltd we install quality NAPA replacement parts.