What Happens to Stolen Cars?
Stolen vehicles are often used for transport, to commit other crimes, stripped for parts or sold with falsified documents — many are recovered and are preventable with basic security steps.
Stolen cars are rarely driven indefinitely; they’re frequently used for transportation, to commit additional crimes, dismantled for parts, or sold with altered VINs and fraudulent paperwork. While police work to recover vehicles and identify offenders, many thefts are crimes of opportunity that can be deterred by simple precautions: lock your vehicle, take your keys, never leave it running unattended, park in well-lit visible places and remove valuables from sight.