Thumb Your Nose at Car Thieves with a 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 EV

Volkswagen’s popular ID.4 electric SUV has earned a new distinction: it’s among the least-stolen vehicles of the year. It’s on a list published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) – formally known as “Vehicles with the lowest claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft.” And we’re very pleased that no Volkswagen vehicle landed on the list of most-frequently stolen vehicles.  

This could be crucial to our Volkswagen of Fairfield customers, since California is – unfortunately – the state with the highest number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people, with 463.2 thefts per 100,000 people. That translates to 181,571 vehicle thefts in 2024. 

Actually, vehicle thefts are trending downward, but that still doesn’t make it any less jarring. 

Now, if you’re one of the lucky folks who is generally able to park in your own garage, your exposure to thieves is way less, but particularly in larger cities, that’s just not always possible. The two locations that allow for the greatest number of thefts are “Roads and streets,” and “Parking lots/garages.” Well, duh! Thieves go where the greatest opportunities are. Not only that, their preferred hours for stealing are 8 p.m. to Midnight, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Midnight to 4 a.m. 

So – what can you do to protect yourself and your vehicle? First, of course, is to consider one of the less-stolen vehicles, like the 2025 VW ID.4 – our client advisors at Volkswagen of Fairfield would be happy to help with that. Over and above that, though, here are some tips from experts:

• If you have to park in a public space – streets or parking lots/garages – look for well-lit areas.
• Never, ever, walk away from your parked vehicle without locking it.
• Be sure to keep any valuables out of sight.
• NEVER leave an unattended, running vehicle.

You can also stymie – if not stop –  theft with anti-theft measures like loud alarms, flashing lights, steering-wheel locks, as well as installing systems that shut down efforts to hot-wire your vehicle, including smart keys, and electricity and fuel stops. Make sure you have access to vehicle tracking through GPS, “Find My” app or something similar. Our VW of Fairfield personnel can help you figure out your options.

It’s great to know that when you invest in a great new electric vehicle like the ID.4, you’re helping to protect yourself, but you’re also getting the best in EV technology, comfort and convenience.