Auto thefts have seen a dramatic increase during the pandemic as people worked from home, commuted less, and left their cars sitting idle for days at a time – 2020 alone saw the most vehicle thefts in more than a decade. And some cars, like late 90’s Hondas and early 2000’s pickup trucks are specifically vulnerable and targeted by thieves.
Washington resident Mike A. has been a Metromile customer for nearly 7 years, so when his beloved car was stolen a few weeks ago, he knew he could turn to Metromile for help. We spoke with Mike to hear more about what happened and how he was able to locate his car so quickly with the Metromile app.
Recently, you had your car stolen. Can you share how it happened?
A few Fridays ago, my car was stolen at about 5:30 in the morning from the Burlington, Washington area. I have an older Honda that’s been my daily driver for over 25 years. In the last couple of years, I have discovered I’m a natural mechanic and applied many of my own fixes: a new radiator, heater fan, window, seatbelt, distributor, valve seals, etc. The car itself is no showroom piece, it has years of wear and tear, but we’ve been through a lot together.
I’ve heard car thieves tend to go after old Hondas so I always make sure to use an anti-theft wheel lock when I park my car at night. But that night, the thief broke some of the side panels to gain access to the car and somehow broke the wheel lock that I had in place.
That’s so frustrating, what did you do next?
I opened up the Metromile app and was encouraged to see the car still transmitting its usual GPS signal – so, the game was on. I then quickly called the police and filled out a report, hoping they’d catch the thief in the act.
Within a half-hour, the police had located the car – I was elated. The thief fled by the time the police found my car but luckily, other than some broken paneling, the car was in its usual condition.
I could see from the Metromile app that the thief had taken a leisurely drive up the coast of Washington and then driven around in circles a bit before abandoning the car.
That’s great you were able to get it back so quickly, and were able to tell the police the location of the car from your Metromile app! Do you have any advice for other drivers?
I was lucky in that the thief didn’t discover the Metromile Pulse device in my car. If you don’t have insurance like Metromile, I strongly recommend you at least have some kind of GPS or tracking device.
The bottom line
As Mike saw, things can happen to your car, even when you take precautionary measures to protect your vehicle. That’s why it’s important to have the right amount of coverage and auto insurance you can rely on. Metromile has repeatedly reunited drivers with their lost or stolen vehicles, with an approximately 90% stolen vehicle recovery rate.*
Not sure if Metromile is a fit for you? Take a Ride Along™ to try before you buy. Download the Metromile app and get a free auto insurance quote. You’ll keep your current coverage and drive as you typically would for about two weeks. Then, we’ll consider your actual driving to provide you with an accurate rate. You could even save up to an additional 15% off your quote in select states for your safe driving.
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*As of February 2021