Air Bag Thefts on the Rise

04/11/96

United Press International reported that stealing air bags from cars has become the fastest-growing auto parts theft problem in New York City and Los Angeles. According to State Farm Insurance, 6.7 percent of car thefts nationwide in 1994 involved a stolen air bag. The National Insurance Crime Bureau expects that rate to hit 20 percent by the end of this year. The Highway Loss Data Institute has dubbed the thievery the stereo theft craze of the '90s.

Approximately 50 million cars have airbags currently. All new cars will be required to have them starting with the 1998 model year. The air bags are a hot item because thieves can sell an unexploded one to crooked auto body repair shops for between $50 and $200. Repair shops can collect from $400 to $1200 for an airbag installation from insurance companies, not counting labor.

Legislation has been proposed that would require carmakers to stamp airbags with vehicle identification numbers, but manufacturers who sell replacement bags to body shops oppose the idea. The manufacturers would rather come up with other means of deterring thieves, like making the air bags removable only with expensive, specialized tools.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel