Today, I came across a fresh story from NBC channel 4 in LA about how wheel theft is becoming all too commonplace in SoCal. This week, several Encino residents found their recent model year sedans resting on plastic soda pallets, with wheels and tires nowhere to be seen. The CBS report mentions two vehicles, a Honda and Tesla. Both had their wheels quickly and quietly removed, and one neighbor's smart doorbell shows a single culprit moving around one of the cars sometime in the early morning hours.
Of note, the reported Tesla's "sentry mode" security sensors were not active during the wheel theft. Additionally, neither the Tesla nor the Honda appeared to have wheel locking lugs. Either one of these safety and security devices might have made the difference in defeating the wheel theft attempt. Both interviewed women noted that they would ensure security measures were taken in the future. Luckily, at least one of the victims of this theft had purchased wheel and tire insurance at the dealership, but should such a vital security and safety feature be left as a $500 additional charge at the customer's expense? Surely the inclusion of four wheel-locking lugs on a new car isn't going to destroy any automakers bottom line?
Let's take a quick look at locking wheel lug penetration rates for some common US sedan brands.
According to VehiclePlannerPlus, SBD Automotive's competitive intelligence and automotive data tool, the fitment of this feature varies wildly across our analyzed sample by brands and model years. Honda, Tesla and many other brands do not offer locking wheel lugs at all, either as a standalone option or as part of a package. But some brands do consider locking wheel lugs an important inclusion. (Note that our data is limited to locking lugs fitted at the factory, and doesn't track such options fitted at the dealership at or after time of sale).
European brands have the highest average fitment of wheel locks overall in the US, with Volvo in first place. Meanwhile, US brands Cadillac and Ram are standouts for their wheel lock fitment when compared to the woefully inadequate fitment rates of other major US manufacturers. Finally, Mazda leads the Asian brands in locking lug fitment, with Toyota a tepid second.
Locking wheel lugs can be defeated by a determined thief, but deterrence counts when trying to prevent theft.
Let me know what you think down below. Are wheel locking lugs something OEM's should provide on all modern vehicles? Or do you think the cost outweighs the benefit?
If you are interested in automotive data you can rely on to make complex automotive decisions, reach out to me for a trial to VehiclePlannerPlus, our automotive data tool with over 44 million unique VINs in our proprietary aggregated dataset. Or, if you do a lot of automotive industry research like I do, ask me about AutoRoadmaps, SBD Automotive's industry tracking and news aggregation tool. We track over 10,000 automotive articles every month and provide you with the context to aid in your own research, and we can provide a sample for your review. Email me at benjamin.marz@sbdautomotive.com to learn more!
Sources:
CBS news segment (YT): Thieves target cars for their wheels in Encino neighborhood
CBS news story (article): https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/miramar-police-video-shows-2-persons-of-interest-after-rims-tires-stolen-from-cars/
VehiclePlannerPlus: www.vehicleplannerplus.com