All About Japan Autos

Okay, there’s some good news and some bad news. We’ll give you the good first.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reporting that auto thefts are at their lowest levels in 20 years. The bad? Recovery of stolen cars is also at a 25 year low.

A 17 percent drop in auto thefts from 2008 to 2009 reveals “good news for car owners across the country,” says Autoblog. And after last week’s news of lower traffic fatalities, “U.S. drivers have a right to be cheerful,” writes Edmunds.

Consumer Reports says the recovery of stolen vehicles is low because “thieves are increasingly savvy,” and these happenings are “calculated abductions by professional thieves.” Unfortunately, if a crook snags your car, there’s only a 42% chance you’ll get it back.

In a separate article, Edmunds suggests that if you don’t want to be a car theft victim, you should follow these tips: use common sense, like locking your doors and windows, and park in well-lit areas. If you want to increase security, use car alarms or warning devices, like audible alarms or brake pedal locks. If you’re paranoia is still through the roof, you can up the ante with immobilizing devices like kill switches or smart keys. But if you’re vengeful and want to track that crook down, a tracking device will get the job done. Even better, automakers are beginning to include systems with tracking devices standard, as seen in General Motors’s OnStar system.

If you don’t secure your vehicle, you may be in the market for a new car. You’ll want to check out U.S. News’ rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.