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Congratulations-you got your vehicle back! But wait… it doesn’t look the same as you left it. And there’s more you have to do to get your car (and yourself) back right after this massive headache.
Insurance
Hopefully you had full coverage insurance on your vehicle when it was stolen. If you only had liability insurance then you will have to pay out-of-pocket for everything. Even with full coverage you may not be covered if your insurer finds that you were negligent (this happens for things like leaving your keys inside the vehicle). If you did have full coverage insurance, and you intend on keeping your car, it is important to be mindful of your state’s criteria for a vehicle being classified as a total-loss when filing the claim. Especially on older vehicles that insurance companies grossly undervalue, they may attempt to total out your car, because it is more profitable to them, even if the damage is not that severe. If your car is deemed a total-loss you may choose to keep it for a lower settlement amount, but it can be more difficult to obtain full coverage on it as a salvage or rebuilt titled vehicle, and your future resale value will be greatly diminished. State laws regarding insurance vary, but do remember you do have the right to choose where your vehicle is repaired, and you do have the right to dispute your vehicle’s valuation with the insurance company. Don’t forget to submit any towing bills, etc. related to the incident to your insurance company, as they are typically covered and should not go towards the cost threshold for being a total loss. If your insurance company is giving you a hard time, consider reaching out to your state’s department of insurance for assistance. Please remember that your insurance company is looking out for their best interest, not yours, and you do have the right to dispute them.
Court Cases/Victim Impact Statements
Hopefully the thieves who stole your pride and joy were captured, and you will receive a letter from your district attorney regarding the prosecution of the thieves. It is important to read the letter thoroughly and follow the instructions. You may or may not be required to show up in court, if given the option, it will likely result in the thieves receiving harsher punishment if you show up. It may also help them stay locked up longer if you write a victim impact statement, detailing how the theft has negatively impacted you.
Restitution
If the low-lifes who stole your vehicle were arrested, and are being prosecuted, you may be entitled to restitution. Restitution is when a criminal has to pay their victim for damages related to the crime they committed. As the victim of the crime, you should receive letters in the mail about this. you will have to follow their instructions to submit what expenses you want to claim for restitution, that will go to the judge to be ordered for the defendant to pay. Expenses can include things like damages related to theft that were not paid by insurance, and contents of the vehicle that are now missing. Keep in mind it does depend on your jurisdiction how strictly the restitution is enforced. In some places, inmates will not be released from custody or probation until restitution is paid, but in other places it is much more loosely enforced.
Vehicle Repairs
Thieves are going to drive your car like they stole it-because they did! It’s honestly quite amazing how much damage they can do in a short period of time, especially if a police chase is involved. You will most likely have to take your vehicle to a mechanic, and possibly a body shop, to inspect for damage and get it back to how it was before the theft. The thieves have not only been abusing your vehicle, but they may have even modified it, either to avoid identification, or for their own enjoyment.
What’s All This Junk Inside my Vehicle?
It will come as a surprise to most, but especially if your car was stolen by lower-level thieves, it may have lots of stuff in it that wasn’t there when you left it. Police may or may not have searched your vehicle upon recovery, and even if they did, they most likely only removed illegal or known stolen items. There is a good chance that, while stolen, your vehicle was used in other crimes or shady activities. There may be stolen items in your vehicle, it’s best to return them if you can find where they came from, however finding the rightful owner of the items could be impossible in many instances, so it is up to you what you want to do with the stuff. USE CAUTION WHEN SEARCHING THROUGH THE ITEMS IN YOUR VEHICLE: there is a very high chance of finding illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia like pipes or syringes, weapons, or other hazardous/unsanitary items. Wear gloves and be super careful of sharp objects, etc.!
Cleaning Your Vehicle
Chances are, the dirty thieves made your car dirty. Possibly dirtier than a normal, civilized person could do if they were trying to make their car dirty. As stated above, use extreme caution when cleaning out your vehicle after a theft, you have no idea what nasty, or potentially hazardous things can be in there. If you’re not experienced or properly equipped to clean out your car, you will want to bring it to a good detailer that can thoroughly clean and disinfect the interior of your car. Depending on the severity of the mess, you will likely need a full interior detail with a thorough vacuum job, carpet shampooing, seat cleaning, wipe down of interior, disinfecting, and possibly deodorization. If they got your interior very dirty, you will need to choose an experienced detailer if you want to get it back to feeling normal, especially when foul odors are involved, as very thorough cleaning is typically required to eliminate the source of the odor. This will be expensive, but you can help get the cost down by doing what you are capable of beforehand so the detailer will have less to do. It can take a really long time to clean a heavily soiled interior properly, so be patient and don’t expect it to be cheap if you aren’t capable of doing at least some of the work yourself.
Interior Cleaning Essentials:
- Shop-Vac- View on Amazon
- Rags- View on Amazon
- Interior detail brushes- View on Amazon
- All-Purpose interior cleaning solution- View on Amazon
- Glass cleaner- View on Amazon
- Deodorizer- View on Amazon
- Air compressor (for blowing out crevices)- View on Amazon
- Carpet extractor (for deep cleaning)- View on Amazon
- Carpet shampoo solution- View on Amazon
- Carpet shampoo spray that you can use with Shop-Vac- View on Amazon
- Leather cleaner and conditioner- View on Amazon
- Lysol for disinfecting- View on Amazon
- Air freshener- View on Amazon
How to Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen Again
After going through a vehicle theft, whether you decide to keep your recovered vehicle or not, you will certainly be wondering how to make sure you never have to go through this again. Make sure to read our guide on Layered Defense for Auto Theft Prevention, and check our list of articles on commonly stolen vehicles to see if we have an article tailored to your make and model. If you are keeping your recovered vehicle, take note of how it was stolen, and make sure you use anti-theft methods that will specifically prevent it. One of the first steps in theft prevention is identifying the specific vulnerabilities of your vehicle.
