PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More than 2,500 cars have been stolen across the city so far this year in a sophisticated car theft ring. Officials say 747 of them were Hondas.
"Hondas are definitely a hot item," said Philadelphia police Capt. Robert McKeever. "For one, their tires and their rims are universal. So we see that they can steal tires and rims from a 2025 Honda and put them on a 2018 Honda."
He said many of the thieves reprogram key fobs to steal them, strip the cars for parts and ship them to other countries.
McKeever said car owners with key fobs are urged to keep them in protective Faraday bags, even in the house, as tech-savvy thieves can use antennas to pick up the key fob signal.
He said drivers can also inquire about onboard diagnostic locks.
"It's basically a little box that will plug into the diagnosis key part on the car, under the dash, which you can lock. Usually, they'll plug in the Autel machine to download and reprogram your key fob, so then they could just drive away your car."
Older model CR-Vs and Accords have less advanced anti-theft systems, but all of them are on the radar.
"We just served a search warrant at an undisclosed location where we recovered numerous Honda parts, up to engines, dashboards, eight airbags, which, the airbags were stolen out in New York. So it's definitely an organized group doing this with the Hondas."
He also said to beware of car sales on social media, like Facebook Marketplace.
"We have individuals that are stealing Honda CRVs, and they're putting them on Facebook Marketplace. If somebody's advertising a 2022 Honda CRV for $9,500 on Facebook Marketplace, that's a $25,000 car all day long." McKeever said if you do plan to purchase a car off Marketplace, be wary and ask to meet at a police station so officers can run the VIN to verify it’s clean.
One group stole more than 50 cars and scammed buyers out of more than $1 million. On Friday, March 27, McKeever said 10 people will face more than a dozen charges, each related to selling stolen cars — replacing the vehicle identification numbers so it’s less traceable. Those stolen cars were advertised through Marketplace.
Officials also recommend investing in a steering lock for your vehicle. Some police districts across the city are distributing them for free. Check in with your local station for details.
For more car safety tips, visit watchyourcar.org.
