A stolen vehicle can be a very upsetting experience, CarInsurance.com wants to make sure you are safe and protected.
- If your vehicle has been stolen, you should contact the police immediately and file a stolen vehicle report.
- Most insurance companies cannot process a claim for vehicle theft unless you first file a police report.
- After contacting the police, you should report the theft to your insurance company. Even if you do not have comprehensive coverage, you should still notify your carrier of any stolen vehicles immediately.
- Notifying your insurance carrier of the vehicle theft could help protect you if the thief causes damage to others with your car.
- When you contact your insurance company, try to have the following information available:
- Certificate of Title for the vehicle and/or loan/lease paperwork.
- Location of all keys to the vehicle before and after the theft.
- Names and contact information of everyone who had access to the vehicle.
- A description of your vehicle, including mileage, options, and service records — if you have receipts for any upgrades or maintenance, please have these available as well.
- A list of any personal property stolen with your vehicle. Coverage for personal items varies from state to state, and your home-owner's or renter's insurance policy may provide additional coverage for personal items that were stolen.
- Please include any finance or leasing company contact information and your account number, if applicable.
- If the stolen vehicle is financed or leased, report the theft to your finance or leasing company. To expedite your claim process, inform your finance or leasing company to discuss the case directly with your insurance company.
If the police recover your vehicle, make sure to notify your insurance company's claims adjuster immediately. This will help in quickly resolving your claim.
In the even that you didn't elect to purchase comprehensive coverage, you should see if your policy will cover you for rental car coverage and make sure you are diligent with your local law enforcement so you can try to recover your car or find the person that is responsible for making you whole.
The good news for US drivers is that the vehicle theft rate is going down:
- 1999 - 2.89%
- 2000 - 2.89%
- 2001 - 3.26%
- 2002 - 2.49%
- 2003 - 1.84%
- 2004 - 1.83%
Comment Update: Even without physical damage coverage you may have rental car coverage on your policy, through the vehicle manufacturer or on your AAA card and/or credit cards. It is a tough situation when you don't have insurance coverage and you lose a vehicle to theft. Let us know if there is anything we can do to assist you.
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 | I filed the police report for my stolen car immediately, but my insurance policy doesn't cover stolen vehicles. Is there a way I can get a decent rate for a rental car in the mean time? | | You should do a step-by-step..not explain a somewhat "step-by-step" and go to another subject like car rental.... | | It mentions nothing about what one can do if they do not have insurance at all. | | I just got my bike stolen yesterday, we just bought it 3 days ago, we are devistated; and the worst thing of all is that we only had liability. | | What happens when you report your car stolen to the lease company, and I only have liability? | | what else can i do to help recover my car | | how do i go about finding my licence plate number. | | it was lame | | it was so so | | Need more info such as: how does theft of a car affects credit history? Is there any charges for the offended party? Does the rate of the insurence go up or stays the same? What exactly is descussed with the dealler ship if the car is leased of finenced? | | Just had my car stolen and this information clarified some of questions I needed answers to. | | Accurate, complete and short. | | thanks, it helps to get sorted... | | i did the same thing i was wondering if there was anything new i should do. | | My car was just stolen and I did these things already; all except contacting the lender/lienholder. Thanks for the tip. | | Thank you for the excellant info! | | it was very understanding,dat is wat i waz thinking to do tank u | | My car was stolen from a dealership garage when I dropped it off to get an oil change--they left the keys in the vehicle. Are they responsible? What recourse do I have? | | thank you so much | | I HAD MY CAR STOLLEN THIS MORNING AT 4AM. LOOKED OUTSIDE AND FOUND OUT MY CAR WAS MISSING. CALLED THE POLICE AND MADE MY REPORT. |
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| This car insurance question was asked on 3/24/2005 | | | This auto insurance answer was last updated on 8/16/2006 | | | Rated 7 out of 10 based on 34 votes. | | | Claims | |  Print this car insurance question and answer | |  Email this auto insurance answer | |
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