What to do if someone steals your car
A step by step guide on what to do if you’re the victim of car theft.
Key takeaways
- If your car has been stolen, make a police report as soon as possible.
- Collect all the details you can and then contact your insurer.
- Car insurance can help you in a few ways.
What to do if your car has been stolen
1. Make a police report. When you get your bearings, call the police right away so they can send an alert out to local patrols who can keep their eye out for your vehicle. As you wait for police to arrive, ask around to see if anyone nearby noticed anything strange. When the police arrive, they'll help you file a stolen car report so make sure to give them your car's make, model, vehicle identification number (VIN) and licence plate number. Tell them about any important or valuable belongings you had inside the car, as well as any information you received from local witnesses.
2. Get in touch with your car insurance provider. You need to let your car insurance company know about the theft as soon as possible so they can begin to process your claim. What they'll do for you will depend on what level of car insurance you have. We'll get into that further down.
How car insurance can help with a stolen car
There are two types of car insurance that can help you if your car has been stolen; comprehensive car insurance and third party fire & theft car insurance. Here's a breakdown of the differences between then and what you could be eligible for.
Comprehensive car insurance
With this level of insurance, you can be covered for:
- A new car replacement, if your car was within 2 or 3 years old. This rule varies by insurers so check your product disclosure statement.
- A payout of the market value or agreed value, depending on your policy.
- Personal effects up to a certain amount — usually somewhere between $500-$1500. This includes the things that were in your car at the time of the theft, like a laptop or sports gear.
- A hire car while your car is out of action and a new one or a payout is on the way.
- Emergency accommodation if you're stranded.
- Towing of the vehicle once it's been found.
- Payment of repairs if the car is found and in a repairable condition.
- Paying for the replacement of keys if your car is found but the keys are not.
Third party fire and theft insurance
With this level of insurance, you can be covered for:
- A payout up to the agreed value of your car. This is usually capped at around $10K-$15K but every insurer is different. Your insurance certificate will tell you how much your car is covered for.
- Personal effects/items. Again, this is for stuff that was in your car at the time of the theft and will usually help cover up to $500-$1,500 worth of things.
- Towing of the vehicle once it's been found.
- A hire car to help you get around while your car is out of action.
- Towing once the vehicle is found.
- Repairs, if it's not been written off.
Unfortunately, if you only hold third party property damage or compulsory third party (CTP) cover then you won't be able to claim back any money for the theft of your car.
Our expert says
"If your car has been stolen, then now is a good time to read through your product disclosure statement and understand what you're entitled to. You've been paying for insurance this whole time so don't pay extra for things that are supposed to be included. Some companies might be great and tell you all you're entitled to, but others may not be as forthcoming. I had a family member whose car was stolen and their insurance company didn't tell them they were entitled to a hire car, despite it being clearly part of the policy they'd been paying for for years. It's frustrating, but a little reading can go a long way to make sure you're getting the most out of your policy when you really need it."
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