Hi All.

I'll be taking delivery of my 2011 GT very soon and was considering VIN etching. I know the dealership charges way too much, so I was looking around and found many kits for 20-30 bucks on the internet that seem decent and easy to use.

My questions is...is it really worth it? Does it really deter criminals? My insurance agent said that I'm already maxed-out for anti-theft discounts and it won't provide any additional reduction in my premium. So if I do it, it would be for security, and in the hopes it really would deter thieves.

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

 

its not worth it. Its law that shops have to record and keep record of all glass replaced. If loud god awful alarms dont slow these people down then marks on the glass wont either.

 

It's actually better to get the VIN etched in a place that's very hard to find somewhere on the body. Some criminals will file the VIN off to prevent it from being identified as a stolen car, and that makes it very difficult for the police to return the car to the owner if it's recovered, because it's so hard to identify who the owner is.

Has to be hard to find though as some thieves check for that too.

But that's just what I know.

 

just write a note and put it under the leather seat cover

 

The Virginia State Police etched my windows for free. They had an event at the local mall one Saturday... I think they do it in my area (Roanoke) every year...

 

Our local police have the same kind of fair every year so I've had several cars with etched VINs over the years. Never had one stolen so I don't know if it does any good. But I figure if the police support it and it's free, why not?

 

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'll pass on it for now and check with the local police to see if they're going to offer anything like that.

 

I thought that was standard. I have it on both the Mustang, Taurus, and had it on the Fusion I traded off. I don't remember seeing a line item for it. Maybe I wasn't paying attention....

 

Mine was already done also. I don't recall seeing anything either.