A number of dealership service departments, independent repair shops and other automotive businesses that have been the victims of thefts in recent months are urging other businesses in the industry to take added steps to protect themselves. 

"The police told me in my area that the rise in thefts is largely based on the meth epidemic," one Midwest shop owner said. "I don't know if that's it or not, but after we got broken into last week, I've talked with three other shop owners around the state who've had thefts in the last six weeks."

Dave Biancalana of Mulholland Auto Repair in Eugene, Oregon, said a weekend burglary of his shop in August resulted in a loss of about $40,000 in tools, equipment and parts. He said he was aware of at least four other burglaries of automotive businesses in the Eugene area within about a month.

Thieves cut through the chain on the company's gate to gain access to the property, he said, then used a pry bar to bend a steel door on the building, popping the lock through the jamb. Once inside, they loaded the company's shuttle van with scan and air tools, a welder and tank, tires, batteries and other items, and cut the lock from a bay door in order to drive the vehicle away.

"It looked like they were loading up a customer vehicle as well, but couldn't get that bay door open," Biancalana said.

He said the burglary could have been even more costly had the thieves known more about automotive equipment. The thieves took one low-end scanner, for example, but bypassed two others worth more than $10,000. They took two dozen adaptors for the shop's radiator pressure tester - but didn't take the tester itself.

Biancalana said the company's van was later recovered - empty and with some damage - about two miles from his shop, within a block of where two customer vehicles stolen from another shop also were found several weeks later.

He warned that shops will only contribute to the problem if they or their employees purchase second-hand tools and equipment when it's not clear those items were obtained by the seller legitimately.

"Don't get swept up by the idea of getting a great deal," he said. "You wouldn't want someone else benefitting from equipment stolen from your shop."

Practical suggestions

He also had a number of other suggestions for shops looking to protect themselves from thieves.

• "Make sure on your shop insurance that you have replacement coverage, otherwise they'll do a discounted rate on payment," he said. "That's a big issue. Our insurance policy is replacement coverage, so they have to pay whatever it costs to replace. But that's something we had to add. It's not what the agent was going to give us originally."

• Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage as well. "If you have a seasoned tech with 10 years in the field, $15,000 isn't enough if they take his whole box," Biancalana said. "You need around $25,000 or $30,000 a box."

• Bolt top tool boxes to the bottom boxes. "They took a top box and were trying to take a bottom box but couldn't, probably because it was too heavy," Biancalana said. "My guys are now also making some steel 'L' brackets to bolt their boxes to the floor."