I have a 1992 Honda Accord. It's not particularly nice. It has over 200,000 miles on it, the paint is chipping and the interior has been sprayed with my dog's puke more times than I can remember.

Yet, the thing is like a ****ing Bentley in the eyes of crooks, apparently, because it gets broken into all the time. I've actually lost count of the total number of times it has happened, but I can remember at least 6, and the real number is probably more like 8.

I know that part of the reason this happens is because it's an easy car to break into. I don't have an alarm, and I've heard similar tales from other Honda owners of similar vintage.

This isn't just happening because I live in a bad neighborhood or anything (I don't). My car has been broken into in multiple states and all across Oregon. I'm in Bend right now; the car was broken into last night. It's been broken into in Manhattan Beach, CA. It's been broken into (and stolen) in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood in Portland. It's even been broken into in Forest Heights... the cop who took the report said it was the first time he'd ever seen a car broken into on that street.

I suppose the obvious answer is to just get a newer car that's more difficult to open and have an alarm installed. But there's a problem. I have the money, but it's earmarked for a down payment on a house. I'm currently self-employed, but there is a very good chance I will be offered a full time job soon... as soon as that happens, I will buy a house and get a new car. But not before then.

Additionally, I don't plan on getting rid of the Honda when I get another car. I ride a motorcycle most of the year, but it would be good to have a 2nd car as backup. So the breakin problem will still be a problem.

Are there any alarms that really make it unpleasant for the person breaking into the car? At this point, that's kind of all I really care about. I obviously don't keep anything valuable in the Honda, having learned my lesson. I don't think a regular alarm would do much... don't crooks pretty much know how to disable them anyway?

Is there anything I can do -- other than just give up and replace the Honda with a different used car -- to deter thieves?

My 91 Civic got broken into like 6 times before I got rid of it. My 95 Eclipse like 3. My 2002 Dodge has never been messed with despite being parked in my non awesome neighborhood for over a year. I borrowed a friend's Civic for like 3 days in August (Dodge is busto) and somebody tried to break in the 2nd night.

Hondas, especially early 90s ones, are microstakes of car prowling.

Just keep nothing in the car and accept that it will happen until you get a new car. So basically, you already know exactly what you need to do.

sell car

get new car

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB®) has compiled a list of the 10 vehicles most frequently reported stolen in the U.S. in 2007.

1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1991 Honda Accord
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F150 Series
5. 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
6. 1994 Acura Integra
7. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
8. 1994 Nissan Sentra
9. 1988 Toyota Pickup
10.2007 Toyota Corolla

I saw a more recent list a couple of weeks ago on yahoo or something. It was pretty close to this list.

PNW for the loss, huh? Move to the east coast, meth hasn't really made it big here, yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrzMGdYWZc

should help

I would simply stop leaving anything in it of value and leave it unlocked...

I have a 92 Chevy 2500 I call Big Ugly Tan Truck (BUTT) and this is my anti break in defense...there really just isn't anything in it worth anything.

If you want to make it unpleasant, ask the alarm shop to install two horns inside the car and one outside...but really, this will be throwing good money after bad...

Get full coverage insurance, and leave it unlocked...

**** YES

FWIW, the window has only been smashed once during a break-in. They can get in easily enough without resorting to that. So leaving the doors locked/unlocked doesn't matter much.

Also, I believe the car was also temporarily stolen last night, as it wasn't where I left it and the wife said she didn't move it. My earlier report on the break-in was based on her checking the car out... I hadn't taken a look yet.

Hilarious. They steal it only to move it like 30 feet away. The dog puke smell must have been a more effective deterrent than I thought.

I would just do as others said and leave it un-locked... maybe get one of those Club things and lock the steering wheel so they can't drive it anywhere though.

Start leaving DVDs in the glovebox that play some sick internet video. It won't deter thieves (I doubt it's the same guy doing it over and over) but you get to feel good when you see the DVD is missing.

time to tape a paper sign on to your steering wheel that says "don't you dare break in!" and draw a frowny face on it. Even the bloodthirstiest most desperate of criminal will go after other cars instead.

Moar like a paper sign that reads, "Congratulations! This car has been sprayed with AIDS. Enjoy!"

You think people steal DVDs to watch them?

does your car have an airbag?
if not, google removable steering wheel.

If you are worried about it getting stolen, have a kill switch installed, its relatively easy and cheap to do, and the guy stealing a 01 civic isnt going to waste the time to bypass it.

You could also do what I did, I never lock my car cuz its a POS and I dont keep anything in it, but I got tired of people going through it to find out there was nothing in it. So I left a note in the glove box thats all you see when you open it that says "smile mother ****er, you are on camera" and Ive gone out to find the glove box open before, but not rummaged through, so they obviously saw the note and then fled. You could do something similar.

lol good point. I think I like movies too much. If I were to steal things I'd probably at least watch it first before taking a trip to the pawn shop. There has to be some type of way of ****ing with thieves though.

Just an FYI years ago a guy who had his radio stolen several times from his car did something similar. Put a sign up saying something like radio stolen, no valuables please dont break in. Comes out next day and his window is shattered. On the seat is a sign that says "Just checkin".

I used to have an aftermarket CD player/stereo. That was taken like 5 break-ins ago. Now I have the stock tape deck back in there. It's not screwed in securely, just plugged in so that anyone could yank it out without even undoing a single thing.

It has never been touched obv.

I agree with those saying to leave nothing (and I mean really nothing) in it, secure the wheel with a club or something and just leave it unlocked.

The only thing stolen this time was a basketball that I carelessly left in the trunk.

It's a regular basketball, but kind of special because I got it from the Party Poker fpp store back in the day.

What is this??? Can I get link to larger view?

I guess I'll have to console myself with some wine from the Party Poker decanter I have in storage.

haha, that's awesome

i had an escort gt that when i lived in a not so nice area in milwaukee theyd smash the window and search the car every chance they got.

i just quit locking it.

i was told it was a hard car to steal but for whatever reason theifs thought it had the goods in it...the last time they smashed the window they just dumped my ashtray out on my seat...thats when i realized...**** it, if they want in the car so bad, let em.