For years, thieves have been finding ways to take parts off vehicles rather than stealing whole cars as a way to score some quick cash—stash ‘em and sell ‘em. Simple as that. In the 1980s and 1990s, it first began with jacking catalytic converters as they could be gutted for the precious metals that they house inside. Then in the late 1990s and early 2000s, thieves began ripping out xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps as they scored big money on the black market. Now, it seems they’re resorting to stealing side-view mirrors, according to the New York Post.
These parts are now subject to stealing because the mirrors house expensive sensory equipment to aid in-vehicle safety systems such as lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot detection.
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