Hey everyone, does your car insurance company give you an insurance "anti-theft device" discount based on the factory Immobilizer installed on these cars, or even the factory alarm/security system if you have the EX model or installed yourself?

I would have thought my insurance, GEICO, would for our 2006 Accord EX. However when I asked about it, this is the reason they gave me:

"I apologize however the VIN for the 2006 Honda shows that the car is
equipped with active alarms. In order to receive the discount you would
have to have passive alarms in the car. A passive alarm is any item or
system installed in an automobile which is activated automatically when
the operator turns the ignition key to the off position and which is
designed to prevent unauthorized use. The term does not include an
ignition interlock provided as a standard anti-theft device by the original
automobile manufacturer."

Isn't the Immobilizer activated automatically? If true, can someone give me a good reference (online or otherwise) that I can show to my insurance agent?

Thanks.

you just answered your own question without realizing:
"The term does not include an ignition interlock provided as a standard anti-theft device by the original automobile manufacturer."

The immobilizer acts when someone tries to turn the car on with an illegitimate key. What Geico wants is a system that is activated as soon as you turn your car off. The Immobilizer is only effective in preventing people from starting the car, I think Geico wants an alarm that keeps people completely out of the vehicle.

No alarm is capable of keeping people out of a car. I don't even have to get into your car to take it away from you...unless, you leave the hand brake on :yes:

can't you just cut the cable? ;)

You could install the OEM alarm Honda offers. It features passive disabling and should qualify you for the discount you seek. Keep in mind that an alarm discount applies only to the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance premium. You are probably getting a 7-10% discount for your 'active' alarm; the passive alarm discount might save you another 5%, maybe 10% tops. Take 5% of the $200-$300 comprehensive portion of your premium and you're looking at $10-15 a year in savings. Probably not even worth the time you've spent reading this thread :D

Mine came with lojack installed and my insurance company definitely gives a discount for that. Nothing was ever mentioned about the factory alarm though.

exactly you save maybe $20 dollars at most...

I have Allstate and they take off $4 for the year. :lmao:

perhaps it varies with insurance company.
back when i had geico, i had to have actual alarm in the car.
with amica, they qualify the immobilizer, and having or not having the alarm doesn't affect the cost after that.

VIN etching provides a good bang-for-your-buck in terms of insurance savings. Allstate didn't recognize the factory alarm on my 2006 Accord for a discount, but VIN etching alone dropped the discount to below what it would have been if they had given me the discount for the alarm. I think I save $15-$20 every 6 months for the etching.

Care to elaborate, what's VIN etching?

But I would think that the VIN etching itself would cost more than the savings? Either way, I personally don't think it's a good theft deterrent. If the car is to be chopped up into little pieces, nobody is going to notice the VIN etching anyway. If the car is going to be resold, it won't be in the USA - it'll be exported to some country like South Africa or Columbia maybe. In that case, you just let somebody else savor the great theft deterrent effects of VIN etching in their new car without paying for it :lmao:

Anzial, wikipedia knows all :notworthy

...
Anzial, wikipedia knows all :notworthy

Doh! :biggrin: :nuts: :lmao:

But I would think that the VIN etching itself would cost more than the savings?

Nah, you can get VIN etching kits on eBay for like $10, $15. It's cheap and it only takes 30 minutes.

Whether it actually deters theft or not, I can't say. However, I imagine that Allstate's actuaries know more about its effect on car thefts than you or I, since they're the ones giving me the $40 discount every year. :)

or you can use a dremel to etch VIN on all parts of the car :D

No alarm is capable of keeping people out of a car. I don't even have to get into your car to take it away from you...unless, you leave the hand brake on :yes:


Even then, it can still be towed away. The police towed my civic that way. And it wasn't on a flatbed. :thumbsdow

I've heard from a reliable source that the NYC cops will bust your windows to put down the handbrake if it's engaged (and you're parked illegally). If the police can do it, thieves can...

also, keep in mind that every insurance company has a cap on maximum discount for anti-theft devices (even though the actual number may vary from company to company).

with immobilizer and vin etching and i topped out amica's max. having an alarm doesn't discount me an extra penny. i think the max you get is for lojack, so, with that, there are definitely no additional discounts.

to the OP, if you call geico and ask them what you can do to get some discounts, they'll definitely provide you with some options.

ok, thanks for everyone's input, I guess I won't press the issue with them, it's only a few bucks a year.