Ontario Driver Wants Automakers to be Accountable for Easily Stolen Vehicles
Drivers across the country are heavily affected by car theft, which was up 48.2 percent in Ontario and 58 percent in Quebec in 2022 alone according to the latest numbers posted by insurance group Équité Association.
The Canadian government announced a series of measures and investments following its national summit on car theft in February, and a joint OPP and Canada Border Services Agency operation helped recover 598 stolen vehicles at the Port of Montreal over the past few months, but it feels like we’re only addressing the tip of the iceberg.
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A car owner in Ontario, Laura Paquette, believes that automakers are not doing nearly enough to prevent theft and is mulling legal options.
The 52-year-old woman told The Canadian Press that her Toyota SUV was stolen in early January. Police managed to find the vehicle weeks later, but it required substantial repairs. Plus, she was out $2,000 in monthly rental costs because her insurance only covered $1,000 for a replacement vehicle. In addition, Paquette kept making her $700 monthly payment on the stolen SUV, along with $230 per month for insurance.
"Why is it on the consumer to protect ourselves? Vehicles are big investments, so why are they so easily stolen? Why do I have to go to extremes to prevent that?" she asks, arguing that automakers should face “accountability.”
According to Équité Association, insurance claim costs related to auto theft in Ontario have increased by 319 percent since 2020. Also, for the first time ever, the province exceeded $1 billion in auto theft claims last year.