It seems like the word most synonymous with Dodge cars these days is “stolen.” Just yesterday, Detroit Police arrested kids aged 11, 12, and 14 trying to steal new Dodge Chargers and Challengers from the factory. Why are Dodge Chargers and Challengers so easy to steal? Plus, a few ways to prevent more people from becoming stolen Dodge Charger and Challenger owners.

Stealing Dodge Chargers and Challengers isn’t a new thing for thieves

Detroit has plenty going on besides Dodge Chargers and Challengers getting stolen, but that happens in the area too. Fox 2 Detroit reports that the city has recently been subject to violent carjackings. This week, police finally caught the trio responsible for some of the carjackings, only to find the suspects were 11, 12, and 14 years old.

Fox 2 Detroit says that Detroit carjackings are up 40% compared to last year alone. Lt. Clive Stewart, DPD, said, “They think it’s fun, and there is no penalty to it.” The police don’t always catch these thefts in time, which means the car is long gone by the time the owner finds it missing.

Police initially found the group in a storage lot near the Chrysler Dodge Jefferson North Plant. The trio was attempting to carjack brand new Dodge Hellcat Chargers and Challengers. These cars range in price from $80,000 and $90,000 but would likely go for more thanks to semiconductor chip shortages.

The Dodge Charger Hellcat and Challenger Hellcat price make it worth the steal

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat has a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine and 717 horsepower. It starts at around $77,000 for the widebody version and $86,595 for the Hellcat Jailbreak. The Challenger SRT Hellcat has an MSRP of $69,620. The SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody starts at  $84,530. Simply put, these kids knew which models would be worth the trouble. Easy to steal, easy to profit.

Stewart surmised that adults probably lured the younger kids to help as the punishments wouldn’t be as bad for a child.  “The older offenders know, ‘I can do this and not really have my hands on it because I didn’t really steal the car.'”

However, police in Detroit arrested a second 14-year-old last weekend, someone known as a repeat carjacker at this point. This individual was out on bond from a carjacking in May when he was caught stealing two more cars last week. Police have linked him to other crimes where witnesses called a reported what looked like a child stealing cars. A Crime Stoppers tip eventually led to the police catching up with him this time. With carjackings up so much, police are working overtime to try and get things under control.

Detroit has a growing problem on its hands, but you can protect your car in a few ways

Unfortunately, these Dodge Chargers and Challengers aren’t any less susceptible to theft once someone purchases one. There are a few reasons Dodge Chargers and Challengers are such a hot commodity. According to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), both cars are fun to drive, and you don’t even need the keys to steal the automobiles. The Dodge Chargers and Challengers have whole-vehicle theft rates more than five times the national average from 2016-2018. The HEMI and Hellcat engines only sweeten the deal.

If you have a Dodge Charger or Challenger and are worried about it getting stolen, you can install aftermarket alarm systems to deter thieves. There are also glass breakage sensors, motion detectors, and a sensor to detect if the vehicle changes incline.