13-Year-Olds Caught In Alleged Saturn Theft Ring

A group of teens are in custody in Washtenaw Township after a string of Saturn car thefts over the past two weeks, Local 4 reported.

Police arrested four juveniles -- two 13-year-olds, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old.

The two 13-year-olds were taken into custody after they crashed a white Saturn (pictured, below) while allegedly fleeing from police.

"Anytime you find anybody at that age driving a car really catches you by surprise," said Cmdr. David Egeler, of the Washtenaw County sheriff's office.

"What they've been able to figure out is a way to kind of alter the key to gain access to the ignition without having to punch the ignition," Egeler said.

Police believe the teens have been spreading the word to others about how to steal the vehicles, Local 4 reported.

"We're looking for more and we're comfortable that at a certain point we'll be able to round up most everybody who's involved in it," Egeler said.

A Saturn spokesperson told Local 4 that the company was not aware of the incidents in Washtenaw County, but has reengineered the ignitions of its cars since 1997 due to similar reports.

Authorities advise owners of early-model Saturns to purchase an antitheft device

That is true, if I was going to steal a car, it would be a BMW or MB or a Lexus.. Not a Saturn.

It depends on the intent.

If you're stealing it for a joyride, then yes, assuming you could circumvent the theft-deterrent systems on a luxury vehicle as easily, a BMW, MB or Lexus would be the way to go.

However, if you intend on selling it to a chop shop, chopping it yourself, or reselling the entire vehicle, you have a much better chance of getting away with the act and of being able to unload the parts/the vehicle if you choose a vehicle that is more common. When you factor in that they were able to start the vehicle without obvious damage (making getting caught less likely and allowing the possibility of selling the entire vehicle to an unwary buyer), a Saturn is a pretty good choice.

Its extremely rare, for example, to have a Ferrari stolen because they're almost impossible to resell, and just about as difficult to part out. BMW's/MBs/Lexus are more common, but they're also harder to steal. When you balance the liquidity of the parts and the ease of obtainment against the chances of getting caught, a Saturn is a good choice.

You just make up for the low comparative value of the individual vehicle by stealing more of them...

We bought our son a Saturn SL1 a few years ago and it has been stolen twice so far. The "thieves" just take it for a joy ride and ditch it somewhere.
They can be opened and started with a small pair of scissors or a small nail file.
This is a major flaw and well known, I'm surprised GM has not issued some kind of recall to upgrade the locks.
It's been out sittin' in the yard for about a year now until we can decide what to do with it.

No more Saturns!

I read somewhere where the early 90s Saturns were more prone to theft because of a defect in the key / steering column. Problem was fixed mid 90s.

Dunno if it's true, makes sense though. Any car thieves on this thread?

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