AAA offering free VIN etching to combat car thefts

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — In an effort to combat car thefts, AAA East Central is offering free VIN etching to the community on Friday at its South Hills branch in Bethel Park.

“From our perspective at AAA, working with law enforcement, we hear from them that it’s an effective deterrent for car theft,” said AAA East Central Director of Public Affairs, Jim Garrity.

According to Garrity, the entire process takes only 10-15 minutes and your car’s unique Vehicle Identification Number is etched into each window using a custom stencil and acid-based solution.

“It’s not hurting the integrity of the windows, it’s not leaving any kind of damage to the windows, but it is a permanent etching, so no one is going to come along and get the etching out, they’re going to have to replace all the windows,” Garrity said.

Last year in the City of Pittsburgh, police data shows there were 649 reported car thefts, and more than 700 in 2022.

The goal of VIN etching is to deter thieves from targeting your car.

That’s because Garrity says thieves trying to re-sell a stolen car would have to replace all the windows to destroy any trace of the car’s VIN number.

“At that point, windows being as expensive as they are, they’re one of the more expensive things to replace on a vehicle, a lot of experienced car thieves are going to look at that etching and say, ‘It’s just not worth it, I’m going to go find some other car,’” Garrity said.

The free VIN etching event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday at AAA’s South Hills branch in Bethel Park at 160 Fort Couch Road.

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