Warning for South Africans driving these ‘hit list’ cars

South Africans who drive cars commonly targeted by hijackers are being warned to check that their insurance still covers them for theft and hijacking and that they are up to date with all requirements. 

This warning was flagged by consumer expert Wendy Knowler, who said that many drivers may be unaware that their theft and hijacking cover has been removed due to updated requirements from their insurers.

“It’s not as simple as if your car is over a certain value. It goes very much on what the insurance statistics on theft and hijacking reveal regarding what models are on the thieves’ hit list,” she said in an interview with CapeTalk. 

According to Knowler, if you drive one of these high-risk vehicles, insurers may now require that you fit not one but two tracking devices of a specific technical standard to your car. 

“And if you don’t comply for whatever reasons, if you haven’t seen the email or whatever, they will just unilaterally cut your theft and hijacking cover from your cover,” she explained.

She stressed the importance of awareness around this issue. “I feel quite strongly about this, and that’s why I want to get the word out.”

Santam first noted this requirement in its Insurance Barometer report for the 2022/23 financial year, following record hijackings and vehicle theft claims in the country. 

Santam’s report noted that the experience was so poor that several corrective actions were needed to minimise exposure.

These included doubling up on vehicle trackers, discussing tech-linked weaknesses with vehicle manufacturers, and promoting Faraday pouches to prevent the cloning of keyless access signals.

Knowler cited an example of a 2023 letter sent by the insurer to clients, requiring certain vehicle owners, particularly those based in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, to install two tracking devices.

She added that the requirements included that one must be an early warning tracker and a recovery system. The list included:

• All models of the Toyota Hilux from 2016 onward.
  
• All models of the Toyota Fortuner from 2016 onward.
  
• All models of the Toyota Prado from 2018 onward.
  
• Toyota Land Cruiser 200 models from 2017 onward.
  
• Lexus models from 2018 onward.

It must be noted that the list could have since been amended, and that other insurers may have their own list, meaning this list could be incomplete. 

Make sure you’re covered

To underscore the real-world impact, Knowler shared the story of a school principal who bought a Toyota Fortuner. 

The car, insured for the past five years, was stolen from a primary school in Rand Park about six weeks ago. 

The tracking device had been removed and left on the school grounds, but crucially, there was only one device.

“Her claim was rejected because she had no cover for theft or hijacking for about two years previously, since March 2023, because she had not had a second tracking device fitted to that Fortuner,” said Knowler. 

“She’d been going around for two years, knowing she had one tracker and presuming that was fine.” That, said Knowler, is “the big issue here.” 

The principal said she wasn’t aware of the second tracking device requirement. “I’ve been operating based on the initial insurance policy we agreed upon,” she told Knowler.

However, after investigating the matter, the principal discovered that the insurer had emailed her to inform her of the policy changes.

The insurer sent her, presumably other affected policyholders, this email in November 2022, followed by a reminder 12 weeks later. 

These messages outlined the need to install a second tracking device or risk having theft and hijacking coverage removed from March 2023.

The key takeaway is that if you own a high-risk vehicle, don’t assume you’re still fully covered. 

Check your insurance policy and ensure you meet all current requirements, especially regarding tracking devices.

The latest statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) show that hijackings are still at alarming levels. 

The data shows that 4,807 hijackings were reported over the third quarter of 2024 (October to December), representing just over 53 incidents daily in the country.