Airbag thieves in Howard County may have slowed down, but they are nowhere near calling it quits. After a huge surge in recent years, the county has logged fewer airbag thefts overall. Yet in a single overnight stretch, nearly 20 cars parked in Columbia and Ellicott City were stripped of airbags, leaving drivers with busted steering columns, big repair bills and lingering safety worries.
County data shows a decline
Howard County Police records show 98 airbags reported stolen so far in 2026, compared with 150 in 2025 and 306 in 2024, according to data from Howard County Police. The totals are drawn from the department's crime dashboard and daily bulletins, which officials use to track local trends.
Overnight spree and an earlier bust
In the latest wave, thieves hit nearly 20 vehicles across nine different streets in Columbia and Ellicott City in one overnight run, according to reporting from CBS Baltimore. Police did not announce any arrests tied to that spree, but this is not uncharted territory for local law enforcement. In July 2024, officers pulled over a vehicle, recovered 31 stolen airbags and arrested two people, according to WBAL.
What fuels the black market
Local mechanics and consumer advocates say the math behind these crimes is depressingly simple. Short supplies and steep prices for original equipment airbags create a steady incentive for thieves. AAA Mid-Atlantic and shop owners note that dealer airbags can cost close to $1,000, while stolen units can sell for a few hundred dollars on the black market, a pattern described by local reporting and collision-repair shops. WMAR-2 News has documented how parts backorders and recall-driven demand squeeze the supply of legitimate replacements even further.
Repairs, replacements and consumer risk
Body shop managers told reporters that putting a car back together after an airbag theft is not a small-ticket job. Replacing the stolen airbag and repairing the interior damage can easily land in the low thousands, sometimes between $2,000 and $2,500 depending on the vehicle. AAA's Perricone advises customers who use an independent shop to insist on brand-new OEM parts and detailed invoices. A bargain-bin fix that is undocumented or suspiciously cheap could involve a stolen or defective airbag, CBS Baltimore reports.
How to lower your odds
Police and mechanics are not promising miracles, but they do push basic deterrents. They recommend locking vehicles, parking in well-lit spots, using alarms and even adding a steering-wheel lock to make a quick strike less appealing. Howard County officers and shop owners say thieves tend to move on when a car looks like it will take extra time or attract attention. National reporting has also highlighted the broader scale of the crime, with network outlets citing the National Insurance Crime Bureau's estimate that roughly 50,000 airbags are stolen across the United States each year. For local reporting and enforcement context see WBAL and ABC7.
What police want you to know
Howard County officials are asking anyone with information about recent thefts to contact local law enforcement and to keep an eye on the department's online crime dashboard for updated trends, according to county resources. The numbers may be down from the 2024 peak, but with parts shortages and an active black market, individual drivers are still feeling the sting one gutted steering wheel at a time.
