Man Parks His Chevrolet Downtown. Then He Looks Under The Hood And Realizes They Took Everything. Then He Tries Calling State Farm

It’s like something out of a cartoon. After work, a man goes to get in his Chevrolet amaro and head home. He tries to start the vehicle, and it doesn’t turn over. So, he pops the hood to check the battery. Instead of discovering a loose connection, he finds his entire engine is gone. 

Robbypooh, an Atlanta-based creator, has multiple TikTok videos detailing his relationship with the city he lives in. And it’s not really a love story. Despite The Big Peach’s reputation as “the” city to be in, Robbypooh (@robbypooh53) seems to be having a run of terrible luck. His video detailing the engine theft has over 800,000 views. 

Does Car Insurance Cover Stolen Engines? 

Robby said he’d been at work at his new job when he discovered that his Camaro had been robbed of its engine. 

“I only been working four hours to my new job,” he says, then invites the internet to check out his new reality. 

“Let me show you something,” he says, and pops the hood only to show an empty hole where the engine should be. “They took my [expletive] engine,” he says in a kind of disbelieving rage. They stole his catalytic converters, too. 

At least he’s got insurance. 

But in the comments section of a subsequent video, Robby says his insurance provider, whom he tagged as State Farm, would not cover the cost of fixing the vehicle. 

“Insurance said nah,” he wrote.

According to AAA, coverage all depends on the type of insurance a holder has. For those with comprehensive and some collision coverage, typically, yes, break-ins and theft are covered. 

But for drivers who only opt for liability coverage, an engine replacement would typically not be covered. 

“Liability coverage pays another party's medical expenses, vehicle repairs, and property damage if you were responsible for the accident,” says State Farm’s website. It also notes, “If you're responsible for an accident, your liability coverage won't pay to repair your vehicle.” 

Though Robby didn’t cause this, he might not have had the right insurance to cover this type of loss, per his purported insurer.  

What Are Car Thieves Looking For?

The short answer: parts. Meaning that stealing parts or an entire vehicle for its parts can be more lucrative than trying to resell an entire vehicle. In 2018, Autoweek reported that “with the rise in the cost of car parts, the U.S. has seen a rise in car thefts aimed specifically at breaking down cars and trucks to sell them piece by piece.”  

That’s probably what happened to Robby’s vehicle. With the cost of an engine running anywhere from roughly $1,800 to upwards of $9,000 for a performance engine, it is easy to see why thieves would target such a valuable piece of machinery. 

Overall, in the U.S., car theft has declined 23% since 2024. Autoweek even referred to it as a throwback, calling it “a very 1980s-style urban crime.” However, though the theft of cars has gone down overall, the theft of higher-value luxury vehicles has increased by 19%. Further, car thieves have gotten more sophisticated in their methods, especially since the old “hot wire” method doesn’t really work anymore. 

Though a Camaro might not exactly be a luxury car, it’s still a performance vehicle. It was discontinued in 2024 and is reportedly returning in 2028, but until then, theft might be a more expedient way to find parts.  

The security technology site, UPark, reports that criminals now use key fob cloning, tow-away theft, and professional tools to move quickly in and out of vehicles—less crimes of opportunity, more ones of planning and execution.

‘And Nobody Saw Anything’

The internet is divided on this story; some are impressed with how quick the crime was, while others have theories about the entire event. And still more have got jokes. 

“Why would you leave the engine in the car?” asks Jesse (@slayerj5454).

PushinPibs (@fittjosh01) comments, “Impressed and pissed at the same time.” 

Then Jamma_Tha_Goddess_Reloaded (@jama_tha_goddess) speculates: “Someone who works with you [...] told their crew exactly where your car was and what type of car you had.”

Either way, opportunity or inside job, the in-video text on Robby’s video sums up what he’s feeling about living in Atlanta after what happened to his car: “I’m tired of being here,” he writes. 

Motor1 reached out to Robbypooh via TikTok direct message and with a comment on his post. We reached out to State Farm via its media email. We will update this if either replies.