PSA: My Car Was Broken Into in Nashville

In July, a visitor to Nashville shared a devastating experience in the Nashville Visitors group. Their car was broken into and completely scratched up while staying at a hotel in the city.

Here's what makes it worse: they'd parked in a front row, thinking visibility would keep them safe. It didn't. At least three other vehicles in the same lot were hit that same night.

“What was supposed to be a fun, worry-free trip turned into a nightmare,” they wrote. “It's gut-wrenching to see something you've worked so hard for treated with such disregard.”

The poster admitted they'd assumed a hotel parking lot would be safe. That assumption cost them.

This Isn't Isolated

The responses flooded in, and they painted a sobering picture. One commenter mentioned their friend had to leave his apartment complex because his car was broken into three times. Another shared that their son's apartment complex saw over 50 cars broken into in one night — and the security cameras weren't even working.

One visitor had a similar story: “Happened right under several security cameras in the parking garage attached to our hotel. Probably a dozen vehicles had their windows smashed out.”

A local offered stark advice: leave nothing in your car and keep it unlocked. “As a local I know many people whose apartment complexes were targets, so they left no valuables in their car and left the car unlocked. Cars beside theirs had busted windows but their car was not damaged!”

It's Widespread

Car break-ins aren't limited to one neighborhood or hotel. One commenter who lives outside Nashville confirmed it's a normal occurrence. “Unfortunately this is a normal occurrence, even happen to me in a gated parking garage.”

The Radisson Airport location was hit hard just recently. “They held 2 men at gunpoint too. Most of the cars they broke into were literally right by the front entrance. They were middle school age,” one person shared.

What You Should Do

The original poster offered their own hard-earned advice: Don't leave anything visible inside. Take photos of your vehicle when you park. Ask the hotel about security or cameras.

Other seasoned visitors backed this up:

Don't leave anything visible. Not even a charger cord or a quarter. One commenter noted that thieves left two pricey bottles of whiskey on a seat but took other items — they're usually looking for guns.

Consider your hotel carefully. One visitor had success at the La Quinta across from the stadium: “The parking garage was gated and had valet positioned there 24 hours. You need a hotel key to move the elevator floor to floor within the hotel and to get back into the parking ramp.”

Some visitors mentioned the Drury downtown as another option where they haven't had problems.

Skip the car entirely. One commenter said, “I never have a car in Nashville I Uber everywhere.”

The Reality Check

When the original poster's story was shared, one response summed up the general sentiment: “I see posts like this at least once a week.”

Police response is minimal. One person shared their experience: “Police didn't even come out when reported, just asked questions over the phone. It's a very violated feeling!”

The original poster ended with a plea: “I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone. Stay safe out there.”

Is Nashville worth visiting? Absolutely. But go in with your eyes open. Take every precaution with your vehicle, don't leave anything inside, and consider staying somewhere with serious security measures in place.