New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys

New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys

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youngsyr

14,742 posts

191 months

Tuesday 23rd October 2018
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YorkMan52 said:
I'm taking delivery on a new X1 Msport next week (my first BMW) so have been reading this thread with interest. Looking for advice as whether to get a DIsklok or StopLock and which size/model. Price not really important - keeping ownership of my new car is!
I'd suggest getting the lightest, most convenient visual deterrent possible, therefore the Stoplock wins.

These thieves aren't interested in cutting off steering locks or breaking into houses to get keys, they want a quick and quiet broken window/forced lock and/or a 30 second key clone and then drive away.

There are thousands of unprotected BMWs out there, unless yours is a truly special/valuable model (e.g. M5 with lots of expensive add ons), as long as it has anything that makes it look even slightly tricky to steal, they'll move on to the next one.

msej449

177 posts

120 months

Tuesday 23rd October 2018
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'These thieves aren't interested in cutting off steering locks or breaking into houses to get keys'

I'd have to disagree, at least for the performance/luxury category or Big SUV, where as I said, the police evidence is that the vast majority of thefts involve break-in and theft of keys from the house on whose drive the car is parked, irrespective of deterrents.

Perhaps I'm wrong - the test would be if you ask your insurer for a discount if you fit a steering wheel lock device. If they say yes then as they have the best data - police stats + insurance industry claims records - it does make a difference. But if they say no, then it tells you that statistically, no, fitting a KrokLok etc makes no difference. Worth asking.

Edited by msej449 on Tuesday 23 October 18:05

youngsyr

14,742 posts

191 months

Tuesday 23rd October 2018
quotequote all
msej449 said:
'These thieves aren't interested in cutting off steering locks or breaking into houses to get keys'

I'd have to disagree, at least for the performance/luxury category or Big SUV, where as I said, the police evidence is that the vast majority of thefts involve break-in and theft of keys from the house on whose drive the car is parked, irrespective of deterrents.

Perhaps I'm wrong - the test would be if you ask your insurer for a discount if you fit a steering wheel lock device. If they say yes then as they have the best data - police stats + insurance industry claims records - it does make a difference. But if they say no, then it tells you that statistically, no, fitting a KrokLok etc makes no difference. Worth asking.

Edited by msej449 on Tuesday 23 October 18:05
Could you please share the source for that - my anecdotal evidence is the complete opposite.

ATM

18,099 posts

218 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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ATM said:
Hello

I found my car looking like this yesterday.
Looked fresh as the seat was dry and it had been raining yesterday morning.

Now I don't know if this was mindless vandalism or a theft attempt - if theft then I'm obviously wandering if they were disturbed or if they just didn't manage to take my car due to whatever updates I've read about.

Its a BMW 2009 E91 335i. Can anyone tell me what the latest is for this model.

Thanks

I just thought I'd chime in here seeing as I'm the one who rejuvenated this disappointing thread.

I decided on one of these but then sold the car last week.

The disklok is pretty solid but a right pain in the behind. I found it was actually unlocked a couple of times as the latch is tricky. As a visual deterrent it must be the best out there. Bad news is it also marks or dents your steering wheel padding. Not sure how this would sit with the more ocd types who spend hours detailing their cars. I think you could still drive the car with this in place as the lock itself is quite loose over the wheel and therefore you can still spin it inside if you reach behind. Sure I wouldn't want to go far or be observed but the point is still valid. You could still drive a little and then resort to serious power tools to remove it.


msej449

177 posts

120 months

Sunday 28th October 2018
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Re. sources for my summary - The Annual Police Report on Vehicle Thefts 2015 and 2016 and their associated spreadsheets listing thefts by model. Until 2017, these were on open-access and downloadable. All new and historical data is now managed by a private organisation. You can register, but need to be an accredited journalist or similar to get your login approved as far as I can see, or pay a fee (I'm not that interested). The Analysis and spreadsheets get published around Feb for the previous year, which is why you'll often see '#1 Stolen car …' articles in the media just afterwards. What you also read are a lot of non sequiturs by lazy journalists like 'Police alarm at high rate of keyless thefts!' stuff (like I said, lots of stolen cars have keyless but it doesn't cause the theft).

An acquaintance was planning to buy a BMW M135i but was alarmed when he came across media reports about thefts in his region. I have an M235i and did some research for him, viewing the above sources. Subsequently, it all onto moved to a privatised site, but if you are or know an accredited journalist, it'd be interesting to see what the 2017 data showed. It turned out the Mxxxi models are slightly below-average probability of theft but reports of violent key thefts in his area put him off, in the end.

Another odd fact was that cars under a year old or more than 5 years old are much less likely to be stolen than in years 2-5. Which may explain in part some of the 'Just renewing my new car cover for the first time and the premium has skyrocketed!' posts on the owner's forum I use.

Finally, there is very much of an 'all other things being equal' caveat to the stats, which are for the whole of England. It's been suggested that some car theft gangs specialise in certain models, and then hit an area focusing on that model: owners on the forum I use in Birmingham were being warned by police of a spate of M135i thefts a year or so ago, for example. So individual experiences aren't necessarily representative. And of course, plenty of cars are taken outside the Top Ten in a wide variety of circumstances.


Edited by msej449 on Sunday 28th October 14:04

MrC986

3,481 posts

190 months

Sunday 28th October 2018
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I've just heard some scrotes are now waiting at some railway stations wearing balaclavas & threatening commuters as they return to their cars with hammers/knives to steal the cars. If I didn't know the friend well who told me, I'd think it was hysteria/over-hyped, though in the case I heard of, they were after small fast VAG cars. I do have a number of friends who've disabled the OBDs and use steering wheel locks.

j80jpw

824 posts

161 months

Sunday 28th October 2018
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A guy from my Village has had his X6 taken overnight after a sales viewing by 3 foreign guys the day before. They said they would definitely buy it and would be back with the money the following day. Seems like it must have been the key switching trick again.


Trailhead

2,628 posts

146 months

Monday 29th October 2018
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There have been two bmw break ins near me overnight, and 5 in the last week. Theives are gaining entry without keys and stealing the steering wheels and idrive etc.




pingu393

7,729 posts

204 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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I could understand the i-Drive, as that would be an upgrade to a poorly specced car, but what's so special about the steering wheel?

pingu393

7,729 posts

204 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
What about the other airbags? Does only the driver's bag go off in a low impact crash?

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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Maybe the steering wheel is a certain type/spec for the I drive buttons/function etc scratchchin that pic above is pretty tragic however frown gutting for the owner to come out to this

ATM

18,099 posts

218 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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If its the newer m sport wheel then they carry a premium I think. Surely it's easy to rip off the air bag. But you need a big 24mm socket I think to get the wheel off.

p1stonhead

25,489 posts

166 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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At least the car isnt gone and its prob 'only' £4k to put it all back. Still st though.

ATM

18,099 posts

218 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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What's next, Yale deadlocks?

I remember them back in day when some car locks were seen as weak.

Eddieslofart

1,328 posts

82 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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p1stonhead said:
At least the car isnt gone and its prob 'only' £4k to put it all back. Still st though.
Was a story of this happenning to an M5. 14k to fix, as loom was cut.

p1stonhead

25,489 posts

166 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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Eddieslofart said:
p1stonhead said:
At least the car isnt gone and its prob 'only' £4k to put it all back. Still st though.
Was a story of this happenning to an M5. 14k to fix, as loom was cut.
Probably a write off in a lot of cars. Presumably not an M5 at least.

I have an F33 and to be honest whilst I live in a safe area I guess that doesn’t mean much at all.

On the flip side, I honestly can’t be arsed with any sort of disc lock or anything....

Without comfort access is this harder to pull off? It’s still keyless as I think most are but I still need to press my fob to get in.

Ructions

4,705 posts

120 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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Eddieslofart said:
Was a story of this happenning to an M5. 14k to fix, as loom was cut.
I’d be repairing the loom, 14k is madness for a loom. It’s also madness that modern car security is so poor.

AW10

4,422 posts

248 months

Tuesday 30th October 2018
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Ructions said:
It’s also madness that modern car security is so poor.
Agreed - Thatcham approval is somewhat analogous to emissions and fuel economy testing - it seems to have limited relevance to real world conditions.

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Wednesday 31st October 2018
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Ructions said:
I’d be repairing the loom, 14k is madness for a loom. It’s also madness that modern car security is so poor.
BMW wont repair a loom in any shape or form even the easiest documented E61 5 series tailgate wiring loom breaking issue , well a few well known dealers to me anyway rolleyes I am not complaining however someone as to do it laugh

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 13th February 2021
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Howdy. Rather than starting a whole new thread. If anyone can answer my questions.

1. Was the key scanning issue resolved on the F3X LCI models? In other words, does the key switch off if not moved?
2. Have there been any G20 thefts?

Thanks