RE: Video: Key fob reprogrammers steal BMW in 3 mins

[GTSJOE]

I had my X5 35SD stolen in January . The car was stolen from outside my house in the middle of the day . We had both sets of keys so the only way it could have been stolen was by cloning the key . We have all seen the video on youtube showing someone cloning a key using an offical OBD machine .

I bought another X5 in April , this time I went for the X5 40D as I thought it was just bad luck that my previous car had been stolen.I got a knock on the door this morning , the Police were outside the house.. lightening had stuck twice . ''Morning Sir , do you own a BMW x5? '' .
The police had stopped a guy driving my car in the middle of the night. I had both keys at home so the car was stolen by similar means . I also have a Tracker horizon on the car , this should be activated if the car is moved , either by being towed away or if it put on a low loader. The Tracker was of no use as the car was driven off with an offical BMW key !
The police are aware of the X5 theft epidemic , the policman said they pull over suspicious looking X5's at night as they are top of Trackers '' Most stolen car list ''

I called BMW this morning , same old response ... '' We are aware of the issue and are looking into it . I told the guy that I have had 2 X5'S stolen in the last 6 months , both driven off from outside my house with cloned keys .. he still didn't get it! .. '' We are not aware of any problem with our alarm system'' He also said that the now famous video of the M1 being stolen ..he said that the car could have been driven off with the original key , there is no proof that the key was cloned!

I have had it with BMW .. I will never buy another BMW until they treat their customers with respect , they need to own up to the security problem surrrounding their cars , compensate customers for the costs associated with replacing the vehicle and most importantly .. FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM !!!!

[0a]

Steffan said:

Metro link now online EXCELLENT!!!

See

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/904576-thieves-using-g...

Metro are part of Daily Mail group.

ZDnet also running this now http://www.zdnet.com/hackers-steal-keyless-bmw-in-...

[Scuffers]

0a said:

ZDnet also running this now http://www.zdnet.com/hackers-steal-keyless-bmw-in-...

much better written piece

[ZesPak]

GTSJOE said:

I have had it with BMW .. I will never buy another BMW until they treat their customers with respect ,...

Fat chance. BMW has an enormous popularity and because of that some of the dealers are stuck up tts.
I was in the position to buy a new 330d a couple of years ago, the dealer could hardly be bothered to put some time and effort in a quote, test drive,... a real attitude of "you want a BMW like everybody else, get in line to beg us for selling you one". Have had it with them since then.

[GTSJOE]

I have been on the phone to BMW customer services . My car is currently sitting in a police car pound . I have offered them my car so they can examine how the car was stolen as the last person to tamper with ECU was the car thief. They have no interest in finding out . The BMW company line is '' this is an issue between you , the police and your insurance company ''

I cannot believe their arraogance..

[carinaman]

Has anyone done a Downfall video about this yet?

Hitler prodding the map saying 'They've been stolen from here, here and here'?


Perhaps someone should contact the Thatcham security place at Thatcham east of Newbury and get them to revise their security classification of these cars or risk tarnishing their name and reputation?

'Do I have to get a Cat 1. immobiliser to get cover when Thatcham signed off those BMWs being pinched by the OBD port?'

Edited by carinaman on Tuesday 10th July 15:14

[ikarl]

carinaman said:

Perhaps someone should contact the Thatcham security place at Thatcham east of Newbury and get them to revise their security classification of these cars or risk tarnishing their name and reputation?

'Do I have to get a Cat 1. immobiliser to get cover when Thatcham signed off those BMWs being pinched by the OBD port?'

Edited by carinaman on Tuesday 10th July 15:14

See, this is the thing that worries me. Why aren't Thatcham doing anything about this?

I know it's not the same but it feels like how the banks monitored themselves..... who pays for Thatcham? the car manufacturers? who now have security issues but Thatcham aren't downgrading their security....sounds dodgy to me.

how long before it is impossible to insure one of these cars?
would also be interesting to see what these stolen cars are costing onto everyone's insurance premiums because of their easy-to-bypass security system? can i/we claim off of them for the increase in our premium?!?

[Raify]

This is ripe for a Downfall:

Generals: Fuhrer, BMW's have been stolen from here, here and here
Hitler: It will be fine, my car is brand new and has an alarm + immobiliser
Generals: Errr, Fuhrer, your car was amongst those stolen this morning.
Hitler: Everyone who's got an Audi, get out...

Hitler: Rant
Secretary 1: But why didn't the alarm go off?
Secretary 2: It's a blind spot
etc etc.

[bertie]

ikarl said:

See, this is the thing that worries me. Why aren't Thatcham doing anything about this?

I know it's not the same but it feels like how the banks monitored themselves..... who pays for Thatcham? the car manufacturers? who now have security issues but Thatcham aren't downgrading their security....sounds dodgy to me.

how long before it is impossible to insure one of these cars?
would also be interesting to see what these stolen cars are costing onto everyone's insurance premiums because of their easy-to-bypass security system? can i/we claim off of them for the increase in our premium?!?

thatcham just certify what the manufacturers put in for certification testing, if anything they are in as much crap as BMW for certifying something that clearly has big holes in it.

[carinaman]

'Thatcham, rubber stamping insecure pretty cars from the other end of Berks.'?

[bertie]

carinaman said:

'Thatcham, rubber stamping insecure pretty cars from the other end of Berks.'?

If you go on their website and do a car search the BMWs get a 5 star rating by Thatcham!

[carinaman]

Thatcham are trashing the name of the suburb just outside Newbury in a similar way to Ali G gave Staines a bad rap and led them to rebrand themselves Staines on Thames?

Thatcham will have to feature in the Downfall video.

[Scuffers]

carinaman said:

Thatcham are trashing the name of the suburb just outside Newbury in a similar way to Ali G gave Staines a bad rap and led them to rebrand themselves Staines on Thames?

I find it amazing that with all our dear Jurno's out there, not one of them has picked this up and ran with it, I mean, how hard can it be?

Phone up BMW and give them the opportunity to put their side in detail (not get fobbed off with it's the EU's fault)

Phone up Thatcham and ask how they can justify it's 5* rating in light of it being a <3 minute job to steal one.

Phone up the Met and ask for figures of cars reported stolen etc.

then write a properly researched artical laying it all open and clearly.

THEN, and just then, BMW and co might just get the point.

[bertie]

Scuffers said:

I find it amazing that with all our dear Jurno's out there, not one of them has picked this up and ran with it, I mean, how hard can it be?

Phone up BMW and give them the opportunity to put their side in detail (not get fobbed off with it's the EU's fault)

Phone up Thatcham and ask how they can justify it's 5* rating in light of it being a <3 minute job to steal one.

Phone up the Met and ask for figures of cars reported stolen etc.

then write a properly researched artical laying it all open and clearly.

THEN, and just then, BMW and co might just get the point.

What, you mean find out some facts and write an incisive piece on it?

Radical thought for journalism there, it might just work!

[Blib]

bertie said:

Scuffers said:

I find it amazing that with all our dear Jurno's out there, not one of them has picked this up and ran with it, I mean, how hard can it be?

Phone up BMW and give them the opportunity to put their side in detail (not get fobbed off with it's the EU's fault)

Phone up Thatcham and ask how they can justify it's 5* rating in light of it being a <3 minute job to steal one.

Phone up the Met and ask for figures of cars reported stolen etc.

then write a properly researched artical laying it all open and clearly.

THEN, and just then, BMW and co might just get the point.

What, you mean find out some facts and write an incisive piece on it?

Radical thought for journalism there, it might just work!

I've heard that Haymarket have some motoring journos over at Pistonheads.

[carinaman]

I'm struggling not compare Monkey being on the front page on Beemer with his much publicised falling out with Ferrari over the grooming and control that went on with their test cars. Perhaps it's just an unfortunately timed coincidence, and it's nothing to do with journalistic standards and advertising revenues.

[Zyp]

Blib said:

I've heard that Haymarket have some motoring journos over at Pistonheads.

You've got two chances of them doing anything else other than what they've already done on here.

'Fat'
And 'no'.

[samoht]

On Slashdot:
http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/07/10/1657203/ha...
(Big IT news website, probably lots of US BMW owners and potential owners on there).

[jon-]

samoht said:

On Slashdot:
http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/07/10/1657203/ha...
(Big IT news website, probably lots of US BMW owners and potential owners on there).

BMWs PR department have a bit of a nightmare on at the moment.

[carinaman]

Aren't they just doing the same thing politicians do and hoping the story will go away?

I think the headline has now disappeared off of the bottom of the PH front page, but I could be mistaken.