Attempted Fiesta ST theft
Discussion
For all of those who live around Birmingham (I live in Shirley).
A work mate had the wheels off his Focus ST stolen Sunday night in Sutton Coldfield-they levered the top of the door open (damaging the door and the roof) and we suspect they use a 'grabber' to get the locking wheel nut key out of the glove box. It was a month old car.
This morning they tried to steal my Fiesta ST by picking the door lock (took 75 seconds) and then through the OBD port. Fortunately they couldn't program a key to steal the car. I have flood lights, and CCTV, this never stopped them. They spent 45 seconds with the alarm going off attempting to program a key! 2 of them covered the CCTV cameras, but they never saw the third camera.
Be warned!
A work mate had the wheels off his Focus ST stolen Sunday night in Sutton Coldfield-they levered the top of the door open (damaging the door and the roof) and we suspect they use a 'grabber' to get the locking wheel nut key out of the glove box. It was a month old car.
This morning they tried to steal my Fiesta ST by picking the door lock (took 75 seconds) and then through the OBD port. Fortunately they couldn't program a key to steal the car. I have flood lights, and CCTV, this never stopped them. They spent 45 seconds with the alarm going off attempting to program a key! 2 of them covered the CCTV cameras, but they never saw the third camera.
Be warned!
Evanivitch said:
This raises all sorts of questions...
1. Are frames on modern fiestas so weak you can peak them open? (I've done it on a H-reg!)
2. Did get genuinely pick then lock or was it some sort of master key/bump key?
I think most cars have doors which can be bent enough to get a slim grabber through. 1. Are frames on modern fiestas so weak you can peak them open? (I've done it on a H-reg!)
2. Did get genuinely pick then lock or was it some sort of master key/bump key?
My ex-wife managed to lock her car keys and a baby in a 2004 Seat Ibiza once. She gave said baby the keys to play with while she walked around the car to get in, and the baby managed to hit the lock button.
Contacted a specialist locksmith and the AA, and they both opined that the little Seat was probably the most difficult to break into along with Jag XJs. Which I thought was odd at the time. But they still used a couple of plastic wedges to bend the passenger door just enough to get a grabber in and retrieve the keys from the rear foot well. They couldn't prise the door out enough to get the keys out of the car though, just enough to get a pointy object through alongside the grabber to press the key release.
The facebook group "Stolen cars midlands" publishes figures for marques shared on their page every 3 months, it always makes depressing reading for ST / RS owners.
I would suggest a Disklok but there have been quite a few reports of ST thefts where they have sat in the car and used an angle grinder to remove them.
Faced with that level of determination I would be selling up too unfortunately.
I would suggest a Disklok but there have been quite a few reports of ST thefts where they have sat in the car and used an angle grinder to remove them.
Faced with that level of determination I would be selling up too unfortunately.
A too all common story, they are going missing daily in South Wales too, just looking on the welsh Ford Facebook page and 3 alone on there since Christmas.
This turned up not too long back
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/TC6xidWz[/url]
A black one was also recently found in the same state but had wheels on.
I got rid of mine after the body kit was stolen off it
This turned up not too long back
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/TC6xidWz[/url]A black one was also recently found in the same state but had wheels on.
I got rid of mine after the body kit was stolen off it
Edited by Nickbrapp on Friday 19th January 08:32
Zetec-S said:
Herr Schnell said:
I would suggest a Disklok but there have been quite a few reports of ST thefts where they have sat in the car and used an angle grinder to remove them.
Bait car, seats soaked in something flammable...
Herr Schnell said:
The facebook group "Stolen cars midlands" publishes figures for marques shared on their page every 3 months, it always makes depressing reading for ST / RS owners.
I would suggest a Disklok but there have been quite a few reports of ST thefts where they have sat in the car and used an angle grinder to remove them.
Faced with that level of determination I would be selling up too unfortunately.
Damn, who'd have thought Subarus would've fallen so far on the stolen listI would suggest a Disklok but there have been quite a few reports of ST thefts where they have sat in the car and used an angle grinder to remove them.
Faced with that level of determination I would be selling up too unfortunately.
Evanivitch said:
This raises all sorts of questions...
1. Are frames on modern fiestas so weak you can peak them open? (I've done it on a H-reg!)
2. Did get genuinely pick then lock or was it some sort of master key/bump key?
There does not look much of a door frame around the window so I could imagine it.1. Are frames on modern fiestas so weak you can peak them open? (I've done it on a H-reg!)
2. Did get genuinely pick then lock or was it some sort of master key/bump key?
In regards to lock picking Google "luckylocks" and then have a look at the videos of how they work as well as the cost.
Fords seem to be getting an ultra hard time, RS or ST seem the most popular but I have seen Smax, Galaxy and C max also taken.
Fords just seem to be the easiest of all to steal and be the most vulnerable.
One ST was recently stolen, but it was a bit different the owner being aware had fitted some additional protection, they took an cordless angle grinder to it. So much noise was created the owners and neighbours all were outside trying to get them to stop, but they just carried on.Mental, to be so blatant.
From the ONS:
"Police force area recorded crime data show that a large proportion of the police recorded crime category of vehicle offences is concentrated in a few predominantly urban areas. The Metropolitan Police along with Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces consistently account for around 40% of all vehicle offences recorded by the police."
Car crime is still relatively low in historical terms but there has been a slight uptick in the statistics for the last few years. We're nowhere near the peak in the early 90's when things were truly mental and hot hatches were becoming un-insurable. Car crime is still lower than at any point in the last 20 years bar 2015 and 2016. It looks like the trend might be turning upwards, but it's hard to tell from only a couple of years of data and there have been similar blips before.
Just worth keeping some perspective on the problem, not to belittle it in any way or take away from what a horrible experience it is, but a lot of social media would have you believe we're in the grip of some horrific car crime epidemic because it's now a lot more visible with the spread of CCTV, facebook etc.
"Police force area recorded crime data show that a large proportion of the police recorded crime category of vehicle offences is concentrated in a few predominantly urban areas. The Metropolitan Police along with Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and West Midlands police forces consistently account for around 40% of all vehicle offences recorded by the police."
Car crime is still relatively low in historical terms but there has been a slight uptick in the statistics for the last few years. We're nowhere near the peak in the early 90's when things were truly mental and hot hatches were becoming un-insurable. Car crime is still lower than at any point in the last 20 years bar 2015 and 2016. It looks like the trend might be turning upwards, but it's hard to tell from only a couple of years of data and there have been similar blips before.
Just worth keeping some perspective on the problem, not to belittle it in any way or take away from what a horrible experience it is, but a lot of social media would have you believe we're in the grip of some horrific car crime epidemic because it's now a lot more visible with the spread of CCTV, facebook etc.
A mate of mine had his brand new Transit custom broken into the same way. Picked lock, rolled van forward, emptied the back. Apparently it's quite common with new Transits and the last couple I've hired have had smashed/replaced locks so is this an ST/RS issue or a Ford problem?
I know Fords always used to be easy to steal (having had to break in and hotwire a friends Sierra years ago I was amazed at how easy and quick it was for a non
) but one would imagine they'd have nailed this by now?
I know Fords always used to be easy to steal (having had to break in and hotwire a friends Sierra years ago I was amazed at how easy and quick it was for a non
) but one would imagine they'd have nailed this by now?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff