New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys
Discussion
Unfortunaltey last week I woke up to find my 6 month old 330im Sport conveertable had been stolen from my drive in Birmingham. at first i thought i had been burgled, and my spare key had been taken, but i checked and i still had the spare key.
the car hadnt been towed either as the space it was in would be too small to get a truck behind it, and no broken glass. after speaking to the police, it became apparent that a large number of 1 and 3 series BMW's has been stolen using blank BMW keys. i called Sytner where i bought the car, and yep the salesman confirmed that a large number of cars recently purchased from them had recently been stolen ( i bet they dont tell that to new customers)
the police basically told me not to buy another high end BMW as they are very easy to steal using these keys, so if any of you out there think you car is safe, please think again, and use a garage if you have one.
the car hadnt been towed either as the space it was in would be too small to get a truck behind it, and no broken glass. after speaking to the police, it became apparent that a large number of 1 and 3 series BMW's has been stolen using blank BMW keys. i called Sytner where i bought the car, and yep the salesman confirmed that a large number of cars recently purchased from them had recently been stolen ( i bet they dont tell that to new customers)
the police basically told me not to buy another high end BMW as they are very easy to steal using these keys, so if any of you out there think you car is safe, please think again, and use a garage if you have one.
all i can can pass on is what i was told again last night by West Midlands CID. do not buy a BMW, they arent sure if someone from BMW or a main dealership is invloved in the thefts, but over 30 high end BMW's have been stolen from birmingham alone since January. what makes it worse is that the dealershps are still lying to new customers, my collegue went for a test drive this week in a 330i and was told that the thefts are just rumors and in no way can these cars get stolen without the keys. i'm sure thats illegal as CID told me they have been in commuication with BMW UK for over 6 months in connection with these thefts.
i'm actually going to contact the press to let them know about this BMW coverup.
i'm actually going to contact the press to let them know about this BMW coverup.
during my discussions with the police they have never mentioned jamming. the people already arrested had keys that were coded to the car's that were stolen, so they could open the doors and start the car at any time.
They wouldnt confirm it but did mention that it is a possibilty that blank keys are getting coded by someone at BMW who then sells it onto the thieves.
They wouldnt confirm it but did mention that it is a possibilty that blank keys are getting coded by someone at BMW who then sells it onto the thieves.
I think the original post stands, there is little point in talking about checking to see if the door has been locked, or to check if someone has jammed your signal. The police who are arresting these car theives have told me they have coded keys direct from BMW. They dont know how they are getting them but they are. so its just as easy for them to steal your BMW as it is for you to just drive it away. Their advice to me was, unless your car is in a secure locked garage 24 /7 dont bother buying a new BMW, especially not a M series as these are the ones getting stolen the most. since january 2012 over 250 BMW's have been stolen in the west midlands region alone.
As the original poster of this thread i didnt realise how easy
It was to steal bmw's until i viewed the utube clip. It looks like
Insurance companies now also know of this, my freind just tried to
Renew his insurance for a 2010 535d and he has 9 years no claims
Bonus. Not only were all the quotes more than a £1,000 more than last
Year but all insurance companies also asking for £3,000 excess. Some
Asking for £5,000 excess.
It was to steal bmw's until i viewed the utube clip. It looks like
Insurance companies now also know of this, my freind just tried to
Renew his insurance for a 2010 535d and he has 9 years no claims
Bonus. Not only were all the quotes more than a £1,000 more than last
Year but all insurance companies also asking for £3,000 excess. Some
Asking for £5,000 excess.
Bmw sytner are denying any such thefts still, obviously if they
Tell the truth their sales would go down dramatically.
Everyone i speak to in birmingham who owns a BMW is currently
Aware of these thefts its that widespread. The police are still knocking
On doors if they see a bmw in the drive to tell them to be carefull.
I did write in to watchdog but im guessing they wait until a large
Number of people complain.
Tell the truth their sales would go down dramatically.
Everyone i speak to in birmingham who owns a BMW is currently
Aware of these thefts its that widespread. The police are still knocking
On doors if they see a bmw in the drive to tell them to be carefull.
I did write in to watchdog but im guessing they wait until a large
Number of people complain.
the insurance companies are 100% aware of these thefts, all you need to do to check is go online to one of the compare webites and see how much your quote is, everyone is my office tried it last week with a few different BMW's, they are now charging a fortune to insure them, and asking for huge voluntary excess's.
To say its at an epidemic level in and around Birmingham would be an understatement. pretty much everyone I know has heard of these thefts, if you call up a BMW dealership in Birmingham and ask them about it they say they cant talk about it and to adress all enquiries about these thefts to their custopmer service team. on of my colleagues has a family member at Bourville police station and a new theft report is called in almost daily.
Frankly, I do blame BMW and so should everyone else. I intially set up this forum when my 330i convertable was stolen in Feb. The police told me that they had been in regualr contract with BMW and their main dealers for months, so all parties were fully aware of these thefts. but not only didnt they let people who had just spent a small fortune buying a new car know their car was at risk, they still kept selling their cars, and still do by the way with the promise of security, and that these cars cant get stolen without the keys.
i have written into watchdog, and the national press, and hopefully this will come to light and BMW will loose a fortune in sales as a result.
i have written into watchdog, and the national press, and hopefully this will come to light and BMW will loose a fortune in sales as a result.
I think its obvious that this isnt a software problem that can be fixed with an upgrade, if this was the case BMW would be telling its customers to upgrade, whether this is a free upgrade or they charge for it.
A number of 2012 BMW's have been stolen over the past couple of weeks, so talk of new software stopping thefts is nonsense.
I think its a design fault that cant be fixed with a simple bit of software, i'm sure the next generarion of BMW's wont use the same type of electronic key that can be copied so easily, but that is years away.
A number of 2012 BMW's have been stolen over the past couple of weeks, so talk of new software stopping thefts is nonsense.
I think its a design fault that cant be fixed with a simple bit of software, i'm sure the next generarion of BMW's wont use the same type of electronic key that can be copied so easily, but that is years away.
I think that once this design fault has been fixed, it wont just start back up again with a new gadget. this mass volume of thefts hasnt happened on other makes such as Jaguar, Porche, Mercedes or Audi, and thefts on this scale never happened in previous years with BMW's.
Its obviosuly very specific to BMW cars made over the past few years, when my car was stolen my neibours cars a Jaguar XFS and a Mercedes CLS parked within a few yards of my car were not touched, they have been parked in the same spots for over a year, no crock locks on the car and never been touched.
Hense why i replaced my car with a new Jag, to be honest its a much better car, and i can sleep better at night.
Its obviosuly very specific to BMW cars made over the past few years, when my car was stolen my neibours cars a Jaguar XFS and a Mercedes CLS parked within a few yards of my car were not touched, they have been parked in the same spots for over a year, no crock locks on the car and never been touched.
Hense why i replaced my car with a new Jag, to be honest its a much better car, and i can sleep better at night.
BMW keep saying in all their responses that all premier cars are a potential risk, whilst that is true and expensive cars will always be targeted for theft it only BMW cars that are stolen so easily. try and find other forums about cars stolen in a simular way for another make of car. they dont exist, cars such as Merc's, Audi's, Porche or Jag's are stolen but are done so by Burglaries or car jacking. whilst these are more unpleasant than the way BMW's are getting nicked, at least you can prevent them. A house alarm will stop people breaking in and stealing your keys, and keeping your doors locked whilst driving will help prevent car jacking.
there seems very little you can do to stop anyone nicking your BMW unless you have a very secure garage.
there seems very little you can do to stop anyone nicking your BMW unless you have a very secure garage.
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