My car's stolen first time

By anthony_may
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Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

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well you buy a car with onstar in it now, you already should be worried about it... the FBI or anyone else could have them enable it in tracking mode and just watch you.... you'd never know... so privacy reason wise, the "threat" is already there if your car has a system installed... when GM sells cars they record the VIN and who owns it, they give this data to OnStar also for service if ever activated... not hard for the FBI to get an order to get them to enable the ability to follow you now days... but then its also not hard for them to magnetically strap on a gps transponder to your cars frame and do the same.....

I wasn't making the case directly myself on if the concerns are warranted, but the difference between a passive system and and active one is important to note. The financial incentive for car insurance companies is also an important point as well. It is a lot easier for the insurance company to offer the product to the consumer and them being able to opt out and incur the higher premiums as well. Mandating it would lead to people seeing the technology as problematic overall.

 

The MBrace system in my MB isn't capable of being deactivated according to the sticker on the side of the car.

 

The newer technology that Congress mandated in cars post 1996 or so has made cars extremely hard to steal. So the thefts have gotten for more brazen and, potentially, violent. As the thief needs the actual key they are more prone to try car jacking and doing things like street side part stripping.

 

Either way I'm not overly concerned. The cost of the theft is borne by insurance so they have a strong incentive to find ways to make MBrace and similar systems cheaper. Especially since they are now installed in almost every car on the road.

  • 2 weeks later...
Apprentice

anthony_may

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Wow! I'm glad you're OK as criminals that brazen are very dangerous and unpredictable. The car can be replaced or recovered, but you're life isn't as easy.

 

Were the cops able to arrest these criminals? I hope so.

 

Not sure about the Pathfinder, but I know my Mercedes comes with an OnStar competitor (called MBrace) that offers built in tracking ability that can help the police recover it as they can track it real time. You may not have to purchase anything special for this functionality (I do have to pay annually for the service though).

Now I'll definetely use this option! OnStar or any other, don't really care - they're all pretty same.

Very glad they caught the guy who stole the truck. He was nice enough to do all that when the police caught up with him so he should be spending some quality time in prison.

 

Hopefully insurance got your kid a nice newer truck.

 

I wouldn't be happy if someone stole my car, but I'm also not going to want them dead either. The car is just a car. Insurance will buy me a new one.

Glad for you!

 

My car thieves still riding my car :(

let me get this. they hit you, so you get out the car. they take off ? that is considered assault & car jacking/robbery which are felony's here in california

You got that right! That's how it happened.

Apprentice

anthony_may

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If my car gets stolen, generally speaking, I don't want it back; it's much easier to get the insurance company to write it off as a loss and get you into a new car than fighting over the damage of a recovered vehicle. Second, insurance companies won't cover you getting HIV from a needle left by the douche that stole the car. Third, the car will never feel the same...

I didn't say, I want my car back. I'm pretty fastidious person, so I wouldn't use a car after those low downs.

Apprentice

anthony_may

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Sux, never been robbed in that sense but got one car stolen before... Acura Integra which was the most stolen car for a few years. When I got it, it wasn't so bad but then it shot up to the top of the list. It was stolen at like 4am and then found 6hrs later on blocks striped of ALL parts!!!

I have a BMW now and while not impossible to take, they are much harder these days. I also have BMW Assist stuff which is like OnStar or Mbrace so I can track and control it from my phone app :). It also has immobilizer for the engine so nobody in their right mind will try to take it. They could always load it up on a flatbed so people don't think too much about the theft but that's the only way they will be moving it otherwise !

Again, sorry to hear and hope they find the bastards!

It's all right now. But probably I'll be nuts about my next car security things!

Apprentice

anthony_may

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That's really an unfortunate incident... Feel sorry for your loss. I hope you had things covered with insurance? So which one are you picking out now? Better get some security measures kitted out this time.

Thanks. Of course, insurance covered  some things, but it's like boobe prize, because I loved my car.

Whatever, it's gone, and I'm picking out between GL-450 http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/model/class-GL/model-GL450W4 and Sports Wagon http://www.bmwusa.com/bmw/3series/sportswagon

5 post on Neowin, decides to share his car has been broken into.. Sounds like more BS from the guy who makes all the crazy stories up (the friend that got pregnant was one story)

Sorry for confusing you.

But seems it's not such a crazy story for our days...

How did they managed to contact you? Phone, e-mail?

Phone call.

Grand Master

xpablo

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That's why I never bothered to sell my truck and just traded it in, a couple thousand of dollars isn't worth my life or my sanity or the BS of getting mugged and ripped off at same time.

 

I've heard some horror stories from people selling things on Craiglists including cars. 

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Grand Master

Osiris

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Memories...I remember when my first car was stolen at from outside where I worked....being a uni student money was tight and 3 weeks beforehand the renewal for fire and theft coverage came through, I laughed at the time thinking who'd waste their time stealing this old bucket and didn't renew it....sure enough found by the cops the next day burnt out as well!

 

Was a shocking 2 months trying to get to work and uni without a car.  Sufficed to say I've had good insurance ever since :p

 

Good to hear you're looking at a new one already OP :) 

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Grand Master

SkyyPunk Veteran

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Most car theft these days is done by the thieves breaking into your house and taking the car keys. The security on modern cars makes it almost impossible to steal without having keys.

 

I thought it would be more difficult too... my 2013 Mustang GT was stolen from the parking lot at my apartment a month ago...busted the window out and apparently just pushed it away

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

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I thought it would be more difficult too... my 2013 Mustang GT was stolen from the parking lot at my apartment a month ago...busted the window out and apparently just pushed it away

 

That's shame... I like Mustangs.

 

That's the reason I get apartment with garage in the parking lot.

 

I have a house with garage now.

Grand Master

T3X4S

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Sorry to hear that. That's what kind of low life's are all around now a days!

 

Never had my stuff stolen but my kids truck was stolen a few weeks ago. Dude that stole it worked with him. Was already on parole for a bunch of other crap. Wish he would've gotten seriously hurt in the crash he got into when chased by cops!!

 

See a little bit of the chase at the link below.

 

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/lakeshore/2015/04/19/police-chase-montague/26048935/

Oh man I wanted to see that dude go flying through the windshield or out the door, get wrapped around the telephone pole, and crap his pants -- all on TV :D

I thought it would be more difficult too... my 2013 Mustang GT was stolen from the parking lot at my apartment a month ago...busted the window out and apparently just pushed it away

If someone steals your Mustang - its Karma - for owning such a thing. 

Grand Master

SkyyPunk Veteran

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Oh man I wanted to see that dude go flying through the windshield or out the door, get wrapped around the telephone pole, and crap his pants -- all on TV :D

If someone steals your Mustang - its Karma - for owning such a thing. 

First, I think you are confused, owning something awesome doesn't equate to bad karma....second... What's funny is I had been battling out a lemon law thing on it for months...so jokes on them :p

Grand Master

T3X4S

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First, I think you are confused, owning something awesome doesn't equate to bad karma....second... What's funny is I had been battling out a lemon law thing on it for months...so jokes on them :p

No confusion - congrats on your trailer park Ferrari -  

You think its awesome - I think you have no idea what awesome is.

Those people did you a favor

 

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Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

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I thought it would be more difficult too... my 2013 Mustang GT was stolen from the parking lot at my apartment a month ago...busted the window out and apparently just pushed it away

How is this possible? You sure it wasn't lifted or something?

 

The parking pawl should make it extremely difficult to push a car while it is in park... They would have to get it into at least N to release to parking pawl. I always park with my paring brake on and ensure the car is in P. I am sure it wouldn't be easy getting the car into N to roll away easily...

 

But they can steal any car by pulling it onto a flat bed or lifting it with a tow truck.

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

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How is this possible? You sure it wasn't lifted or something?

 

The parking pawl should make it extremely difficult to push a car while it is in park... They would have to get it into at least N to release to parking pawl. I always park with my paring brake on and ensure the car is in P. I am sure it wouldn't be easy getting the car into N to roll away easily...

 

But they can steal any car by pulling it onto a flat bed or lifting it with a tow truck.

 

If his car was lifted, then it might be repo?

 

Unless the tow truck driver is a thief if he pays the payments on time.

 

Maybe thief got the jacks to lift the car up and push away...  

 

Who knows. 

Grand Master

SkyyPunk Veteran

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How is this possible? You sure it wasn't lifted or something?

 

The parking pawl should make it extremely difficult to push a car while it is in park... They would have to get it into at least N to release to parking pawl. I always park with my paring brake on and ensure the car is in P. I am sure it wouldn't be easy getting the car into N to roll away easily...

 

But they can steal any car by pulling it onto a flat bed or lifting it with a tow truck.

 

Manual, so just had to release parking brake and pull the stick out of gear. Still surprised neither of those trigger the alarm. If it was lifted, they probably wouldn't have bothered breaking the window. My new car has an internal motion detector which would trigger it in a similar scenario

 

Hoping someday I will hear the specifics of its fate

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

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Manual, so just had to release parking brake and pull the stick out of gear. Still surprised neither of those trigger the alarm. If it was lifted, they probably wouldn't have bothered breaking the window. My new car has an internal motion detector which would trigger it in a similar scenario

 

Hoping someday I will hear the specifics of its fate

 

Get the complete alarm system from provider, say Viper...    not the Ford dealer.

 

If a window breaks, the alarm will go off.

 

A friend of mine has alarm in his truck and his topper.  The sensors are placed every where wherever the window gets broken, alarm goes off.

Grand Master

The Evil Overlord

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Let all the air out of your tires each time you park the car.

Another option, is to go to a good bodyshop, and get a pin welded in the well area next to the shifter (unless it's a column shifter, then it gets trickier)

then simply select reverse, or park, and lock the pin into place,

Something like this was featured on top gear, I think

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Apprentice

anthony_may

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sorry to hear about that. have you report this? Hope it also has insurance. first thing is to ring the insurance company. Btw. what kind of car is it

It's been a lot of posts above. People share their experience on this topic.

Who do you address your question?

If it's about me, thanks!

Insurance covered some part of my loss!

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