BMW owners hit by high tech theft

[Paul/]

"There is no specific BMW security issue here. We, like our customers and those of other manufacturers, are victims of this new high-tech organised crime."

BBC News - BMW owners hit by high tech theft

BBC One's Watchdog on Wednesday 12 September 2012 at 2000

 

[cl55 amg]

Its not even high tech, you can get the device for about £300 on ebay.

 

[davidjpowell]

Other cars have similar weakness's as well.

 

[R2D2]

Its not even high tech, you can get the device for about £300 on ebay.

Streuth. I found the device and how to do it to most Mercs, in about 30 seconds. How can it be legal to sell that device and how quickly can car makers respond? It makes a mockery of the 5 day wait to get a key from Mercedes in Stuttgart and the having to provide all your ID etc.

 

[ghibbett]

There is a 94 page thread on Pistonheads regarding this. Specifically it appears BMWs are deficient in a couple of key areas (alarm dead spots coupled with quick key re-programming) that the crooks are now exploiting. Worrying.

 

[bolide]

There is a 94 page thread on Pistonheads regarding this

93 pages of whining and about 1 page of helpful advice. I think it's pointless complaining to BMW about this. Physical security is the answer

Nick Froome

 

[Valkirk]

Glad this is continuing to hit main stream media, more likely the car manufacturers will do something about it.

1) The ODB port should NOT be active when the car is alarmed - allowing a new key to be programmed while the car is locked and alarmed is just stupid.
2) Most certainly shouldn't be in a dead spot for alarm sensing!
3) It should still be like older cars where you had a master key (Normally different colour) If this key isn't present you can't create a new key. If you lose that key then as before you need a new key / lock set.

 

[Paul/]

1) The ODB port should NOT be active when the car is alarmed - allowing a new key to be programmed while the car is locked and alarmed is just stupid.
2) Most certainly shouldn't be in a dead spot for alarm sensing!
3) It should still be like older cars where you had a master key (Normally different colour) If this key isn't present you can't create a new key. If you lose that key then as before you need a new key / lock set.

I'd naively assumed that modern cars would satisfy all 3 of your criteria.
The one that seems most bizarre is to design an electronic "lock" that can give away the identity of the key it requires!

Towards the end of the 80s I had a Sierra Cosworth with multiple alarms and immobilisers, Chubb deadlocks, and a gizmo locked over the steering wheel. It was a magnet for joyriders, broken in to 4 times and each time the only thing that saved it was a hidden fuel pump cut-out switch that cost £15 to install. Since then I've had them fitted to any at-risk vehicle I owned, but had assumed recent cars didn't need it...

 

[davidjpowell]

This is apparently being covered by Watchdog tonight. Perhaps something will happen now?

 

[Paul/]

This is apparently being covered by Watchdog tonight. Perhaps something will happen now?

Yes- sales of the dodgy gadget will rocket!

 

[GordonTarling]

Pretty sure this is how my S211 vanished in June. The car manufacturers need to take steps to prevent this sort of theft.

 

[artyman]

I wonder how this will affect BMW sales, and I wonder when the Insurance companies refuse to start insuring them.

 

[Hi-Ho Silver]

"None of our latest models - new 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series - nor any other BMW built after September 2011 can be stolen using the method highlighted."

Quote: BMW press release. 12th Sept. 2012
Source: BBC News - BMW owners hit by hi-tech theft

 

[hawk20]

I thought the purpose of needing ID and waiting for a replacement from Stuttgart was so that a key could not be programmed from the car -even with a special device. Anyone know for definite what the position is with Mercedes cars?

 

[davidjpowell]

"None of our latest models - new 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series - nor any other BMW built after September 2011 can be stolen using the method highlighted."

Quote: BMW press release. 12th Sept. 2012
Source: BBC News - BMW owners hit by hi-tech theft

Well that's just fine - sod everyone who owns a car that we produced before then!

 

[ringway]

Anyone know for definite what the position is with Mercedes cars?

MB's are safe.

The trickery only works on cars (BMW & Audi) that aren't fitted with fully-functioning indicators.

 

[SavMan]

MB's are safe.

The trickery only works on cars (BMW & Audi) that aren't fitted with fully-functioning indicators.

MB's are not any safer there are plenty of tools out there that end in the same result but I do agree that this particular device and method is known to affect BMW and VW/Audi.

 

[chriswt]

MB's are safe.

The trickery only works on cars (BMW & Audi) that aren't fitted with fully-functioning indicators.

So S Classes are at risk then!

 

[st4]

MB's are not any safer there are plenty of tools out there that end in the same result but I do agree that this particular device and method is known to affect BMW and VW/Audi.

And presumably VW, Skoda, seat etc

 

[fuzzer]

and all because of block exepmtion...

The keys should never have left the control of the main dealers. Nobody except the Dealer should be able to supply keys to the cars.