Interested in a C63 but worried about theft!

[Athey]

Don’t let fear rule your life!
There is only so much we can do to protect our cars, so go and buy your dream.
As fast as tech advances, (and it won’t be long before fingerprint start appears on cars) ways to bypass it will keep pace.
Trackers and immobilisers are good, but so are other ways; hidden kill switch for the fuel pump, remove a fuse, etc. I used to take out the rotor on my distributor.

 

[Sweetafton]

Always drive mine like I stole mine. Perfect

 

[SarahAnn200]

I was worried when I bought a new s3 in June. On day 1, I debadged it but it still had the quad exhausts and silver mirrors against the blue paint so still looked like an s3 so pointless debadging really. It's parked on the drive behind a garage/carport door when it's not being driven but I was worried about carjacking. I changed it to my dream car about a month ago as the scroats are pinching anything these days (fb pages for the nearest city shows pinched zafiras, fiestas any car, even old bangers). I made sure when I bought this house that I could park offroad out of sight. I'm not being ruled by scroats. I wouldn't have it if I had to park on a street though. I am a worrier though

 

[Surf or fight]

I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading in this post. Stop giving in to the criminal element of society. Buy what you want, insure it, take precautions to make it slightly less of a target than the next one and enjoy life. Otherwise what is the point?

 

[Riva811]

Hi all,

I’m new to this great forum and, as mentioned in the name of thread, interested in buying a 2019 C63 Coupe.

Aside from the obvious impracticalities and costs, browsing through the various threads has made me quite concerned that the vehicle may be stolen (through vulnerabilities of the keyless go system or otherwise) so was just wondering what other AMG owners experiences have been like, and any specific measures taken to prevent this other than locking in a garage and double pressing the lock button on the fob (which I gather isn’t a bullet proof method to stop the system being manipulated)

Thoughts appreciated!

Get yourself one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071DP4KTZ/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I won’t go into details but we had a car stolen, and they had to get through a lot of security to get it, but get to it they did. Brute force by determined professionals defeats most security measures.

At the time the Police said that if criminals want it badly enough then they will take it, and all you can do is make it look less attractive (ie more time, hassle, risk) than the next car.

Enjoy your car, take sensible precautions but be prepared to let it go if you have to. And remember, it might never happen.

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

still not sure about the Ghost immobiliser given the warranty / MB pickup issues previously mentioned, so will mention to the dealership.

I don't think you should disregard the Autowatch Ghost due to MB pickup/servicing worries.

Service/ Valet Mode
You can simply set your Autowatch Ghost in service mode which means if your are having your vehicle serviced or washed you can simply set it so they do not need to enter the code. However this is mode is restricted which means when the Autowatch Ghost is in service mode the vehicle cannot be driven over 36mph. If the vehicle is driven over 36mph the next time the engine is turned off and back on Autowatch Ghost will prevent the vehicle from starting unless you enter the pin.+


A quick online search produced this info regarding warranty and servicing, but I would ask Autowatch (and your Dealership) to confirm about the warranty.


Does installing an Autowatch Ghost void my vehicles warranty?

This seems to be a question that gets asked a lot about installing an Autowatch Ghost Immobiliser but in a word, no. Installing a Ghost will not void your vehicles warranty. This is the same for any of the products we install, including Parking Sensors (drilling the bodywork), cruise control, speed limiters, tracking systems, alarms and more. In 18 years of installing these devices we have never voided a vehicles warranty.


What do I do for servicing?

The Ghost has a service mode which can be activated very easily, this will temporarily disable the ghost and allow the vehicle to be started and driven as if there was no device installed.

Whenever your vehicle has any work done it is always advisable to activate service mode otherwise it may lead to miscommunication between the dealers computer equipment and your vehicle as the device prohibits communication as part of its security features.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

And luxury cars aren't loaded onto a boat to Bongo Bongo land. They're driven, on transporters, into Europe for dismantling, or to have their identities refreshed before appearing in Left hand drive countries. All well-documented by the insurance companies.

Bongo-Bongo Land.

Really?

 

[AMGeed]

Enjoy your car, take sensible precautions but be prepared to let it go if you have to. And remember, it might never happen.

In a couple of sentences, exactly what I have been saying.

The earlier post describing the theft of a members E63 was a reminder that violent thefts can and do happen. John's experience was shocking for him and his family.
Just hand the keys over, give the Ghost code up and let the insurance pay out.
I will never let the threat of a potential car theft decide what car I will own. Even in deepest darkest Dorset where car theft does still occur

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I'm way more concerned about the house being burgled than the car being robbed.

 

[AMGeed]

I'm way more concerned about the house being burgled than the car being robbed.

Quite right.
Much bigger priority than a car.

 

[Mr. B]

Quite right.
Much bigger priority than a car.

You’ve clearly not met Mrs.B

 

[AMGeed]

You’ve clearly not met Mrs.B

Fortunately not, by the sound of it

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Bongo-Bongo Land.
Really?

Yep, it's worth getting our heads around what's going on. "Shipping off to Africa" isn't what happens. These 10,000 luxury car thefts a year in London (sic) are heading off to Europe for resale or breaking. Nigeria or Soweto is only for new Land Cruisers and Range Rovers from Europe. Africans now focus on nicking new cars within their own continent - different times.

As your insurance man will tell you, the premium tells the story: Insurance is cheap in Dorset, and expensive in North London.

Dorset sees 800 cars stolen each a year - mainly Fords, of course. Enfield Council sees twice the number of cars each year. (Enfield being a council where four brand new Range Rovers were stolen in the same night.) Here's a link which shows where 36,000 cars were stolen from the different parts of London during two years.

Where in London your car is most likely to be stolen

Know what you're doing, what's important to you, and remember there are no pockets in shrouds, so you might as well spend it on what's important to you while you're still alive.

.

 

[KennyN]

I will never let the threat of a potential car theft decide what car I will own.

If you lived close to a high crime area regarding vehicle theft and vandalism and had to park in the street possibly not close to your home would you still have chosen the E63 as your preferred car ?

A 19`plate C63 is a extremely desirable motor not only to own but also to "acquire" from a crims POV , I would need to have a serious word with myself to see if it would be worth the potential grief of owning one.

Sometimes it is better to move around under the radar , which is a shame but unfortunately a sign of the times we live in.

K

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Yep, it's worth getting our heads around what's going on. "Shipping off to Africa" isn't what happens. These 10,000 luxury car thefts a year in London (sic) are heading off to Europe for resale or breaking. Nigeria or Soweto is only for new Land Cruisers and Range Rovers from Europe. Africans now focus on nicking new cars within their own continent - different times.

As your insurance man will tell you, the premium tells the story: Insurance is cheap in Dorset, and expensive in North London.

Dorset sees 800 cars stolen each a year - mainly Fords, of course. Enfield Council sees twice the number of cars each year. (Enfield being a council where four brand new Range Rovers were stolen in the same night.) Here's a link which shows where 36,000 cars were stolen from the different parts of London during two years.

Where in London your car is most likely to be stolen

Know what you're doing, what's important to you, and remember there are no pockets in shrouds, so you might as well spend it on what's important to you while you're still alive.

.

Piffle.

 

[AMGeed]

If you lived close to a high crime area regarding vehicle theft and vandalism and had to park in the street possibly not close to your home would you still have chosen the E63 as your preferred car ?

I don't know Kenny. I'd certainly think about it but as its a hypothetical question it doesn't really matter what I'd do.

Going on some replies here, nobody in London should own a decent car as it will be stolen. The OP has never stated it will be parked overnight on a street, away from his house, but in a locked garage. Quite frankly I would dream of buying a new car if I didn't have at least my own driveway to park on overnight.
If I could afford a new C63 and had the misfortune to live in Enfield (yes I've been there and its as bad as reported) I'd make it my business to move somewhere with a lower crime rate before I bought an AMG.

 

[AMGC63Fan]

Yep, it's worth getting our heads around what's going on. "Shipping off to Africa" isn't what happens. These 10,000 luxury car thefts a year in London (sic) are heading off to Europe for resale or breaking. Nigeria or Soweto is only for new Land Cruisers and Range Rovers from Europe. Africans now focus on nicking new cars within their own continent - different times.

As your insurance man will tell you, the premium tells the story: Insurance is cheap in Dorset, and expensive in North London.

Dorset sees 800 cars stolen each a year - mainly Fords, of course. Enfield Council sees twice the number of cars each year. (Enfield being a council where four brand new Range Rovers were stolen in the same night.) Here's a link which shows where 36,000 cars were stolen from the different parts of London during two years.

Where in London your car is most likely to be stolen

Know what you're doing, what's important to you, and remember there are no pockets in shrouds, so you might as well spend it on what's important to you while you're still alive.

.

Interesting read - I live in the borough with the fifth highest number of car thefts per the article, and have CCTV footage of thieves trying to open my car, which is parked on the driveway, on 2/3 occasions (although never by force - just using the keyless cheat device or simply trying their luck to see whether it's been left unlocked). @AMGeed alas I don't have a locked garage, just a wide driveway, shared with a Golf. A couple of streets away is a Lambo Huracan which the owner has tried to block in with his other car, a LR Disco Sport - I may try a similar tactic, though this thread has, rightly, given me second thoughts about the whole purchase.

 

[Iggu]

If you lived close to a high crime area regarding vehicle theft and vandalism and had to park in the street possibly not close to your home would you still have chosen the E63 as your preferred car ?

A 19`plate C63 is a extremely desirable motor not only to own but also to "acquire" from a crims POV , I would need to have a serious word with myself to see if it would be worth the potential grief of owning one.

Sometimes it is better to move around under the radar , which is a shame but unfortunately a sign of the times we live in.

K

What a weird and depressing way to live life.

 

[markjay]

...I would need to have a serious word with myself to see if it would be worth the potential grief of owning one...

I know... I am on my second C180.... a theft-proof model