Think I was followed in my RS6

[P675]

ChocolateFrog said:

There's several decent cars on my estate. The most nickable probably being a new Cayenne but also a RS5, RS7, BMW iX and a Discovery 4 among others.

The selfish herd mentality in me is happy they're around because as long as they are the scrotes are less likely to break into my house.

Sad state of affairs but it's the society we live in.

In our village there's the 'nice' side and the pebbledash council house side I live on. Car thefts, burglaries and Ring clips of casing only seem to happen on the nice side, despite some of the pebbledash houses containing valuables and nice cars. I get paranoid about my motorbike getting stolen but feel better knowing people probably aren't looking down my end. Sad state indeed.

[Mark83]

Sorry to hear your fears became reality, OP.

I was looking at C7 RS6s last year but I read too many stories like this. Our driveway is visible from the road, although growing a hedge, so a risk I wasn't taking.

My C63 estate is fairly understated and so far, kept under the radar. Such a shame we have to worry aggravated thefts.

[salenowon]

Mark83 said:

I was looking at C7 RS6s last year but I read too many stories like this. Our driveway is visible from the road, although growing a hedge, so a risk I wasn't taking.

I had a C7 RS6 for about 6 months before selling it - our driveway was visible from the road, partly obscured by a hedge, and a couple of times I saw questionable looking blokes taking pictures of it. I assumed it had been added to a list and was only a matter of time.

It was a car I'd always wanted to own but soon realised it wasn't worth jumping up in the middle of the night every time I thought I heard a noise. Slept like a baby the day I sold it.

[SuperNads]

I used to wake up for little noises when I had my Audi S4 which thankfully never got stolen. Now I have a Giulia Quadrifoglio which I adore and I'm fully expecting that to go missing any day now. They can be stolen in a few minutes on the street so at least the house is unlikely to be broken into!

My insurance has gone up from £500ish to £1500 because of all the thefts - miserable.

[Lucky_Jim]

I think the most depressing thing about this is the widespread resignation that this is just how society is now and I’m not going to bother owing something nice as I can’t be guaranteed it’s going to be nicked . Did it always used to be like this?

[LimaDelta]

Lucky_Jim said:

Did it always used to be like this?

It is (partly) the reason for the death of the hot-hatch in the 90s. The Escort Cosworth was the final straw for many insurers.

[swisstoni]

LimaDelta said:

Lucky_Jim said:

Did it always used to be like this?

It is (partly) the reason for the death of the hot-hatch in the 90s. The Escort Cosworth was the final straw for many insurers.

It used to be very much like this. Fords (of which I had a couple) were very much a temporary possession in the East End of London where I grew up.

Then things improved a bit.

Now we seem back to the ‘look at it and it’s open’ situation again.

[carlo996]

swisstoni said:

It used to be very much like this. Fords (of which I had a couple) were very much a temporary possession in the East End of London where I grew up.

Then things improved a bit.

Now we seem back to the ‘look at it and it’s open’ situation again.

It's the ridiculous keyless entry and placing OBD ports in places which are easy to get at which is the issue. The manufactures spend more on engineering soft retracting handles than they do on security, all it needs is a simple third party immobiliser and relocating the OBD. I had an M3 attacked and was staggered how weak the security was. The issue is these absolute scum of the earth are just as likely to break in or trash your car anyway. There's no deterrent for them, police are completely inept and the rewards are high. Insurance companies don't care, they just pass on the pain.

[theplayingmantis]

Mezzanine said:

Fermit said:

Mezzanine said:

Crumpet said:

Mezzanine said:

I wouldn’t suggest an LC500 if you are worried about thefts

I thought it was the SUVs; RX and whatnot?

Not according to several ex-LC500 owners on here!

Really, any links? I adore these things, money allowing I'd seriously debate against a last shape AM V8V (would probably lean to the AM, they will appreciate, 100% sure)

Of course, OT. OP, the person/people who 'took' your car belong at the bottom of a canal, with weights tide around their ankles.

Edited by Fermit on Wednesday 30th August 20:28

Brett’s thread here

Also a bit more info here

There was also another owner/LC discussion thread on here who cited thefts as a reason for selling but I cannot remember the posters name off the top of my head I am afraid.

Edited by Mezzanine on Wednesday 30th August 22:09

Doesnt really seem comparable at all tbh. Cars known to go in a matter of months and being a top target vs. potential issues on a low volume model with very few real world examples. Get the 500 OP its cracking.

[snuffy]

s94wht said:

ImDesigner said:

The pouches fail with use over time.

Excuse me? How?

Good question. But mine did. When I first got one, I popped the key in it and pressed the car door button and it would not open. Which is what you want.

Then a couple of years later, for some reason, I repeated the test and it opened. So it had stopped block the key.

I bought a pouch and tested it and that worked ad expected. Most odd.

[anonymous-user]

Caddyshack said:

pocketspring said:

Caddyshack said:

Liphook in Hampshire is a sleepy medium sized village and quite affluent - the last 6 weeks has had a spate of break ins to cars and businesses, thefts of mopeds and 125's. The thieves are young lads on mopeds - they do not wear helmets - just full face balaclavas. I have reported when I have seen them to the PCSO who is supposed to be assigned to the village and not had any reply - LOADS of people have reported to 101 and we have shared crime numbers etc. The lads have been traced to a neighbouring village but so far we have not seen any action at all and the lads continue to be about very frequently. I can see now how the RS6 theft happens and then the Police do very little.

Bordon/Whitehill?

Oddly, I have just seen an update that the Police have just made an arrest - 15 yr old from Bordon, charged with aggravated vehicle theft and possession of an offensive weapon plus riding uninsured etc....I hope he gives up his co-horts.

15 is very young!

If he's not a father as well, I'll be amazed! Bordon card factory sells father's day cards in packs of five.

[andy43]

theplayingmantis said:

Mezzanine said:

Fermit said:

Mezzanine said:

Crumpet said:

Mezzanine said:

I wouldn’t suggest an LC500 if you are worried about thefts

I thought it was the SUVs; RX and whatnot?

Not according to several ex-LC500 owners on here!

Really, any links? I adore these things, money allowing I'd seriously debate against a last shape AM V8V (would probably lean to the AM, they will appreciate, 100% sure)

Of course, OT. OP, the person/people who 'took' your car belong at the bottom of a canal, with weights tide around their ankles.

Edited by Fermit on Wednesday 30th August 20:28

Brett’s thread here

Also a bit more info here

There was also another owner/LC discussion thread on here who cited thefts as a reason for selling but I cannot remember the posters name off the top of my head I am afraid.

Edited by Mezzanine on Wednesday 30th August 22:09

Doesnt really seem comparable at all tbh. Cars known to go in a matter of months and being a top target vs. potential issues on a low volume model with very few real world examples. Get the 500 OP its cracking.

Yes it is indeed cracking There’s only one UK LC that’s known to have been stolen, it was later recovered from a shipping container bound for Dubai, with bumper damage suggesting canbus theft. Pretty much all Lexus, plus RAV4 and other Toyotas all have the same vulnerability. Mine has a tracker with immobiliser - it won’t run without a fob being present. It’s a rare car, and to make it worth stealing you’d need an even rarer buyer for parts or the whole car.
RX around London are getting fitted with canbus protection plates F.O.C to prevent the current method of theft - these will presumably get rolled out to every RX and eventually other lexuseses. Most will need a tracker for insurance anyway - adding the immobiliser upgrade was only £100, or a ghost could be added instead.

[hunt123]

snuffy said:

s94wht said:

ImDesigner said:

The pouches fail with use over time.

Excuse me? How?

Good question. But mine did. When I first got one, I popped the key in it and pressed the car door button and it would not open. Which is what you want.

Then a couple of years later, for some reason, I repeated the test and it opened. So it had stopped block the key.

I bought a pouch and tested it and that worked ad expected. Most odd.

I could be wrong but i think maybe the pouches fail because they aren't rigid. Whatever metal they are lined with is like tin foil and over time if tin foil is repeatedly deformed/bent/creased etc it loses it's structure/strength and it cracks. This means signals can get through it. Whereas with the faraday boxes, as they are a rigid structure, this doesn't happen.

[Dingu]

carlo996 said:

Insurance companies don't care, they just pass on the pain.

What do you suggest they do?

[Jader1973]

Sort to hear that OP. Almost as if they realised you’d realised and backed off for a few months - maybe alerted by a thread you posted about being followed? They also knew it had a tracker by the sound of it.

If I google “RS6 followed Birmingham” this thread is on the first page of results.

(Not having a go at you, just a thought)

I think sometimes PHers forget this is a public forum, not a private, members only corner of the internet.

I’m fairly certain it would be entirely possible to pick a type of car, trawl this forum for pics and info, and work out at least an area where one lives.

I know there are rules around it, but you wouldn’t need to be a member to do it, and even if you were nobody would ever know.

Something we should maybe all think about?

[Lefty]

Dogs & Guns.

[andy43]

hunt123 said:

snuffy said:

s94wht said:

ImDesigner said:

The pouches fail with use over time.

Excuse me? How?

Good question. But mine did. When I first got one, I popped the key in it and pressed the car door button and it would not open. Which is what you want.

Then a couple of years later, for some reason, I repeated the test and it opened. So it had stopped block the key.

I bought a pouch and tested it and that worked ad expected. Most odd.

I could be wrong but i think maybe the pouches fail because they aren't rigid. Whatever metal they are lined with is like tin foil and over time if tin foil is repeatedly deformed/bent/creased etc it loses it's structure/strength and it cracks. This means signals can get through it. Whereas with the faraday boxes, as they are a rigid structure, this doesn't happen.

I had pouches. They didn’t work even when new. Key sealed in pouch, approach car carrying pouch, unlock on comfort access, start engine etc.
I now have these - they 100% work - metal tins with tight push fit lids :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/LATIT-Blocking-Faraday-Po...

[paua]

Lefty said:

Dogs & Guns.

Flame thrower - https://blog.beforward.jp/car-review/remember-bmw-...

[CoolHands]

Jader1973 said:

Sort to hear that OP. Almost as if they realised you’d realised and backed off for a few months - maybe alerted by a thread you posted about being followed? They also knew it had a tracker by the sound of it.

If I google “RS6 followed Birmingham” this thread is on the first page of results.

(Not having a go at you, just a thought)

I think sometimes PHers forget this is a public forum, not a private, members only corner of the internet.

I’m fairly certain it would be entirely possible to pick a type of car, trawl this forum for pics and info, and work out at least an area where one lives.

I know there are rules around it, but you wouldn’t need to be a member to do it, and even if you were nobody would ever know.

Something we should maybe all think about?

you’re overthinking. Scrotes don’t work like that they just go out and commit crime. Once they seen the car and know the general area they would just keep their eyes out and look.

[warp9]

Jader1973 said:

Sort to hear that OP. Almost as if they realised you’d realised and backed off for a few months - maybe alerted by a thread you posted about being followed? They also knew it had a tracker by the sound of it.

If I google “RS6 followed Birmingham” this thread is on the first page of results.

(Not having a go at you, just a thought)

I think sometimes PHers forget this is a public forum, not a private, members only corner of the internet.

I’m fairly certain it would be entirely possible to pick a type of car, trawl this forum for pics and info, and work out at least an area where one lives.

I know there are rules around it, but you wouldn’t need to be a member to do it, and even if you were nobody would ever know.

Something we should maybe all think about?

Fair point. It's easy to be complacent in these matters.

As an aside, quote to get everything fixed is just shy of £2.5k