lyonsb123 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 The thing you never thought would happen to you, happened to me last night. Went out this morning and my new Fiesta Metal (less than 3 months old) was gone. No smashed glass, no tyre marks, nothing. The thing that really puzzles me is that an added extra I asked to be put on the car was an anti-tilt alarm, which is supposed to prevent things like this. Absolutely gutted. Anyone have an idea how these anti-tilt alarms fitted by Fords actually work, and how it could have been bypassed? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.twoc.co.uk/view_rec.htm?id=1044&src=495258&pn=0 Car description: Black rear tinted side and back windows, and glossy black wheels (as standard. Unique identifier would be the Ford logo overlays. The badge on the steering wheel has a black text on white background overlay. The exterior front and rear badges have the opposite (white lettering on black background) Uploaded with ImageShack.us http://www.twoc.co.u...src=495258&pn=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btmaldon Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Gutted for you mate. I suppose the question is, did Ford actually fit the alarm? Also, have you still got all the keys, most car thefts these days are the Millenium Burglaries where they break into the house and nick the keys. If someone has lifted it without activating the alarm and without any keys, it can only be to strip it for parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Cheeky beggars. Problem is any security device created by man can be beaten by man. They are getting more hi-tech every day. Truly do feel sorry for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSussex Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sounds like a lift and go. You have my sympathy, thank goodness for insurance. As I said in one of my other posts, you need a stonkin great padlock lock these days to slow the toe rags down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Yeah, I still have the keys - must have been lifted, however it was parked right outside my house and I would have thought a truck capable of lifting a car would make a bit of noise! Hopefully the insurance process is smooth, I'm with Ford Insure who are supposed to be very good, so hopefully it is all sorted out soon. I really don't know how I will protect the new car though, any advice on possible alarms / trackers? I would die if something like this happened again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 http://www.tracker.co.uk/ You can't do better than this system, it's not cheap but as it's Thatcham approved you should get a discount on your insurance too. This is the system you have probably seen at work on many popular Police programmes on TV. Many Police traffic vehicles and Air Support Unit Helicopters carry the location equipment so once a theft is reported, the device code is disclosed and the car is usually located by direction and range guidance. Because of no outward indications of the device being fitted and the clever way the fitters position the tracker, it is highly unlikely a thief would locate and remove it. As i said though, it's not cheap to buy or keep in contract but what price do you put on peace of mind. I would highly recommend anyone with a driveway or garage to fit a lockable security post, not usually expensive but pretty effective at stopping most thieves - except of course if they use a car lift to pick the car up off the drive. Still - prevention is better than cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks for that Clive, I would definitely consider getting a tracker on any future cars, possibly along with an upgraded alarm. OP updated with car description + photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSussex Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Has the investigating police officer considered that you car keys may have been compromised at some time? Possibly by a previous owner if there was one, or at any time when your car was in a garage and your keys not in your position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Well I called the Police yesterday, and they said it is unlikely that any investigations, e.g. looking at CCTV footage, will start until Monday... so no investigating police officer yet, which is helpful... Anyway, no, the car was bought from new and the keys have always been in my possession. I've been thinking, and if they lifted the car, wouldn't there be some markings on the road where the truck had put down its stabilising arms? I'm more worried that somehow they have got hold of a replacement key - possibly using the VIN number in the windscreen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Well I called the Police yesterday, and they said it is unlikely that any investigations, e.g. looking at CCTV footage, will start until Monday... so no investigating police officer yet, which is helpful... Nothing like letting the trail go cold. Anyway, no, the car was bought from new and the keys have always been in my possession. I've been thinking, and if they lifted the car, wouldn't there be some markings on the road where the truck had put down its stabilising arms? I'm more worried that somehow they have got hold of a replacement key - possibly using the VIN number in the windscreen? They would not necessarily leave marks but should have made a lot of noise. A key would not be obtainable through the VIN, there are tools to read locks and cut keys to physically open the car but without a Transponder in the key which has to be programmed to the immobiliser, and i'm assuming a Ford fitted alarm, they could not start the car or deactivate the alarm so as to allow time to use a programmer to encode a key transponder. Standard Ford alarms prime on opening the doors with a passive transponder key (i.e. not your central locking one) and need a transponder key inserted into the ignition to deactivate the alarm within 10 seconds. Even if they had lifted the bonnet to remove the battery, the alarm should still have gone off, possibly they have found a way to get up under to the main battery connections and chopped them. Stll, it's no consolation to you, i really hope you get a resolution to this dialemma soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hmm, very strange. I'm at a total loss to how it was taken then! I can't imagine them being able to lift and swivel a car onto a truck without a Ford-fitted anti-tilt alarm going off. Unless I find out how they did it, I'm going to be so paranoid when the insurance sort out a replacement car. I'm definitely fitting some sort of tracker to it and a steering-wheel lock anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Better safe than sorry. Like i said Tracker is not cheap but is very good, some cars fitted with it are recovered within hours of being reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Would you only recommend a 'Tracker' brand unit? I was looking at this unit too: http://www.falcon-security.co.uk/shop/cobratrak-first-tracking-system-p-88.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 At the end of the day, Tracker is only one choice. It is the system that most Police Traffic units around the UK have the direct equipment for and is fully Thatcham approved. Ultimately it's your choice and your money on the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Yeah, I understand. I mean looking at it now, the prices are roughly the same, and the Tracker brand is definitely the more recognised, and hopefully more effective. A local police officer did call me today to take some more details, and he said I should be receiving the crime report in the post over the next few days with the crime reference no. on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volts Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Stealing a fiesta. Strange choice of car i would of thought. Anyway have Ford or your dealer said anything. I find the fact no alarm went off rather worrying. Does this show fiesta security has a weak link?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSussex Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hmm, very strange. I'm at a total loss to how it was taken then! I can't imagine them being able to lift and swivel a car onto a truck without a Ford-fitted anti-tilt alarm going off. Unless I find out how they did it, I'm going to be so paranoid when the insurance sort out a replacement car. I'm definitely fitting some sort of tracker to it and a steering-wheel lock anyway. This does look like the thief somehow had access to keys that fitted your car and then drove it away, maybe the keys were cloned before you bought the car and your address was also known from the sales documents, that’s where I would be looking first. Thats now down to the investigating officer. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintalkin Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 first things first gutted for your loss, the problem with tilt alarms is that the car has to tilt to activate the alarm, which is good for wheel theft or for tow away theft but on a full lift the car stays level so no tilt alarm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I know it wouldn't really apply to new cars but I would strongly recommend any pre-owned car owners to get an Auto Locksmith to re-enable all their keys as this will remove any keys not in their possession and deauthorise any keys held by previous owners. Just a thought, has your car been to a garage since you got it? It only takes ten minutes to cut and code a key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 The only garage it has been to is before I took ownership of the car - when the anti-tilt alarm was installed. Obviously this was by a Ford garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 So new from Ford with no spare keys, yep probably a lift job. Cheeky little swine. When mine is parked at home I have a camera on it. I do this primarily because the local lowlife figured out what I do for a living and vandalised my last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSussex Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Car in Garage for car alarm mods. (tilt alarm fitting), 2-3 months later car stolen, no alarm heard by neighbours. Suspicious! Or is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I doubt a Ford garage would be that dodgy but no alarm on tilt / lift? Probably wasn't working properly in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsb123 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Well that's if it was even lifted in the first place. The car was parked parallel to my parents window, about 10 metres off. Their window was open all night - a truck capable of lifting a car would surely have woken them, and the neighbours up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I know there has been a spate local to me of Fiesta's having their corner window removed to get to satnav's but even if they did that to try and gain access to the car, the deadlocking would stop them opening the doors and rolling the car away. This is getting very curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Ford UK Shop
Sponsored Ad
Name: eBay
Ford Model: FordUK Shop
Ford Year: 2024
Latest Deals
Ford UK Shop for genuine Ford parts & accessoriesDisclaimer: As the club is an eBay Partner, The club may be compensated if you make a purchase via the club
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.