demob05

I think a new list of most stolen cars came out not too long ago...
anyone know where the RX8 was ranked.
And also, with the advanced theft deterence system/immobilizer, is it even possible to steal one of these cars w/o an extra key... not just break into, but drive off with it, say, by "hotwiring" (Is hotwiring a thing of the past??)

REMillers

Not sure about the whole hotwiring thing, but there must still be a way to do it. However some of them are simply towed away. Besides the ease of it, think if you saw a neighbors car being hooked up would you really say anything or just think it broke down was was being towed legally (didn't make payments etc).

TheThird

not sure if the car will start with out both chips being connected.

there is a chip in your key and a chip in the ignition, they both have to match before your car starts.

im pretty sure there is a way around it.

mysql101

someone on this forum had his rx-8 stolen from air port parking.

Glyphon

there have been 2 or 3 that i recall, and i think all those were determined to be stolen using a tow truck.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Hotwiring does not work with ECU with immoibilizer build in.

I dont wanna explain it for too long, the easiest way to steal a car these days is to "steal" a tow truck and tow it.

I've seen an accord on a tow truck, of course the alarm was like BEEP BEEP the whole way, and the tow truck driver was driving like he stole it (I think he did), since I saw him went past like 3 red light. I Was about to call a cop but It was too far I cant even see the license plate anymore

For more expensive cars, they want to steal it, but dont want to damage anything. So they first get somebody to get the ECU of the car they're trying to steal, hire a hacker to break the immoiblizer first. then they will get 4 guys with them to steal the car. one is the observer , to check and see if theres cops around. Second one is the locksmith to open the door in 3 minutes, and the funny part is that they bring a buck of water with them cuz when the door is open the alarm will go off, to counter that just open the hood and pour water on the alarm so it will shut up. then next dude will take the ECU out and replace it with a "Clean" ECU that has no security in it. Finally, the last dude drive the car off.

mysql101

The airport thread said the car was driven out.

Paul_in_DC

Check out Lojack Early Warning. You get a phone call/msg/e-mail if the car moves without the fob being present. Once reported, Lojack-equipped cars average being recovered in 30 minutes.

http://www.lojack.com/

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Forgot, oh and not many people want to steal the 8.

black market NEEDS demand. and 8 is not IN demand.

playdoh43

no one wants to steal the rx8. what are they going to do with it? they steal cars that has popular components that they can sell. what are they going t to do with the rx8 after they chop it into pieces? they are better off stealing camrys and accords.

Skythe

sad, hilarious, and true

mysql101

at the rate people are killing their transmission, that's one part in demand

yiksing

Best part is the thief might flood the engine, they have to keep feeding it oil, they run out of fuel before reaching destination, they get caught because the 8 is too slow to get away.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

that might be true. but the thing is that , one out of how many 8 got dead transmission ?

so still very low.

shakRpahX8

^ not entirely true

there was one guy with rx8 (not stolen)
got away from police chase on a freeway

Freddie

Hilarious ! ! ! Funniest post I've seen in weeks ! ! !

Thanks -- I needed that.

Duke15

I'm reducing my risk by selling my accord as soon as my 8 gets delivered.

yiksing

Hey man, video games don't count....hahaa

BunnyGirl

The only ones I knew of were the ones "stolen" from dealerships on a test drive. The people got the keys and just kept on going.

Freddie

I'm always amazed at the way Camry and Accord owners think . . . "Our cars are stolen so much, because they are such great cars. Everybody wants one". I explain to them no, its because parts are so expensive and in such high demand. They don't like to hear that. Another reason for the very high theft rates is that parts for those cars are interchangeable across many model variants and model years. I also sometimes think in the case of the Hondas it's because they get wrecked a lot.

Not so many RX-8s = Not so much demand for RX-8 parts. Comprehensive insurance premiums here in SoCal are lower for the 8 than for a similar value Camry.

Rootski

iTrader: (1)

Jesus. On this board, if you're not a fanboi, you're a masochist.

prescriptionmazda

I read that cars are stolen for 2 reasons, "joyriding" and "chop shopping". The joyriding thing is to get from one place to another, and the cars usually turn up abandoned and in fine condition a few days later. The chop shoping only happens with cars that have parts with high demand, and last time I checked the vast majority of the parts in our cars cannot be interchanged with any other cars. Not to mention that there are not too many 8's out there. I think accords, camrys, mustangs, and older cars without alarm systems are the hot ones.

I also read that the vast majority of car theft is a crime of opportunity, if you leave your keys in the car, and/or your windows rolled down, it is easier for them to get in. They usually don't like having to do much work for a car. ( I researched this crap back in the day when I was thinking about getting an apartment in St. Louis)

I also heard The Club works wonders as a deterent (no joke!)

BunnyGirl

^ Is that to beat the thieves with? LOL

prescriptionmazda

It's really good for that too, however, I keep a brick in my trunk for just such an occasion.

My dad wants me to put a tracking device on my car in case it gets stolen.
back to subject,
This list seems to be pretty universal:
http://www.lojack.com/top-10-most-stolen-car.html

Glyphon

the club is a joke. it literally takes 5 seconds to defeat. all it takes is a hack saw. trick is, you don't cut the club. you cut the steering wheel, and the club slides right off in ~10 seconds or less.