Car Theft
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Toyota has an idea that sounds like it came from James Bond's Q Branch. It would turn a seemingly harmless fragrance dispenser into something of an anti-theft device. A new patent from the Japanese automaker details a system that can spew tear gas at would-be carjackers. Australian website WhichCar first discovered and reported on the patent Tuesday. Toyota filed the patent in August of 2018, but the United States Patent and Trademark Office published the documents last Thursday. According to the patent's description, the patent is actually for a fragrance system, a feature increasingly more...
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Teens failed to steal car because it had manual transmission
A woman in Nashville, Tennessee, was saved by the grace of three pedals and a gear selector. Two teenage carjackers attempted to steal a woman's vehicle at a Kroger parking lot only to find it didn't have an automatic transmission. The two teens, ages 15 and 17, grabbed the woman's keys as she...
Sean Szymkowski -
Feds bust motorcycle gang that stole 150 Jeep Wranglers
Careful planning and plotting allowed nine members of the Tijuana-based Hooligans motorcycle gang to get away with stealing 150 Jeep Wranglers in San Diego County since 2014. But, after years of investigating, the gang members have finally been caught. Local news affiliate Fox 5 reports the nine...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ruffians burgle Hellcat from Detroit-area dealership
According to a report from CBS Detroit, one or more ne'er-do-wells brazenly boosted a Dodge Charger Hellcat right off the showroom floor from the Snethkamp's Ram City dealership in Highland Park, Michigan, last night. The scoundrels broke a large glass door to get into the dealer, and broke pushed...
Kirk Bell -
Would-Be Porsche Thief Foiled By Locked Doors
A man in Cologne, Germany was locked in the Porsche Cayenne he was trying to steal.
Stephen Edelstein -
Manual Gearbox Thwarts Car Thieves In Massachusetts; Suspects Flee
If you're going to steal a car, don't be stupid. Not that we recommend stealing cars, naturally. But it might be a good idea to make sure you know how to drive the the car you're planning to steal. That's the lesson presumably learned on Tuesday night by three men, one of them said to be carrying a...
John Voelcker -
After test driving an Audi RS 5, a man took the keys right off a sales person's desk.
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Mercedes C-Class Tops List Of Most Stolen Luxury Cars In New Study
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has published the results of a new study that looked at the rates of car theft around the country, with the focus being on luxury cars. The organization, which works closely with law enforcement agencies to gather its data, has found that the most popular...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Cadillac Escalade No Longer America’s Most Stolen Vehicle
Once a beacon for thieves, the Cadillac Escalade is no longer the most stolen vehicle in the country and is actually outranked by five other vehicles. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) has just released its annual top-ten lists of the most stolen vehicles from the 2010 to 2012 model years, and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Stolen Corvette Recovered After 10 Years In A Shipping Container
In 2002, a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible was stolen from its owner in Australia. Since we’re pretty sure that kind of thing happens on a somewhat regular basis, even in a law-abiding country like Australia, it would be utterly unremarkable if not for the rest of the story. Recently...
Kurt Ernst -
BMW Addresses Key Cloning Issue On Select Models
In July, we brought you news that car thieves (in Great Britain, anyway) had gone high-tech, stealing new cars via the use of NFC key reprogramming devices. Instead of relying on old-fashioned methods to steal certain new cars, today’s thieves just need access to the car’s diagnostic...
Kurt Ernst -
Dr. Phil's 1957 Chevy Bel Air Stolen In California
Dr. Phil, daytime television’s favorite wisdom-dispensing psychologist, is also a car guy. Comforting the grief-stricken and emotionally challenged on television pays well enough to afford a choice of rides according to The Daily Mail, including a Ferrari 360, a Gemballa-tuned Porsche and...
Kurt Ernst -
It turns out the 1994 Acura Integra was the most stolen luxury vehicle of 2011, according to the results of a study conducted by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which examined vehicle theft data submitted by all law enforcement agencies to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The Integra ranked sixth overall in a list of the top ten most stolen vehicles of the past year, with the most stolen title going to the 1994 Honda Accord. The Acura was the only luxury model on the list, which included an almost equal number of domestic and import models. Honda fared particularly...
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Man Recovers Stolen Austin-Healey, 42 Years Later
In 1970, Bob Russell was a cash-strapped graduate student at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His primary transportation was a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III, which Russell had purchased from a friend for $3,000 for in 1968. As a starving student, Russell couldn’t afford to...
Kurt Ernst -
Car Thieves Go High Tech, Clone NFC Fobs
It’s every car owner’s worst nightmare: you wake in the morning, grab your keys and head to the parking lot, only to find that your car is no longer there. While new technology such as chipped ignition keys and Near Field Communications (NFC) key fobs have made cars more...
Kurt Ernst -
Lojack: Mercedes C300 Most Stolen 2011 Luxury Model
For 2011 model year cars, Lojack reports that the Mercedes-Benz C300 is the most commonly stolen luxury car.
Kurt Ernst -
NICB Report Reveals Most Stolen Ford Mustangs
The NICB has announced a new, periodic report on classic car theft, beginning with the Ford Mustang.
Kurt Ernst -
HiGear Luxury Car Sharing Service Shuts Doors Due To Theft
A ring of car thieves targeting luxury peer-to-peer car sharing service HiGear has caused the company to shut its doors. The thieves used fake identities and stolen credit cards to bypass the company's security and fees on the way to stealing four cars worth approximately $300,000. The closure...
Nelson Ireson -
Cadillac has stepped up the security features on the 2012 Escalade, making the SUV harder to steal and (hopefully) de-listing it as one of America's most stolen vehicles.
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The Year In Car Theft, According To Lojack
Even Lojack has published its year-end retrospective, looking back on the top vehicle recovery stories of the year.
Kurt Ernst -
John Travolta's Classic Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Stolen
Thieves snagged John Travolta's 1970 Mercedes-Benz from a Santa Monica street, while the actor was visiting a local Jaguar dealership.
Kurt Ernst -
"New Message: Your Car Has Been Stolen"... With A Text
Getting text messages from friends or loved ones is always welcome. Spam messages from companies can be a nuisance. Having someone unlock and start your car with a text message is much more concerning. Unfortunately, it's not impossible, and researchers from San Francisco security consulting firm...
Antony Ingram -
Today In Car Theft: Dallas Dealer Loses... 35 Sets of 20-Inch Wheels
A Dallas area Buick GMC dealership may have set a record for wheel and tire theft: someone made off with 140 20-inch wheels and tires over the weekend.
Kurt Ernst -
Gas Taxes Suck, Subaru's 'Moment', And Saab Sinking: Today's Car News
Subaru shows off its Isle of Man TT record run with Mark Higgins at the wheel, complete with a talk-through of the "moment." [MotorAuthority] The Lexus LS 600h goes Landaulet for Prince Albert of Monaco's royal wedding. [MotorAuthority] MyFord Touch blamed for dropping Ford's results in J.D...
Nelson Ireson