- Volkswagen badges have been going missing in increasing numbers
- Crime spree targeted residents of southeast London
- Thieves reportedly used drones to locate vehicles
A growing number of Volkswagen owners in London are returning to their vehicles, only to find that the badge mounted to the front grille is missing.
The first reports of the criminal activity emerged earlier this month, when Volkswagen owners contacted police about missing badges, with victims claiming that an official replacement can cost between £1,500 and £3,000 from an official Volkswagen dealer (or around $2,000-$4,000 / AU$2,900 to $4,000).
According to an earlier investigation by The Guardian and Autocar, the badges have been targeted for the expensive radar sensors hidden behind them, which assist with radar-based cruise control functionality.
The Sunday Times found a number of similar parts being sold on auction websites for as little as £80, with cut wires clearly on display, according to Car Dealer Magazine.
However, the most recent spree, which reportedly involved drones in the planning phase, has seen around 70 Volkswagen car badges stolen across southeast London in a spree that lasted four days.
One victim told The Times that the theft took “sub-five seconds”, and that they had done nearly £2,000 (about $2,700 / AU$3,800) of damage in that time.
Police Constable Olly Rutherford, who is leading the Metropolitan Police investigation, said: “We are aware of a number of incidents in southeast London over recent weeks in which car badges including the vehicle’s radar sensors have been stolen.
“At this stage, around 70 thefts are believed to have taken place.”
The police are asking anyone who believes they have been a victim of the crime to contact the police and share details as soon as possible.
We contacted Volkswagen UK for comment, and a spokesperson said that while the company cannot specifically comment on the crimes referenced, it does have access to data covering instances where Volkswagen UK has supported a retailer in offering customers a gesture of support, cases raised with its customer service center on the topic, and official parts sold through its network.
According to the latest check, Volkswagen says this remains a “localized issue.”
“This unfortunate criminal activity — and we must remember that this is what this is, rather than a vehicle fault — appears to be concentrated principally within a limited number of areas within London, with only isolated cases elsewhere in the UK,” the spokesperson said.
The Volkswagen spokesperson went on to explain that only six cases had occurred outside the London area where the sensor was missing and that it takes vehicle security “very seriously”.
Analysis: Vehicle tech is still attractive to thieves
Volkswagen UK says it continues to assist its retailers in offering a “gesture of support” to affected customers and that, on recently launched Volkswagen models, the radar sensor is located separately from the badge in a different location in an attempt to avoid the issue.
But the growing amount of technology found on vehicles is making them increasingly attractive to criminals.
One VW owner in Birmingham said that his Golf GTI has been stripped for parts twice and that police were “powerless” to help.
Last year, Porsche owners in London also found that their high-tech headlights were being targeted by thieves, who caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage by physically cutting the entire lighting unit out of the body of the vehicle.
According to MoneySuperMarket, this could have also contributed to a dramatic rise in insurance costs for Porsche owners in London, who now pay £900 more on average for their annual insurance compared with the rest of the UK.
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