Acura headlight theft out of hand in New York!!!!!!

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Old 07-29-2001, 01:33 PM
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Acura headlight theft out of hand in New York!!!!!!

ACURA-CL READERS Be careful if you have xenon's........

In the Park Slope section of Brooklyn Acura headlights are being stolen at an alarming rate!!!!!!!! Watch Out........

Reports say that both headlights are taken out with 3 minutes......no structure inside to hold them. Acura should be held responsible or have a recall for a secondary mounted part.

Not only do they steal the headlight's, they damage your fenders and bumper.....

worst of all insurance company's are replacing them with much cheaper parts not real xenon's.....

Please post any info you have here.
Old 07-29-2001, 02:00 PM
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Why won't insurance replace with Xenons? If that's what you pay them $$$ for ...
Old 07-29-2001, 02:04 PM
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Originally posted by lead_sled_dog:
<STRONG>Why won't insurance replace with Xenons? If that's what you pay them $$$ for ...</STRONG>
Hehehe, ever heard of the State Farm lawsuit? They replaced damaged parts with non-OEM parts but claimed that they were to save money and boost the bottom line.

Insurance companies are greedy sonsofbitches.
Old 07-29-2001, 02:09 PM
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Originally posted by maddCLS:
<STRONG>ACURA-CL READERS Be careful if you have xenon's........

In the Park Slope section of Brooklyn Acura headlights are being stolen at an alarming rate!!!!!!!! Watch Out........

Reports say that both headlights are taken out with 3 minutes......no structure inside to hold them. Acura should be held responsible or have a recall for a secondary mounted part.

Not only do they steal the headlight's, they damage your fenders and bumper.....

worst of all insurance company's are replacing them with much cheaper parts not real xenon's.....

Please post any info you have here.</STRONG>
Why do you think Acura should be responsible for other people's actions. So the person who committed the crime is no longer liable? How about we blame the guy who bought the CL in the first place. He bought a car knowing that his Xenon's were easy to be stolen. Oh, he didn't know? Hmmm...maybe Acura didn't know people were going to be ripping them out.

How typical.....get a clue.
Old 07-29-2001, 04:40 PM
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Originally posted by maddCLS:
<STRONG>ACURA-CL READERS Be careful if you have xenon's........


Acura should be held responsible or have a recall for a secondary mounted part.

Please post any info you have here.</STRONG>
i suppose its acuras fault that you live in a high crime area, MOVE!
Old 07-29-2001, 05:43 PM
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Originally posted by acura_service:
<STRONG>

i suppose its acuras fault that you live in a high crime area, MOVE!</STRONG>
You don't have to live in a high crime area anymore. The crime will come to you no matter where you are. Even gated communites aren't safe anymore.
Old 07-29-2001, 05:50 PM
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I have to agree, holding Acura responsible is getting a bit on the ridiculous side.

I live in NY and I am very hesitant about
parking my car anywhere near manhattan. That's what beater cars are for!
Old 07-29-2001, 05:52 PM
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Here's my theory...the headlights aren't really stolen, it's just people who messed up their lights trying to clear then and reported them stolen to get a new pair
Old 07-29-2001, 06:51 PM
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only 1 word of advice. Get the shock sensor!!
Old 07-29-2001, 07:04 PM
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Originally posted by davo-cls:
<STRONG>

You don't have to live in a high crime area anymore. The crime will come to you no matter where you are. Even gated communites aren't safe anymore.</STRONG>
Hehe, in Texas, if someone comes on your property uninvited you can pull out the shootin' irons and pull a Yosemite Sam on them =)

Too bad Texas is the sixth ring of hell in the summer hehehe
Old 07-29-2001, 08:15 PM
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Acura does have some responsibility. This has been going on long before the 2002 TL's came out with a redesigned front end. Acura should have used the opportunity to come up with some type of fix that would have rendered the lights and hardware unusable if stolen. When the CL is "freshened" they'll have another opportunity to do something. As for living in a bad area, most of the thefts in NJ are in some of the most upscale suburbs. My job is in NJ so I can't just "move". Had I known about the HID theft problem I never would have gotten the car in the first place. It really sucks having to be paranoid about where you park to the point of not being able to drive certain places out of fear. For example, shopping centers, movie theatres, and airports are all places I won’t park my car. Sad.
Old 07-29-2001, 10:15 PM
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Originally posted by BarryH:
<STRONG>Acura does have some responsibility. This has been going on long before the 2002 TL's came out with a redesigned front end. Acura should have used the opportunity to come up with some type of fix that would have rendered the lights and hardware unusable if stolen. When the CL is "freshened" they'll have another opportunity to do something. As for living in a bad area, most of the thefts in NJ are in some of the most upscale suburbs. My job is in NJ so I can't just "move". Had I known about the HID theft problem I never would have gotten the car in the first place. It really sucks having to be paranoid about where you park to the point of not being able to drive certain places out of fear. For example, shopping centers, movie theatres, and airports are all places I won’t park my car. Sad.</STRONG>
Barry,
With all due respect, you seem to have very little knowledge of an automotive engineering process. When they redesign the front fascia, usually they just invest money in new molds. They are not going to radically redesign the mechanical aspect of the front-end. This is to make the consumer think they are getting an update. The consumer is, but only cosmetically. I think what you mean is that Acura has an obligation to design products that are hard to steal. They in no way have a "responsibility", legal or otherwise, to design product that is impossible to steal. The line has to be drawn somewhere. If the crooks want it, they are going to steal it. For God's sake, the crooks are using crow-bars to get the headlights out. What more should they do? Provide a security guard? Acura can't win in this situation. They make it harder to steal, you pay more. They don't and you bitch. If I ran the company, I would weigh my options between folks who have bought the car and had their lights ripped out (which will be covered by insurance) or increasing the cost and affecting profittability. I think the choice is obvious. You bought a car that people want to rip-off. Next time buy a Chevy. Deal with it or sell your car. It's your car, it's your problem, it's your "responsibility."
Old 07-29-2001, 10:42 PM
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phinthesky,

When I bought my car in March, the dealer at that point probably replaced close to four dozen sets of stolen HID's on CL's and TL's. A little warning would have been nice before I bought the car, not after someone tried to jack my headlights when the car was two days old.

Your argument about responsibility doesn't hold water. The reason manufacturers install immobilizers and have coded radios and navigation systems is that the number of theft incidents was high enough that car owners (and insurance companies) forced them to do something. In urban areas the HID theft problem is serious enough that it deserves some type of manufacturer attention. With Acura aware of the problem, it wouldn't take a lot for them to offer an "HID delete" option for people that live in high threat areas.

I see that you live in Detroit. Let's see how smug you are when you come out and find your lights missing and hood, fender, and bumper cap destroyed. If you're lucky enough not to be a theft victim, wait about six months when your car insurance goes up because of all the claims (at $3K a pop) the insurance companies have had to pay.

I ran in to an Acura Divisional Manager at the dealer a month ago and we discussed this. He said Acura is developing some type of retrofit to render the HID hardware inoperative if tampered with. I guess there are enough of us out there that it really isn't just "my problem". But thanks for the kind words.
Old 07-29-2001, 11:17 PM
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Originally posted by BarryH:
<STRONG>phinthesky,

When I bought my car in March, the dealer at that point probably replaced close to four dozen sets of stolen HID's on CL's and TL's. A little warning would have been nice before I bought the car, not after someone tried to jack my headlights when the car was two days old.

Your argument about responsibility doesn't hold water. The reason manufacturers install immobilizers and have coded radios and navigation systems is that the number of theft incidents was high enough that car owners (and insurance companies) forced them to do something. In urban areas the HID theft problem is serious enough that it deserves some type of manufacturer attention. With Acura aware of the problem, it wouldn't take a lot for them to offer an "HID delete" option for people that live in high threat areas.

I see that you live in Detroit. Let's see how smug you are when you come out and find your lights missing and hood, fender, and bumper cap destroyed. If you're lucky enough not to be a theft victim, wait about six months when your car insurance goes up because of all the claims (at $3K a pop) the insurance companies have had to pay.

I ran in to an Acura Divisional Manager at the dealer a month ago and we discussed this. He said Acura is developing some type of retrofit to render the HID hardware inoperative if tampered with. I guess there are enough of us out there that it really isn't just "my problem". But thanks for the kind words.</STRONG>
i'm planning a trip to hoboken (stevens-tech area) towards the end of august to visit some friends (after i have my shock sensor and alarm pager installed). is it a problem around that area?

i don't think acura should bear most of the responsibility, but should take some at least to show they are attentive to customer's needs.

acura made something that would add appeal to a car. it appealed to me, it appealed to a lot of people who bought the car. it appealed to the kid in the civic that wanted the same thing, so he now he has it! and now we blame acura for making it appealing?

acura isn't directly "forced" to do anything about this, but i think they will do something. like immobilizers and stock alarms, manufacturers aren't required to install them, but if they didn't, then a lot of people will not consider the car, so they are indirectly "forced" to take action. i think there are a lot of people that are concerned about this and may not buy an acura because of this, and this will "force" acura to take some responsibility.

bottom line is, we are looking for someone to take responsibility, and we choose acura...and the reason is because we can't blame the fucker that stole the headlights 'cuz we cant' find him.

i think acura probably will (at their choice) take the responsibility (if not, then it tells us where their loyalty stands).

[ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: mrdeeno ]
Old 07-29-2001, 11:29 PM
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Originally posted by mrdeeno:
<STRONG>

i'm planning a trip to hoboken (stevens-tech area) towards the end of august to visit some friends (after i have my shock sensor and alarm pager installed). is it a problem around that area?
</STRONG>
Most of the parking in Hoboken is on the street. And yes it's bad, I know of six sets of HID's that have been stolen here. I have a garage so parking at home is safe. Hoboken's a cool city, lot's of great places to hang. You'll have fun.

You also bring up a good point about the HID theft issue. It's not just unique to Acura. Lights are being stolen off of M-B's, BMW's, and Lexus' also. The "new thing" to steal is the M-B side view mirrors with the integrated turn signals.
Old 07-29-2001, 11:46 PM
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Originally posted by BarryH:
<STRONG>

Most of the parking in Hoboken is on the street. And yes it's bad, I know of six sets of HID's that have been stolen here. I have a garage so parking at home is safe. Hoboken's a cool city, lot's of great places to hang. You'll have fun.

You also bring up a good point about the HID theft issue. It's not just unique to Acura. Lights are being stolen off of M-B's, BMW's, and Lexus' also. The "new thing" to steal is the M-B side view mirrors with the integrated turn signals.</STRONG>
i lived there for a year about 5 years back, and it wasn't so bad back then...but then again there weren't that many acuras with hids driving around either.

i'm in good with the stevens-tech fencing coach, so i may be able to get a parking pass for the lot right by the barracks there. depends on if he'll be around or not.
Old 07-30-2001, 01:15 AM
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Originally posted by BarryH:
<STRONG> With Acura aware of the problem, it wouldn't take a lot for them to offer an "HID delete" option for people that live in high threat areas.
</STRONG>
And how would the crook know with the lights off if it's HID equipped or not? Would a little sticker on the back of the car that says HID be nice? ( hehe, j\k). That would be so tacky though! Kinda like those domestic cars that have those big huge emblems in bold that say "ABS."

I wouldn't really hold Acura responsible for the easy theft of the headlights, but I do have to admit that 3 minutes is damn fast!

[ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: VTEC Racer ]
Old 07-30-2001, 01:33 AM
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Can the stolen HID lights be installed in another car easily? And work? I thought that HID lights needed the transformer,etc.
Same with the MD mirrors -- how about the electrical contacts to make the mirror work on a vintage 80's Monte Carlo or whatever these things are being installed on?

btw, HID lights are easy to recognize if you look at the filament or lack thereof in the headlight casing.

This at least partly explains why the premuims on CL's are more than A4, 3-series, etc. My insurance company quoted me a lower premium on an S4 and equivalent on a 330 convertible when I was looking to replace my late CL-S. I ended up getting another CL-S anyway, though. (Partly cause I got tried of every 20-30-something getting a 325 and talking about their Bimmer.) --eyeguy
Old 07-30-2001, 02:12 AM
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With the dents that are on my car currently....if I came out and my headlights were missing, the hood damaged, fenders, etc.

I would either blow the car up with my 50cal Barrett or launch it off a cliff
Old 07-30-2001, 12:36 PM
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Originally posted by BarryH:
<STRONG>phinthesky,

When I bought my car in March, the dealer at that point probably replaced close to four dozen sets of stolen HID's on CL's and TL's. A little warning would have been nice before I bought the car, not after someone tried to jack my headlights when the car was two days old.

Your argument about responsibility doesn't hold water. The reason manufacturers install immobilizers and have coded radios and navigation systems is that the number of theft incidents was high enough that car owners (and insurance companies) forced them to do something. In urban areas the HID theft problem is serious enough that it deserves some type of manufacturer attention. With Acura aware of the problem, it wouldn't take a lot for them to offer an "HID delete" option for people that live in high threat areas.

I see that you live in Detroit. Let's see how smug you are when you come out and find your lights missing and hood, fender, and bumper cap destroyed. If you're lucky enough not to be a theft victim, wait about six months when your car insurance goes up because of all the claims (at $3K a pop) the insurance companies have had to pay.

I ran in to an Acura Divisional Manager at the dealer a month ago and we discussed this. He said Acura is developing some type of retrofit to render the HID hardware inoperative if tampered with. I guess there are enough of us out there that it really isn't just "my problem". But thanks for the kind words.</STRONG>
Barry,
I'm not being smug. I am just telling you the reality of the situation. You think Acura and every other car dealer installed anti-theft radios because they "cared" about you getting your radio ripped-off. No. They did it because it was a selling point. They did it because other manufacturers were doing it. They wanted to keep up with the neighbors. That is why there are no laws mandating anti-theft devices in cars. Sure the insurance company can pressure Acura, but in the end it is up to the car manufacturer. Face it, you should have done your homework. You didn't, your car got ripped off and now you are looking to blame someone besides the crooks. I like how you say "a little warning would have been nice." That is like Chevy saying "we would just like to warn you that the $25K you are about to spend is for a POS car." The dealer doesn't want to lose a sale. My point is, is that Acura does not have any type of responsibility to help you out. It's your problem.
This brings me to my second point. I live in Detroit and I bought an Acura. I did my homework. Who is going to steal it? Are they going to steal it so that they can part it out to the other 100 Acura owners in the Detroit Metro area? There is no one to sell the parts to. So basically your hope that my car gets stolen and stripped "holds no water."
Have a nice day.
Old 07-30-2001, 12:37 PM
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Originally posted by mrdeeno:
<STRONG>

i'm planning a trip to hoboken (stevens-tech area) towards the end of august to visit some friends (after i have my shock sensor and alarm pager installed). is it a problem around that area?

i don't think acura should bear most of the responsibility, but should take some at least to show they are attentive to customer's needs.

acura made something that would add appeal to a car. it appealed to me, it appealed to a lot of people who bought the car. it appealed to the kid in the civic that wanted the same thing, so he now he has it! and now we blame acura for making it appealing?

acura isn't directly "forced" to do anything about this, but i think they will do something. like immobilizers and stock alarms, manufacturers aren't required to install them, but if they didn't, then a lot of people will not consider the car, so they are indirectly "forced" to take action. i think there are a lot of people that are concerned about this and may not buy an acura because of this, and this will "force" acura to take some responsibility.

bottom line is, we are looking for someone to take responsibility, and we choose acura...and the reason is because we can't blame the fucker that stole the headlights 'cuz we cant' find him.

i think acura probably will (at their choice) take the responsibility (if not, then it tells us where their loyalty stands).

[ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: mrdeeno ]</STRONG>
Couldn't have said it any better.

Old 07-30-2001, 12:43 PM
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Originally posted by VTEC Racer:
<STRONG>

And how would the crook know with the lights off if it's HID equipped or not? Would a little sticker on the back of the car that says HID be nice? ( hehe, j\k). That would be so tacky though! Kinda like those domestic cars that have those big huge emblems in bold that say "ABS."

I wouldn't really hold Acura responsible for the easy theft of the headlights, but I do have to admit that 3 minutes is damn fast!

[ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: VTEC Racer ]</STRONG>
Are you serious?



Crooks know more about your car than you do or at least more than Barry does. Come on man, you can't be serious. A crook thinks like this...."hmm.....a second gen CL. Nice car...I wonder if it is goign to have HID lights. Let me think. The last 100 CLs we ripped off had them. I am going to go out on a limb and say that this one does too. Now where is my crowbar?"
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