scisugi

Hi

I live in South Brunswick NJ and when I came out of my apt today I noticed the headlights of my 2002 TL have been stolen.There was a Audi parked next to it but it was fine which makes me think they targetted my car ... Called the cops and he said this used to happen earlier but hadnt happend for a while. The insurance is paying for it but with a 500 $ deductible , I dont want this to happen again. I am so pissed off now - anyways , is there an alarm or something I can install to prevent this from happenig again.


Scisugi...

ProbyOne

Damn that sucks.... this happens all of the time...

Sry bout that man, and glad the insurance covers it...

An alarm wont stop it... but might be pretty helpful. Just read the previous post about stolen headlights, he had an alarm w/ a 2 way pager but they still did their damage.

hope everything works out

Natismati

thats 2 in one week, wtf

cotrecin

just got mine stoeln 3hours ago. I'm in nyc. but i feel for you man...

etxxz

IT now becomes 3!!!...does anyone else notice the 3victimes live VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER!!!

pimpravi

you need to invest in a GOOD ALARM SYSTEM
stock systems = POS

spl1011

I wonder if there is a way you can attach a cable to the headlight unit itself and then attach the other end taught to somewhere secure (and doesnt move). The key is that it is taught, thus if you move it forward to try to remove it, they have no play to even remove what is binding.

That is if they are able to steal it without lifting the hood of the car.
May sound silly, but im kinda just winging this without going downstairs to my garage and looking under the hood. Plus I dont know how they go about removing the headlights.

t0ast

By any chance, are you near Lakewood, NJ? There's a right headlight lens for sale on ebay that looks like it's cracked - maybe yours?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

scisugi

No Lakewood is 50 miles away from where I live and my headlights were in perfect condition .. Just hope they dont get stolen again because if it does happen , I may have to sell.

mikelee223

that guy is definitely sell stolen goods on ebay. You can tell they were pulled / ripped off that poor TL

tjohns

They attempted minds this morning and bent up the corner of my hood. My alarm went off and they sped off. My alarm is loud with 2 airhorns. This is like the 3rd time and they never actually got the parts. Amateurs!! Either way it still cost money cuz you get body damage. Sorry. I feel your pain.

Da_iLLeZt_TL973

wow i feel your pain guys hopefully insurance covers it and everything turns out well for you.......this is scary its getting closer to home right now i live in howell,nj lets just say 3 minutes from lakewood now im starting to worry if im next never know we'll see what happens

TeknoKing

here is the thing, i believe if the boxes (transformers) from the back of headlights are moved somewhere else deeper under the hood, and everyone does it, and everyone knows about this, they would stop stealing our headlights. For a fact the only reason why they are stolen is because it is sooooooo easy and because the boxes are right there.

Plus if anyone ever catches them, do me a favor, pound them with a bat and call me to help. a$$holes.

mikelee223

Just wondering which version of the second generation gets stolen more. I've noticed that the 99-01 the hood comes down to the bumper and the 02-03 comes down to the grill. Reason of me asking I'm planning to do a conversion from 00 to 02.

TeknoKing

mikelee, that makes no difference when getting to the headlights.
I wish they made some harness that can fasten the headlights.

scisugi

Mine was a '02 TL and the lights still got stolen !

nayyarn

I had a friend of mine from MD was visiting NYC and stopped in NJ for the night. They stole the Grill and HID Head Lights off his 2003 Maxima at the hotel he was staying at. I feel for you all. The police took a report, but they said it happens all the time in that area of NJ. Stuff like that pisses you off. Insurance covered the cost, but it was like $6700 worth of damage.

asmestates

To All Those Who've Had Their Headlights Stoeln,
I had my lights stolen about 3 mo's ago. Another tl on my block had theirs stolen 2 days ago! It cost me $500. out of pocket (insurance deductible) and it cost my ins. co. about $4300.! I think it's outrageous - no securing kit available for the lights, insurance premium increase, no car while the repair is being made (about 5 days). I spoke to Acura who, although very sympathetic, offered no applicable solution...they just dismissed it. I think it's nuts that headlights cost over $4000. to replace! are they lined in gold? how come they can't figure out a way to deal with this? I mean, we live in the US of A, we put a man on the moon in 1969 - don't tell me there isn't a solution to this probelm. How can they stick us w/this sort of deal? I want to make them do somnething about it - sleeping w/a baseball bat is not enough . At least the headlights should be tied into the alarm system! At least replacement costs should be less - something is better than nothing at all! We can't blame Acura for thieves, but we can blame them for not taking it into account. Any like minded folks out there? lemme know, I think we should all get together and see that the issue is dealt with properly, by Acura.

scisugi

Good idea - lets see what the response to your post is, and whether we could start a petition or something of that sort. Nissan had to provide a security system for their lights after the State of NJ sued them . So defn. change is possible - though it might be the insurance cos. who will need to push for it.

etxxz

but think that the $4000 in damages is not just the headlights, but pretty much everything around it, the lights AND the paint...maybe new wires too.

Each headlight with balast, bults, ignitor and inverter is about $700each...and then watever place has to make money off this stuff hence the expensive price.

Bareback

Has Acura made any changes to the new TLs? Why does this seem to happen so much in the New York/ New Jersey area? Are/is the rest of the State not see this type of thiever?

JnC

iTrader: (12)

It depends where you live, i commute to NYC and Boston alot and have to keep an eye out whenever i do so for my car. Boston isnt that bad when it comes to stolen headlights (knock on wood) but NYC is as you can see with the posts above. Nissan in the new maxima has done a few changes to avoid this from happening, such as etching the VIN number in the headlights, making the headlights more secure, so that its not easy to pull them off of the car. I read an article in Boston Globe once and it stated that Audi A4s and Acura TLz are the easiest prays since its so easy to pull their headlights off. Another reason, as the newspaper put it, is that the HID units from the TL are easily installed into any accord, i dont know if thats true.

asmestates

Scisugi,
I think a web site dedicated to these sorts of complaints, plus pursuit of whatever legal recourse is available will get their attention. I mean, $4k for headlights?! The lights are so easy to steal, the cops who took my report said it probably took under 2 minutes to do! No securing kit, no options, just deal with it? I don't think so. Imagine if we sent them our monthly check clipped to the OUTSIDE of the envelope every month and then, when we're told they didn't get it b/c it was stolen, respond to Acura, 'well, what can I do, thieves exist!" I'd like to see what sort of class action recouse is available - the current state of affairs is absurd!

mikelee223

http://parkaveacura.com/comptech/default.htm

Check that out.. Look for headlight shock sensor with OEM alarm.

But if someone wants to steal them they will. I've made complaints to the Attorney General of NY. But i guess they too busy. But if more complains, something can happen.

asmestates

Mikelee,
I think you're right, if enough noise is made, the squeaky wheel gets oiled - I don't even want the car anymore, if I can't park it on the street when I go somewhere, what's the point? Just to stare at it every day? I'll speak to the NYS Atty gen too, see what they can do - let's all stay in touch on this, I am furious and really want to do something about it.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Another reason why our cars get attacked by these bastards is coz the TL comes standard with the HIDs, and so they know for sure that if they can get the lights off they are getting HIDS. Where as in some cars, such as the Maxima SE (in the SL they are standard) the HIDs are optional so someone who is thinking about stealing them thinks twice before taking the chance.

asmestates

I know, but if macdonalds has to have a disclaimer on a cup of coffee stating 'hot beverage' b/c they were made aware of a problem (!) then acura should also offer something to its customers. it's like gettin raped. another lady on my block had hers stolen 4 times! im getting a petition together and will look to the atty general - maybe when that office speaks w/acura they won't just make nice sounds and hang up. i mean i know it's going to happen again, no question, just when, and i think someone should answer for it. i mean, what's customer service there for? if i wanted an ear to bend i'd call my therapist - i want somethin done.

Bareback

4 times? I would get the damn things welded in!

matelot

gee that sucks sorry to hear you got ripped off

mikelee223

a similiar case has been opened in NJ with their attorney general about Nissan Maxima's HID. And they won the case, so nissan I guess implemented the anti theft bar for the headlights.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/press/nissan.htm

jimmiceman

A maxima owner and subsequent owners sued nissan and won because nissan was aware of the high rate of stolen headlights and did nothing to warn customers or potential customers about it. Nissan then came up with a lock or something to help prevent the loss of the headlights. It was free for all maxima owners but some dealers even tried t jerk owners by charging them for it or not even telling them about the upgrade. Someone with any law connections should look into this for us. We might have a class action suit here like the nissan owners

MattT516

Or at that point I would just sell the car and buy a BMW!

As for the lights, I was driving on the Belt Parkway last night and I saw an SSM TL-S that didn't have HIDs. The guy must've gotten so tired of the constant theft of his lights that he decided to just throw some halogens in there. The problem is worse with the Maxima than the TL, even though this problem seems to have been more from 2 years ago when the whole Xenon craze was in full effect than now. My friend has an '01 Maxima and they actually put some kind of anti-theft headlight protection kit on his car, I forgot what the name of it was. Hopefully this whole thing will die down sooner or later like people stealing airbags ten years ago.

NYbsbl04

When I get my TL, im putting a small camera that faces outward toward the front of the car. You can get them cheap from some online stores. It would be one of those cameras that turns on when it detects motion. You can sometimes wire them to an external hardrive or a PDA. So if someone ever tries to steal my headlights, il have a pic of them. Sounds rediculous what im doing, but if someone F's with my car at least il have a pic or vid of them doing it.

summerlun

Let's do some actions just like the maxima owners did.
Count me in if i can help.

big mike 13

asmestates....
where in NYC you located? thanks

bkzjimmy

the kid with the ssm tl might be a kid from carrol gardens that i know....got his stolen a while ago and still havent got them replaced. mine were stolen twice so far, now i got the prestige alarm with shock and motion sensor plus i park in a fenced in drive with barbed wire...i still dont feel safe!!!

asmestates

brooklyn

asmestates

Jimmiceman & All,
I'm aware of the maxima suit etc. I have some of the legal connections you mentioned and am pursuing it as we speak. Don't get me wrong, i think Acura makes a fine product, and in terms of the product proper, I am satisfied - it's just those damn lights. A simple securing kit would probably solve the problem, but b/c of (probable) bottom line/$$$ issues, there is none such available, which is absurd. I know of a guy that simply returned his car to the dealership after 5 ! stolen light episodes - he told me that after the 4th time, the ins. co wouldn't pay, his rates went thru the roof, etc. When I went to the dealer to have the repair estimated, they told me it was the 6th car that week they had seen like mine - I mean come on! Anyway, keep me posted (pun intended) and I'll let you know what I've come up with.

sxlova07

I had mine stolen about a month ago near fenway in boston...and still havent gotten it back from the autobody shop (damn holidays).....when i get it back I am gonna end up trading it in for a '02 TL-S and my next purchase will be an aftermarket alarm so I can put sensors on the headlights *sigh* It really upsets me that ppl cant appreciate what ppl have instead of stealin.

here is a pic of my hurt baby

MeldyS26

my headlights got stolen about 10 months ago.....2 nights after i bought the car......in a mall parking lot!!!!! these people that deperate huh?