Volkswagen car logos are being used to expand the scam
Owners of Volkswagen vehicles produced by the German Volkswagen Group have been suffering from a peculiar type of crime for most months of this year, though it does not cause serious material damage. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The issue is that the brand logo on the front of the car has become a prime target for thieves seeking to steal special radar devices hidden behind it. Although these devices are considered the foundation of modern safety systems, the situation has not improved.
This is reported by Autocar.co.uk. First publicly recorded in 2016, the problem remains widespread to this day.
According to reports from Autocar and The Guardian, in London alone, more than 50 Volkswagen owners have fallen victim to this theft in a single district. Thieves primarily target the logos of popular models such as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7 and Volkswagen Passat, removing them to access the driver assistance system sensors located behind.
These radar units are responsible for functions such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. What’s particularly interesting is that, according to Volkswagen engineers, these radars simply do not work if installed in another vehicle.
Each unit is electronically linked to a specific vehicle’s code and can only be reprogrammed at official dealership centers. However, thieves appear to be unaware of this technical detail—or are targeting unsuspecting buyers on the spare parts market who do not know the radars are coded.
As a result, car owners are facing losses amounting to several thousand pounds sterling. For example, Kler Koulman, a resident of London, had the logo stolen from her 2020 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI, after which the official service quoted nearly £2000 for repair.
Volkswagen has acknowledged the issue and introduced a special support package for affected customers. According to the company, if the vehicle owner has completed all technical inspections at an official dealer, a significant portion of repair costs may be covered by the company.
In Koulman’s case, the final bill was reduced from £2000 to £539. Experts suggest there are several ways to address this problem.
The vehicle manufacturer should provide more detailed information about why the radars do not function in other vehicles. The logo and radar assembly should be reinforced structurally.
The sale of uncoded radars on the spare parts market must be monitored. For now, Volkswagen owners are advised to park their vehicles in safer or well-lit areas.
Because once the radar is stolen, the vehicle’s dashboard displays a warning that the safety system is not functioning, which puts the driver’s life at risk.
