Tesla Model 3 Several Break-in Target Due to Lack of Security
Thieves are breaking into Model 3’s by smashing the rear quarter window because they know it doesn’t trigger the alarm system.
Driving a Model 3 is like carrying a Louis Vuitton bag. It makes you the target of thieves whether you have something valuable in your car or not. It’s a status symbol. In a line up of Hondas/Toyotas/Teslas, you can almost bet every time that the thief will choose to smash and grab from a Tesla they know the alarm would not go off.
My wife and I were in the city for a holiday party on Saturday evening and returned to our car (parked on Brannan near Third Street) to find our window smashed and rear seat folded down.
The restaurant gracefully checked the cameras and found this video. I think these jerks do this often.
Looks like a newer silver Ford Fusion with very dark tinted windows.
Also…
Wouldn’t you know that we got the update today which allows Sentry to be on by default. A day late and a $460 dollar short…
Nothing was taken. Actually, we keep a very clean and empty car so there was literally nothing to be stolen. I suppose the thief thought we might have valuables in the trunk. Sadly, they were mistaken.
I hope this doesn’t happen to you. But if it does, Tesla unfortunately no longer repairs windows, they outsource it to third party vendors.
Good news is this isn’t a difficult fix, but a car never feels secure after a break in like this. The service center is getting overwhelmed that Tesla is directing Tesla owners to go to third parties.
Police wouldn’t come out – wife just had to file online. Nothing in the car except a car seat. Did a quick tape job at home in the driveway and looking for glass replacement in the south bay.
The issue seems to be especially widespread in the Bay Area where the Tesla headquarters and wealthy techies live.
Epidemic of break-ins of Tesla vehicles in Bay Area: 2 weeks ago my Model3 quarter window was smashed by thieves while it was parked at a very busy parking garage in San Jose (Santana row) and I was only for 30 minutes away.
Obviously I was not the only Tesla Owner at that night (7:00 PM), who was victim of this vandal. Not so far from my car another Model 3 (White one), was hit as well and they broke the rear window too. According the the security personal, thieves targeted only Teslas at that night. As I arrived the scene, I saw, that the backseat was folded. Later I learned, that the thieves know, that many people hide their valuable belongings in the trunk and that is why they check first if there is anything valuable in the trunk, before they break the bigger window in order to get access to the trunk through the fold down seats. Luckily I don’t leave anything in the car, while I am away.
Security personals from the garage say that they have the footage and only share it with law enforcement and the insurance companies, not with me.
Car repair shops say there’s an epidemic of break-ins of Tesla vehicles in Bay Area. And the story does not end here. Finding a car repair shop, who has a Tesla window in the stock, not easy. In my case it took 10 days (Total cost $512).
My advise for the Tesla Owners is, if you must leave something in your car, use the sub trunk for this and not the trunk itself.
Solution? Your frunk can be opened by a 9V battery and your rear window can be broken to access the trunk. Lesson is to just not leave anything in your car.
Changes needed from Tesla
- Rear Window needs to have an alarm
- Please make the frunk not so easily accessible with a 9V battery
- Possibly add cameras or use the cameras already built in to capture thieves? This is where we need innovation from Elon Musk.
Teslas can protect us when there is a zombie apocalypse with their filtration system, but can’t stop one idiot from using a rock to smash and grab our valuables.
Immediate solution(s) to all the Tesla break-ins
- Seats down to show there are no valuables in the trunk / rear seats.
- If you are going to leave any electronics in the car, leave them powered down, hidden in the frunk (Even though that is not really secure) and do not access the frunk when you park
- Put up a sign
- Pick up a security window sticker from eBay for a few bucks
Happy New Year.
Today as I was attending a work related meeting at a local restaurant, my model 3 was broken into. The car was parked 15 feet from where I was sitting inside the restaurant! The rear side window was smashed! A red Tesla model x parked next to me had the same fate. It was not until I drove home in the rain with the rear window gone that I realized my daughter’s backpack was robbed! It has her beloved panda pattern and her lunchbox and retainer
was inside the backpack. I was very upset with my car broken into but I was furious that they grabbed my daughter’s belonging! Can’t the criminal see it’s a kid’s backpack?! I feel sick with these sociopaths! Turned out this is becoming a pattern! My coworker just dealt with the same thing three weeks ago and her car is still getting the window fixed.
We need a bullet proof glass!
The only solution for now is folding down seats.
:(All these lock blockers will soon be defeated by crooks or just promote vandalism to your seats.
Any recommendations for getting this fixed in SF?
If you have any more suggestions on these Tesla Model 3 burglaries, please let everyone know in the comments.
