Top Stolen Cars: Dodge Intrepid and Stratus/Sebring

I just watched this feature on Explorer (=Discovery) about car thieving group in Canada in late 90s. They would use manufacturer's service software to override any immobilizers in the car. Pretty straightforward - just plug laptop it into OBD connector and select 'disable immobilizer' from the menu. Of course, this could have been just producer's imagination - I find it hard to believe car makers would allow disabling built-in immobilizers this easy.

Peter

The average Joe blow that tries to steal your vehicle with the Skim Security System gets in, breaks the key cylinder, cranks the vehicle 3 times and then exits it because it wont start. If a Professional thief wants to steal your car, he will do it.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

As I have repeatedly said before in this group, and as I've repeatedly pointed out that chipped keys are worthless before in this group - and been pooh-poohed before, I think even by you yourself once. So your finally seeing the light, now.

The pro car thieves are stealing the latest, highest dollar models. So what your observing here is that the chipped key systems are worthless for the new car buyers who are spending the most money on very young cars, but once the car is an old piece of shit then professional thieves won't be bothering with it anymore, and now the chipped key systems are going to be of some use!

One of the first times I've seen a doo-dad introduced by the automakers that gives the most benefit to the 3rd and 4th owners, and no benefit to the new car purchaser!

Ted

Is "Sentry Key" the same as Skim?

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Sez that 2001 Intrepid (113k made) had 12.7 thefts per 1000 vehicles. Neon and Stratus (again each had production in excess of 100k units) had theft rates in the order of 10.3 per 1000. 300M and Lincoln LS had similar production numbers (37/42k units) and had similar theft rates (6.1 per 1000). One theory is that maybe more affluent people own 300m/LS and garage them more at night, or don't drive (or work, or live) on skid row and maybe that's why they have lower theft rates. But that doesn't explain why Chebby Cavalier's have a theft rate of

5.2 per 1000 (and there were 217k of those made). Grand AM rates were also much lower (6.5) vs Intrepid/Stratus.

Likely stolen with a flat-bed truck:

Acura NSX (1 stolen, 167 made) Bentley Arnage (2 stolen, 466 made)

Not sure why the list shows only 682 Chrysler Neon's being made in

2001.

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Also sez that Intrepid is at the top of the stolen list (which is against the prevailing theory that full size models usually don't interest thieves).

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Sez: ...... Max Gates, a spokesman for DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group, said he wasn't sure why the automaker's cars topped the list. Auburn Hills-based Chrysler accounted for seven of the 15 vehicles with the highest theft rates. Chrysler offers an immobilizer system on most of its Dodge and Chrysler vehicles that prevents the engine from being started without a key. The immobilizer is offered as part of an option package that includes power windows and doors. "Some of our dealers are ordering 100% of their vehicles equipped with that," Gates said. The system was developed several years ago after discussions with police officers, he said. .......

So maybe many Intrepids and Stratus aren't ordered with the power window package (?).

Besides towing or hauling a vehicle away, I wonder just how a (Chrysler) car with Sentry Key is being driven away (assuming the thief doesn't have the owner's car keys to start with). I doubt that the casual thief (or teenage delinquent) is going to shlep around a laptop for just the occasion to plug it into the OBD connector of a Stratus to steal it.

So what's more effective to prevent "drive-away" car theft?

Sentry key immobilizer, or laminated side-glass?

pooh-poohed

Your confusing me with someone else, but as I said in the past, this system works but not for the professional thief. Before this SKIM was introduced we would have cars towed into the shop all beat up from the joy riders that steal them. Now we just get them in with a busted column and a bad ignition cyl.

The system does work Ted. If a thief wants a car he will get it no mater what.

All the cars listed are safe in western Europe so come and drive over here...

The cars that go here (well, not in the UK as we have RHD) tend to be high end Mercs and BMWs, stolen to order by gangs from the Ukraine...

:-) DAS

Known as "thieves in the law".

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I just had a 3rd skim key cut for my car so I'd always have at least

2 on hand and learm them myself to the pcm and the skim.

I've read over the factory powertrain manual and knew a bit about the system so I got into a conversation with the locksmith.

now I cant recall all the details but he pointed out there were a couple of different ways to install a remote start system. one way was such that the skis was essentially disabled, and the higher end way still required a coded transponder key learned to be used. both seem to use a transponder key stashed in the car and wired into the skim antenna. I think the low end one is jsut a passivaly coupled antenna with a key in the box and the collumn antenna is disconnected

not that I had any real desire to install remote start but I see on ebay they sell a couple of different interfaces to put in remote start with skis , I'm sure these require more time and work than a car theif wants to deal with. exactly how the ebay ones work I'd like more info on

before I read this high theft rate report I was thinking of asking the skim to be set to disabled , I like to do most of my own repairs and didn't want to be bothered with a drbIII that could write to the pcm and skim , they all are up in the big $$$ to enter the vin and pins and do anything but reset the mil and clear codes. ( any one know of a drb on the low $$$ that can write the vin and pins ???? PLEASE post it )

The way the after markets are installing the remote starter is to take out the chip of a programmed key and attach it next to the Immobilizer. But of course now the ignition switch can be punched out and the vehicle driven away by the thief

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

thanks for the info, the locksmith said Chrysler Dealer installed usually does it the right way ,, could you give us a hint what is the right way

thanks

I dont install accessories. There is probably a kit from Chrysler that makes the system work correctly, I would contact you sales rep or the parts department to check on this

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