Grand theft auto: 80% of cars at risk

EXPERTS checking car security were able to break into 80% of vehicles they tested, it emerged yesterday.

It took them eight seconds to get into a Fiat Panda and 11 seconds to break into a Kia Pacinto SE.

But some models, including two BMWs, defied the efforts of the testers, who could not gain entry inside two minutes in the What Car? magazine survey.

Every year, What Car? experts assess the security of new cars. This year, using only commonly available tools, they attempted to break into 20 new cars without causing any physical damage to the vehicles.

The four cars that passed the tough test with flying colours were the BMW 525i SE, Lexus RX300 SE-L, Peugeot 407 SE and BMW X3 SE.

The latest figures from the CSO show Dublin motorists are more than twice as likely to have their cars stolen than their provincial counterparts. The Dublin vehicle theft rate, at 2.2%, was more than double that recorded in any other region. Next was the Mid-East region at 1.3%, while the Border region reported the smallest level of vehicle theft at 0.4%. More than two thirds, 67.5%, of the vehicles taken across the State were recovered.

Overall figures show a drop of 2,000 vehicle thefts from 14,600 to 12,600, during a period of sustained growth in new car sales.

Data from the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey carried out in 2003 shows over 1% of households with a vehicle said it had been stolen in the 12 months preceding the survey. Of the vehicles broken into, 28.5% were parked in a garage, shed, driveway or yard. Over 11% were parked in a town or city car park.

What Car? editor David Motton said: “Car security is far better than a decade ago, but there are still some popular cars on sale with weak locking systems. We advise all buyers to consider the results of our security tests before they buy.

“Also, use your common sense. Always lock your car and activate the alarm and immobiliser where fitted.”