Lo-Jack yes or no in SOCAL, and dealer prices WTF?

[patrick smith]

hi
so i just got my 2013 M3, and now i'm all paranoid its going to get stolen. whats everyone thoughts on lo-jack? not cheap, the dealer told me they wanted $1500 to "activate" it. if its really "installed just not activated". i called lo-jack and they told me that if a dealer installed lo-jack but does not activate it then they cant help, i must use the dealer. But why cant i just call lo-jack myself and have them come out and install it, not telling them the dealer already installed it. Is it tied to the ecu or something? would that not work trying to install two systems on one car. would they ever know?

then is it even worth it? i read the recovery rate is good. but ive never had a car stolen. knock on wood. also, my car sleeps in my locked garage. then at work its in a private lot, and my spot is 20 feet from the guard. so i seem safe , mostly. but i know it can still happen and at any time or place. mall, work, home, 7/11, Macy's etc..

are M3s a very stolen car? not from what ive read. im kind of thinking to save my $1500. use that for nice wheels or tires in the future...

thanks for any tips.

[gsxrliterbikz]

I'm curious as well. My dealer wanted 600. When I said no, they went to "their cost" and said 400.
I was going to try calling LoJack directly, but I guess that won't work.

[Beemdog]

A lot of people don't want their car back after it has been stolen, unless it is something really irreplaceable. Part of the problem is not knowing how it was treated by the thieves, whether it was beat-run, tranny flogged, etc. True, Lo-Jack could allow the police to find it within a day or so, but do you really want it back in an unknown state? Or, once parts have been stripped off it?

Also, if pro car thieves nab it, they can potentially find the Lo-jack device and yank it out. No anti-theft device is undefeatable. There are stories of abandoned chop-shops with piles of smashed Lo-jack units left behind...

[Gossypiboma]

You have never had a car stolen, I highly doubt M3's are frequently targeted, and you say yourself that your car is mostly parked in secure areas. Sounds like you answered your own question. Plus you probably dont want a stolen car back. Take the insurance and be done with it.

[SunnyD]

To echo all those above, why would you want your car back after it's stolen? They're probably going to abuse the hell out of it before they're caught. You have insurance, IMO you don't need LoJack.

[patrick smith]

all good points, and yes , im not sure i want it back after its been, beaten on, stripped for parts etc. ive also read that most of the time the INS will salvage a car after its been stolen.
i was %85 leaning to no, but i wanted to see if anyone had a good story to tell from getting the car back.

[kscarrol]

As I recall, as long as you have BMW Assist active on the car they can track it like Lo-Jack. I can't vouch for the accuracy but might be a less expensive option...

[tony093]

Save your money man these cars barely get stolen

[Flying Ace]

if my car is stolen, they (or the insurance) can have it.


I have yet to hear of a M3 getting stolen. I read about a hijacking once, but that's about it.

[Edward]

I think Penske dealerships require lo-jack devices. I got my last two cars from Crevier and before they were bought by Penske, they didn't have it. Post buy-out, my M3 had no option but to have a Lo-Jack. Problem is, they push the entire cost to you and you your car now costs at least $400 more on an option that barely saves you crap on insurance.

I think the dealer group must get a massive discount on their own insurance on their inventory if they all are equipped with LoJack that will be subsidized when the car is purchased.

[Z K]

BMWs are rarely stolen. Around California, the hottest stolen cars are the older Civics, Camrys, Accords and Integras. People strip them for parts or joy ride them because they are easy to steal and the parts are valuable since they don't produce replacement parts anymore.

[patrick smith]

so i talked to someone at the dealer i got my car from, and this guy told me they dont install lojack on the cars. so it was a flat out lie, he said the cost they were trying to get me to pay ( 1500) was for install and activation. so i could call lojack myself and have it put in for 600. but i dont think im going to do it. i asked me ins co and they told me no discount, i only get some discount by having an alarm, that already came oem from bmw.

[gsxrliterbikz]

Originally Posted by Edward

I think Penske dealerships require lo-jack devices. I got my last two cars from Crevier and before they were bought by Penske, they didn't have it. Post buy-out, my M3 had no option but to have a Lo-Jack. Problem is, they push the entire cost to you and you your car now costs at least $400 more on an option that barely saves you crap on insurance.

I think the dealer group must get a massive discount on their own insurance on their inventory if they all are equipped with LoJack that will be subsidized when the car is purchased.

My m came from a Penske dealer. They tried to push it but I said it was a deal breaker. After 30 min or so, they finally gave up.

[Edward]

Originally Posted by gsxrliterbikz

My m came from a Penske dealer. They tried to push it but I said it was a deal breaker. After 30 min or so, they finally gave up.

Yea it's the most worthless money I was forced to spend. I am pretty sure I didn't activate it.

[BNBM3]

LoJack is garbage. Get a proper GPS tracker. I personally use FindItNowUSA. $499 and you can install yourself or pay a shop.

[patrick smith]

Cool ill check it out

[BNBM3]

They also sell GPS trackers on Amazon. Compare the different monthly costs and features. Unless they have changed LoJack, it only works in a very small area and the police need a device to track it.

With a GPS tracker, you just go on your phone or computer and see exactly where the car is. As long as you properly hide the tracker, a thief will never know you have it. Mine is up under the dash, would have to tear the entire dash apart to find it, and also a thief would have to know what they were looking for.

I like the FindItNow unit because the moment the car is moved or shaken, or whatever, I get a text message. Can be a little annoying every time you get in the car you get a text message, but I don't mind. If someone were trying to take the wheels, I'd know right away. Someone steals the car, I'll know right where to find it.

But yeah, I wouldn't bother with LoJack, there are tons of GPS units on the market. Find one that is best for your situation.

[patrick smith]

cool thx , do they all require monthly fees?

[BNBM3]

I've never seen one that doesn't. You pay yearly, equals about $5/mo or so, it's trivial. Some other devices are in the $15 range. I know with my unit I get the first year free service. You can buy a unit on Amazon for under $100 with a $15/mo fee if you want a lower out of pocket.