A New York Honda CR-V owner says that she was a victim of a recent burglary trend: thieves stealing cars’ radar sensors.
TikTok user Geeni (@geenimars) posted about being the victim of radar theft, along with her grievances with the Honda dealership she leased her car from. And others say their newer Hondas have also been targeted for this costly part.
Honda CR-V Radar Sensor Theft
Geeni’s video begins with her walking around a parking garage near her vehicle.
“If you have… a Honda CR-V in Yonkers, they’re stealing radar, which is the logo and the radar that’s behind it. And it’s gonna look like this,” she says before flipping the camera around to reveal what her vehicle looks like after the theft.
Honda’s badging is missing from the vehicle’s grille. All that remains is an exposed area with visible plastic recesses now open to the elements. And it isn’t just a cosmetic inconvenience or a low-cost repair, either. Geeni says that she now has to fork over $3,000 “to get it replaced.”
She advises folks with Hondas equipped with front-logo radars to take some precautionary measures to prevent theft.
“I don’t know. Maybe get a camera or something—some kind of grille guard that’s gonna cover this—because they’re gonna steal that,” she says.
Geeni also says that after speaking with Honda about the issue, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the automaker’s response.
“And not only are they gonna steal that, [but] you’re gonna contact Honda, and you’re gonna let them know… [and] they’re not gonna give a [expletive],” she claims.
Additionally, she says Honda CR-V owners are having airbags lifted from their vehicles.
To demonstrate her point, Geeni records herself walking to the back of her crossover SUV. She says criminals smash the back window to gain access. Then they’ll head to the driver’s seat and pry off the steering wheel cover, giving them free rein to take a car’s airbag. This is another repair expenditure she says doesn’t come cheap, either: “another $3,000 for a brand new car.”
Stealing Badge Radar Sensors
Geeni isn’t the only person who’s complained about their new Honda’s badge being ripped out of their vehicle.
Baltimore, Maryland outlet WBALTV published a report indicating that CR-V owners are being targeted by “thefts… [of] radar sensors,” as well. One person interviewed shared an unfortunate anecdote about learning they were the victim of sensor theft.
“I went outside… and all the lights were blinking, and I knew right there because I had just read about it,” they told the outlet.
Moreover, WBALTV wrote in its Jan. 13 report that Baltimore police officers were “investigating at least eight reported incidents over the past month,” in the same area.
Another local news outlet also reported on the string of radar thefts. The owner of a Rockville, Maryland repair shop told the outlet that replacing and installing these units can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000. This is a disproportionately larger amount than the criminals who steal them receive when they are fenced, which is around $150 per component.
As NBC Washington noted in its report on the rise in radar thefts, there are products folks to help protect radar sensors from theft.
Battery Drain After Sensor Repair
A Honda owner asked a mechanic on JustAnswer about their car’s battery after a sensor repair. Like Geeni notes in her post, they had their sensor stolen, and then their car experienced battery drain.
The mechanic who replied to the CR-V owner speculated that the battery issues and radar sensor theft were coincidental. However, they also mentioned that some damage may have occurred after the sensor was removed, which could prompt the vehicle to experience premature battery drain.
Lemon Law Help published a report on 2017–2019 Honda CR-V and 2016–2019 Accord vehicles being prone to battery drain. At least, that’s according to a class action lawsuit that claims the cars are, by design, prone to “parasitic draw [of batteries, which] allegedly causes vehicle stalling and failure of headlights… hazard lights, alternators and important safety functions.”
Motor1 has reached out to Honda via email and Geeni via TikTok direct message for further comment. This story will be updated if either party responds.
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