A New York Honda CR-V owner says that she was a victim of a recent burglary trend: thieves stealing cars\u2019 radar sensors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Honda CR-V Radar Sensor Theft<\/p>\n
Geeni\u2019s video begins with her walking around a parking garage near her vehicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“If you have\u2026 a Honda CR-V in Yonkers, they\u2019re stealing radar, which is the logo and the radar that\u2019s behind it. And it\u2019s gonna look like this,” she says before flipping the camera around to reveal what her vehicle looks like after the theft.<\/p>\n
Honda\u2019s badging is missing from the vehicle\u2019s grille. All that remains is an exposed area with visible plastic recesses now open to the elements. And it isn\u2019t 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.”<\/p>\n
She advises folks with Hondas equipped with front-logo radars to take some precautionary measures to prevent theft.<\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t know. Maybe get a camera or something\u2014some kind of grille guard that\u2019s gonna cover this\u2014because they\u2019re gonna steal that,” she says.<\/p>\n
Geeni also says that after speaking with Honda about the issue, she wasn\u2019t exactly thrilled with the automaker\u2019s response.<\/p>\n
“And not only are they gonna steal that, [but] you\u2019re gonna contact Honda, and you\u2019re gonna let them know\u2026 [and] they\u2019re not gonna give a [expletive],” she claims.<\/p>\n
Additionally, she says Honda CR-V<\/a> owners are having airbags lifted from their vehicles.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019ll head to the driver\u2019s seat and pry off the steering wheel cover, giving them free rein to take a car\u2019s airbag. This is another repair expenditure she says doesn\u2019t come cheap, either: “another $3,000 for a brand new car.”<\/p>\n Stealing Badge Radar Sensors<\/p>\n Geeni isn\u2019t the only person who\u2019s complained about their new Honda\u2019s badge being ripped out of their vehicle.<\/p>\n Baltimore, Maryland outlet WBALTV<\/a> published a report indicating that CR-V owners are being targeted by “thefts\u2026 [of] radar sensors,” as well. One person interviewed shared an unfortunate anecdote about learning they were the victim of sensor theft.<\/p>\n “I went outside\u2026 and all the lights were blinking, and I knew right there because I had just read about it,” they told the outlet.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Another local news outlet<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n As\u00a0NBC Washington<\/a>\u00a0noted in its report on the rise in radar thefts, there are products folks to help protect radar sensors from theft.<\/p>\n Battery Drain After Sensor Repair<\/p>\n A Honda owner asked a mechanic on JustAnswer<\/a>\u00a0about their car\u2019s battery after a sensor repair. Like Geeni notes in her post, they had their sensor stolen, and then their car experienced battery drain.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n