KB5

How theft resistant are the '06 E Class and CLS Class cars? A security officer at my work, reported that two suspicious individuals were checking out my car late one evening in an area not easily accessed by the public.

luxury1

If you have tele-aid the car will notify MB concierge when the alarm goes off and you will receive a call from them telling you so that is one security measure...

BudC

You don't steal a Mercedes with a screwdriver the way you can steal American cars and most Japanese cars. I've read that Mercedes and Lexus are the two hardest cars to steal. BMW is now probably hard to steal as well because they have dead bold type door locks, interior motion detection and the same kind of mechanism to kill the ignition unless you have a key programmed to match the car.

W211 Ryda

It would be nearly impossible to steal our late model MBs since the ignition requires the LED Smartkey, unless your car gets stolen like this unfortunate couple. https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...t=stolen+valet
Highly unlikely someone could hot wire or jam a screwdriver into the ignition. Now breaking into your car and stealing your valuables is different story. :p

konigstiger

Cannot understand why MBUSA doesn’t include IMS. It is my understanding USA vehicles are already pre-wired. What are we talking about - a sensor, activation button, and software.

marcos

Here in the UK the thieves come along in a flat bed lorry with a lifting crane and just lift the whole car away. Then when it's in a warehouse they can deal with the alarm and ignition etc.

SAguirre

I think that all US models have the system that will notice if the car moves without the key being in the ignition. There is a button to deactivate this next to the rear view mirror right beside the SOS button. So if you go no a ferry or a train transport you have to press this button before you exit the car. Otherwise, the car will call itself stolen immediately.

I wonder if this is installed in the US instead of the motion sensor? This service is part of the reason why I am still paying an outrageous amount of money to keep my Tele-Aid service active.

Steve

lig

My E was broken into right in my driveway. They just broke the window and climbed in without opening the doors. No alarm.

As marcos has mentioned - cars with immobilizers simply get towed or hauled away in a truck.

One of my fellow autocrossers had his Integra Type R stolen right out of the Microsoft garage.

The car was found stripped in a deserted garage a couple of weeks later.

MARK CUMMINS

Mercedes DOES offer the IMS in Europe..and Steve CAN install it !
It does work!..Yes MBUSA SHOULD have offered it here...
Contact Steve @www.mbenznl.com

BF3PDZ

just be careful, they might not be trying to break into your car, they might try to carjack your when you return to your car after work

KB5

Thanks for the comments. Yes I do have Tele-Aid, however as I understand it, you have to make a report to the police before it can be tracked, and that could be too late before the car gets dismantled in some garage.

The carjack issue is one that I have considered. I am now parking in an area that is close to offices that are occupied. An Audi owner who also was warned by security who parks next to my CLS, feels pretty confident that thieves can't get past his imbedded chip lock.

BTW, I am not familiar with IMS. I presume it is security, and can we aftermarket it here in the US? Thanks again

CJ_E350

keep in mind that the local dealer will install lo-jack system for around $700. I was contemplating installation of lo-jack...then realized that I have tele-aid.

CE750

They tried to hard sell this to me at Autobahn motors (the women in Finance).. when I bought my mom's E350.

I looked at her and paused.. I then said, "didn't we just fill out the Teleaid paperwork?" She said.. "Yes."

I said, then what exactly is Lowjack going to do for me?

She said.. "I don't know?"

I said.. "you want me to pay $895 for 'I don't know?'"

She was quiet for the rest of the signing..

DWP

A car with Lowjack can, in theory, be located even if it's in a garage or some other place where satellite GPS won't work. Since Lowjack is aftermarket and usually hidden, the bad guys will have less reason to suspect that it's installed than with TeleAid and OnStar (which cuts both ways). So, Lowjack doesn't entirely duplicate TeleAid service. Lowjack comes with its own disadvantages, including limited range and the need for the local police to have, or have access to, Lowjack equipment.

ClayJ

I am going to try to be somewhat careful in posting this because security measures on my cars are an issue to me. Having said that, I will say this:

With the current advent of GPS tracking systems and hardware, it is very simple to obtain from a number of vendors both the hidden hardware to constantly track a vehicle no matter where its location is, and to have that tracking monitored, live, 24/7/365.

This technology is being used by container shippers, trucking companies, businesses with large fleets of cars -- and even parents.

Lowjack and its ilk are old technology, limited in application -- and obsolete.

Even 24/7/365 internet-anywhere available, and monitored hidden-camera video surveillance, both internal and external, is readily available in the marketplace for you to install in your car....

'Nuff said?

(...and I'm still not talking about the cars in my garages -- or how they are protected... )