Thieves continue to target VW badges after a decade of problems

Ten years since the first reports emerged, grille badges that incorporate the radar unit used by their ADAS systems are still being stolen from some Volkswagen vehicles, with victims paying out hundreds of pounds in repairs.

In 2016, owners took to social media to report how thieves were prising the grille badges from the latest VW models such as the Mk7 Golf to gain access to the radar unit that controls features including the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking system.

More recently, in May 2024, The Guardian newspaper reported that the badges and radar units were still being stolen, with more than 50 residents in one London borough falling victim to the crime.

However, despite the fact that the radar unit cannot be reused without being electronically coded to the vehicle by VW before being accurately calibrated, the badges and the radar units they conceal continue to be taken two years later.

Among the latest victims is Claire Coleman. The grille badge on her VW Passat 2.0 TDI, registered in 2020, was stolen while the vehicle was parked on a street close to her home in Brixton, south London. “It was there one day and gone the next,” she said.

Neighbours quickly shared their stories of similar thefts, with one claiming his car had been targeted twice. Coleman reported the theft to the police.

Without the radar unit, her car’s adaptive cruise control, speed limiter and lane assist did not function. In addition, a warning light indicating a fault with the ACC and the error message ‘Front Assist not available’ was displayed, although these would not cause the vehicle to fail its MOT.

A VW dealer quoted almost £2000 to replace the badge and radar unit but told Coleman that, owing to a customer support package made available by Volkswagen in response to badge thefts, it might be possible to reduce the bill to around £400.

The precise value of the contribution is decided on a case-by-case basis and Coleman was eventually quoted £539.

A former VW technician told Autocar that in similar cases, the size of VW’s contribution may be linked to a car’s service history, with full main dealer history attracting greater support. Coleman’s car has a partial main dealer history.

“The cost is one thing but it’s the fact that VW has not publicised the fact that these radar units are single-use devices that cannot simply be fitted to another VW that frustrates me,” said Coleman. “If they did, it might put off the thieves.”

Coleman has since had her car repaired but, when not using it, Blu-Tacks a black plastic cover over the badge and parks as close to other cars as possible.

A spokesman for VW said that to date, only a few hundred badges had so far been stolen, with thefts concentrated mainly within limited areas of London.

He confirmed the company is offering financial assistance to customers through its dealer network and advised those affected to log the incident with the police and with their local Volkswagen retailer. Both these actions would, he said, assist with making further thefts less likely.

On the question of making the single-use nature of the radar unit more widely known and thereby perhaps discouraging further thefts, the spokesman said VW was reluctant to publicise the crime for fear of increasing it.