Volkswagen car owners are increasingly facing an unusual type of theft. Criminals remove the car's front emblem not for the logo itself, but to get to the driver assistance system (ADAS) radar installed behind it. The problem has existed for several years, but in the UK, such cases continue to be recorded in 2026. The first mass reports appeared back in 2016 among Volkswagen Golf Mk7 owners, and later similar thefts affected other models of the brand.

After the sensor is removed, the car continues to drive, but many electronic assistants stop working. Owners lose adaptive cruise control, speed limiter, lane keeping system, and Front Assist function, and warnings about malfunctions appear on the dashboard.

The cost of repairs turns out to be very high. In one case, replacing the emblem along with the radar was estimated at almost 2000 pounds sterling (about 205 thousand rubles). Thanks to a special support program from Volkswagen UK, the bill was reduced to 539 pounds, but even this amount remains significant.

The paradox is that stolen radars are practically useless to criminals. After dismantling, they must be re-linked to a specific car using proprietary Volkswagen software and re-calibrated. Without these procedures, the sensor cannot be used.

That is why owners believe that the car manufacturer should have been more active in informing about this fact. In their opinion, understanding that stolen components cannot simply be installed on another car could reduce the interest of criminals.

Volkswagen itself acknowledges the existence of the problem, but notes that the number of such thefts is only a few hundred cases and is concentrated mainly in certain areas of London. The company also explained that it deliberately did not focus on the technical features of the radars, fearing to attract even more attention to them.

At the same time, the problem has already spread beyond the UK. Similar thefts are also recorded in New York, where criminals are also hunting for radars located behind the front emblems of cars of different brands. In response, some accessory manufacturers have begun to produce special protective covers that make it difficult to quickly dismantle the sensors.