A number of Ford Fiesta vehicles were broken into this morning in the parking area of Eastgate Shopping Centre.
This comes as Fords vehicles have recently become easy targets for criminals to break into.
Clyde Meela from Caxton said that the break-in happened this morning when goods were stolen from his Ford Fiesta and three other Fords in the Eastgate parking area.
“My candy blue Ford Fiesta was broken into this morning when my laptop, charger and 3G Vodacom modem were stolen,” Meela told centre security.
He said when he arrived at his vehicle, the lock on the driver’s door was damaged.
https://twitter.com/Bro_Flash/status/1122464441742888960
“Yes, we have had more break-ins in Ford vehicles, but we do not know why these vehicles are being targeted. This is not only isolated to Bedfordview. It happens everywhere else as well,” said Capt André de Jager, Bedfordview SAPS spokesperson.
National media has reported that other incidents have occurred nationwide and Ford vehicles are mostly targeted in parking areas.
A Facebook group titled “My FORD was broken into South Africa” was created where motorists affected by these break-ins share their experiences and recount recent incidents.
Ford South Africa released a statement on recently targeted Ford models on April 24.
“We at Ford take vehicle security very seriously. While newer vehicles are not affected, we are aware of certain older Ecosport and Fiesta vehicles that are being targeted by criminals,” said Craig Von Essen, corporate transformation manager for Ford South Africa.
“In some break-ins we find that the alarm does not sound, although the immobiliser is still active. We really regret the inconvenience to our customers and will soon be launching enhancements,” said Von Essen.
The NEWS is awaiting comment from Eastgate Shopping Centre.
We’ve been testing a security upgrade for certain previous-generation Fiesta & EcoSport models to give customers greater peace of mind. Our dealers can now offer it to customers at a nominal cost of R155.25. Read more & and contact your nearest dealer: https://t.co/QjrMLWI02n pic.twitter.com/euPyOS1B8A
— Ford South Africa (@FordSouthAfrica) May 3, 2019
