Attempted theft on A4?

[JohnnyM16]

Hi All,

this question isn't entirely model specific, even though an A4 Avant was involved. If the moderator could move it to a 'general questions' section (which I can't find), I'd be very grateful.

OK. Car parked at railway station during the day. Wife returns to find windscreen badly cracked. The (foot long) cracks radiate from a point exactly above the chassis number, on the bottom right of the screen (passenger side). I'm certain, from the appearance of the damage, that it was cracked by something heavy and pointed, wielded by a person. It's so close behind the resting wiper blade that I don't think it could have been, for instance, an air rifle pellet or a stone (I've had chips/cracks in my own screen - they're very different, much smaller, and tend to be higher up).

So, assuming it was intentional, why the front screen, and why precisely over the chassis number? Is the number removable? I thought it would be bonded on, and impossible to remove. Were the thieves expecting to steal it, and if so, why?

Needless to say, the fact that the screen was still in place, and cracked but unbroken, means (I think) the thieves were disturbed, and maybe the alarm went off - I've got no way of knowing. Would the alarm in a 2011 A4 detect a glass break?

All and any information would be most welcome.

Thanks for reading,

JohnnyM

[usmanrrana82]

To me it sounds more like an act of vandalism rather than theft. Even the dumbest of thieves would know the complexity involved in breaking a windscreen. And if it was vandalism them it would just be a coincidence that it was hit near the chassis number. Unless this person knew so much so about this model of Audi to know the exact location of the chassis number.

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[Rob69]

Sounds like accidental damage or vandalism by some kind soul who buggered off afterwards - eg. lifting a bike down off a roof mounted carrier and dropped the bike, pedal landing onto the windscreen, scaffolders lorry being unloaded and a scaffold tube swung round to hit the screen ?? was it definitely not cracked before parking at the station? I've seen a screen broken in a car park in the most unusual way but that's a different story!
I would think any serious attempt to break in or get the chassis number the thief would slice out the screen like a windscreen repair man.

[JohnnyM16]

Sounds like accidental damage or vandalism by some kind soul who buggered off afterwards - eg. lifting a bike down off a roof mounted carrier and dropped the bike, pedal landing onto the windscreen, scaffolders lorry being unloaded and a scaffold tube swung round to hit the screen ?? was it definitely not cracked before parking at the station? I've seen a screen broken in a car park in the most unusual way but that's a different story!
I would think any serious attempt to break in or get the chassis number the thief would slice out the screen like a windscreen repair man.

Hi Rob,

take a look at the windscreen and wiper blade rest point on a 2011 A4. And the VIN number, which is visible behind the lower corner of the screen (this is supposed to be a security feature), about 8mm behind the wiper blade.

The impact point is precisely above the centre of the VIN. Also, there have been a number of vehicle incidents in other railway station car parks along this line (it's on The Wirral).

Plus you have to see the damage - it isn't accidental. My guess is a pointed steel punch driven by a hammer. I'd add a picture, except I don't want to broadcast my VIN number.

I still want to know if someone could peel off the number, though.

Cheers

JM

[Rob69]

you thinking some one was after the number to stick into a 'ringer' then? not sure how that would work as yours wouldn't be written off, maybe it would work, I'm not that criminally minded!!