BMW has done all it can to help owners
BMW's marketing director told Autoblog that he feels the brand has done everything it can to placate owners of models that are liable to theft.

BBC Watchdog reported that many criminals were breaking into BMWs, built between 2006 and 2011, and reprogramming a key via the diagnostics port to steal the car.

Brownridge told Autoblog that the fix for these cars was usually a relatively simple one – an upgrade of the car's computer "firmware" which patches the loophole the thieves are exploiting.

"Under EU law the port had to be in the car," explained BMW's Chris Brownridge. "BMWs have been targeted because they are desirable and worth stealing. We have responded very proactively and customers who have concerns have been able to contact us and we can take action as required.

"If there is a car that the customer has a worry about then we can upgrade that vehicle's software. It's a bit like a computer in that we can upgrade the software to stop it happening. Car thefts affect all brands, but it's our job to stay one step ahead of the game and protect our customers."

Read more about the crooks who are stealing BMWs