Many moons ago when I had company cars they used to come with an alarm system fitted since most cars didn't have them as standard. So in 1989 I picked up my new Granada and the fleet manager said, "Oh by the way it doesn't have an alarm, we decided to stop fitting them since we found that it makes no difference to whether they get stolen". The company was a big multinational running thousands of company cars all over the UK. I often think now how pointless they are, if you ever hear a car alarm you just regard it as an annoyance rather than call the police. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Depends - on balance I'd rather have one than not. A 'proper' car thief will know how to disable one anyway but alarms certainly do deter the amateur little who go skulking around quiet residential areas. I don't think they deter 'theft from' merchants as they tend to be smash, grab and leg-it types anyway.

Car theft overall has decreased dramatically over the years because of improvements in vehicle design and security, not alarms. The alarm is merely designed to attract attention, but it's the other security measures that make the difference. As has been pointed out, it's theft from car that's more common than theft OF car.

If I had to choose I would rather have a quality immobiliser (flame throwers out the side sills would be nice )

As has been said the audible alarm for window breakage/door opening etc is more attention grabber than anything else, but still wont stop the smash and grab merchants.

Many moons ago my Mk2 Astra GTE was broken into on my then girlfriends drive in Doncaster, no alarm was fitted and no immobiliser. But I had applied the steering lock thankfully.

The scum bags managed to snap the steering wheel off which resulted in the car being off the road for close to 10 weeks IIRC as a whole new rack, rod, wheel etc etc was needed.

Personally I think they are a waste of time and money, far better if you could lock the thief inside the car and gas the bastard, this would kill a few birds with one stone, you get the thief, no meaningless court cases costing thousands for a slap on the wrist and you get your car back, use a pleasant fragrance in the gas and detox your car too, win win

.. yes, I'm having a bad day

One little darling nicked a car then drove it about until he got bored. As a parting gift he left a Molotov cocktail on the back seats and closed the doors.

Realising he'd left his phone inside he went back. The burning rag hadn't really caught as there was so little oxygen in the car.

Until he opened the door.

One trip to A&E to reattach eyebrows.

dorsetfreelander wrote:

..... the fleet manager said, "Oh by the way it doesn't have an alarm, we decided to stop fitting them since we found that it makes no difference to whether they get stolen".....

Marvelous security now but .............

Next door but one had a nice new VW 4x4 Tow-Rag about 4 years ago. Heard a noise, went to look and got in reply "come any closer and I will shoot you". Off they went with his car keys.

Interestingly that VW auto 4x4 model does not move until the auto box is warm enough, thieves panicked when it did not take off like a bat out of hell and left it.

Maybe in retrospect that was a shame for the owner as they now have a Freelander 2.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

The panic alarm is a good feature though. Makes the same noise as the alarm and draws attention to you if you are followed to your vehicle.

Have you heard the alarm on a Freelander?

People laugh when it goes off, it is the weediest noise I have ever heard

But at least you know its your very distinctive car alarm that's going off, and not just anyones horn blaring

Not so sure about that, I accidentally set mine of the other day and was looking around to see where the very distant sounding noise was coming from until I realised it was mine, it's a pathetic little whimper of a thing

Once you hear it though you never forget it

Its like a demented doorbell

taztastic wrote:

Have you heard the alarm on a Freelander?

People laugh when it goes off, it is the weediest noise I have ever heard