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Tesla might be on the right track to solve the issue. Having no spare parts available and repairs only available at select service center means they could pote

Tesla might be on the right track to solve the issue. Having no spare parts available and repairs only available at select service center means they could potentially refuse service to anyone who used parts with stolen serial numbers. That would make them worthless to steal. As for banning a video game, if he can get the first amendment repelled, sure. Good luck!

trhway 6y ago
>That would make them worthless to steal. my understanding is that significant share of [Big] car stealing business is for export to other countries (obviously not to the countries like Germany or UK :).
- mensetmanusman 6y ago
  Tesla could follow the car anywhere
  - kempbellt 6y ago
    Most modern "phone home" trackers utilize cell networks to send updates on their current location. I'm not sure if Tesla's are designed to operate on foreign networks, but once they are off the network, they can't phone home. It's not uncommon in port cities for stolen cars to be on a ship less than an hour after their theft - not exaggerating. Unless you notice your car missing and check it's location within this time-frame, you might not be getting it back.
- topspin 6y ago
  That happens for high end stuff. Common cars end up in chop shops and the parts are sold to collision and repair shops, frequently under the same roof.
  - trhway 6y ago
    just checked - there are large sources of "common car" used parts (used 2005 Honda Civic headlights for example at $30-80/each without delivery where is non-OEM new in US is $100-150/pair) in the large Far East Russian port of Vladivostok from which those parts sold and distributed across Russia. Naturally much of this is the used parts from dismantled cars from US and Japan, and there is no way to establish provenance that any given part came from a legally dismantled car.
- bananabreakfast 6y ago
  The vast, vast majority of cases of car theft are not theft to fence the car, but rather as an untraceable means to commit further, far more profitable crimes.
MattGaiser 6y ago
As much as many on HN hate the Apple ecosystem for being so closed, its security is a major selling point and it would be interesting to see if Teslas are more secure in that regard.
- mhh__ 6y ago
  Is it? Apple's security comes from the amount of money they've put in to it and vertical integration not obscurity. Besides, the FBI have demonstrated apple's security is still basically bunk to any non-casual actor so I wouldn't rely on it.
fnord77 6y ago
right-to-repair laws hopefully will triumph over tesla's trying to lock people out.
freeone3000 6y ago
It would make them worth more to steal, as the only other possible source of spare parts for a Tesla would be another Tesla.
- vinay427 6y ago
  I believe their point was that they would refuse service to vehicles that used those parts, theoretically making a theft of a Tesla for spare parts pointless. > refuse service to anyone who used parts with stolen serial numbers.
  - Dylan16807 6y ago
    They're building on that argument. If official parts get locked down, then anyone that angers the company or wants to do their own repairs needs a new source of parts.
    - vinay427 6y ago
      I see, thank you. I completely missed that additional layer.
  - sushid 6y ago
    That's essentially what Apple does but it doesn't make iPhone theft any less appealing to thieves.
    - lightgreen 6y ago
      Apple didn’t lock the parts yet afair. I recall a couple years ago they tried to lock screens and a lot of devices bricked. But I wish they locked them: where I live virtually everyone I know have their phone stolen at least once.
rhino369 6y ago
They are mostly just stealing them to joyride / commit other crimes with. The primary purpose isn't to sell to chop shops.
devwastaken 6y ago
You don't need a tesla service center to service a tesla. Neither would we want one else tesla vehicles will become entirely unownable by those making less than 70-100K a year. Affordable repair is the lifeblood of lower income people. Without it work will cease.

trhway 6y ago

>That would make them worthless to steal. my understanding is that significant share of [Big] car stealing business is for export to other countries (obviously not to the countries like Germany or UK :).

mensetmanusman 6y ago
Tesla could follow the car anywhere
- kempbellt 6y ago
  Most modern "phone home" trackers utilize cell networks to send updates on their current location. I'm not sure if Tesla's are designed to operate on foreign networks, but once they are off the network, they can't phone home. It's not uncommon in port cities for stolen cars to be on a ship less than an hour after their theft - not exaggerating. Unless you notice your car missing and check it's location within this time-frame, you might not be getting it back.
topspin 6y ago
That happens for high end stuff. Common cars end up in chop shops and the parts are sold to collision and repair shops, frequently under the same roof.
- trhway 6y ago
  just checked - there are large sources of "common car" used parts (used 2005 Honda Civic headlights for example at $30-80/each without delivery where is non-OEM new in US is $100-150/pair) in the large Far East Russian port of Vladivostok from which those parts sold and distributed across Russia. Naturally much of this is the used parts from dismantled cars from US and Japan, and there is no way to establish provenance that any given part came from a legally dismantled car.
bananabreakfast 6y ago
The vast, vast majority of cases of car theft are not theft to fence the car, but rather as an untraceable means to commit further, far more profitable crimes.

MattGaiser 6y ago

As much as many on HN hate the Apple ecosystem for being so closed, its security is a major selling point and it would be interesting to see if Teslas are more secure in that regard.

mhh__ 6y ago
Is it? Apple's security comes from the amount of money they've put in to it and vertical integration not obscurity. Besides, the FBI have demonstrated apple's security is still basically bunk to any non-casual actor so I wouldn't rely on it.

fnord77 6y ago

right-to-repair laws hopefully will triumph over tesla's trying to lock people out.

freeone3000 6y ago

It would make them worth more to steal, as the only other possible source of spare parts for a Tesla would be another Tesla.

vinay427 6y ago
I believe their point was that they would refuse service to vehicles that used those parts, theoretically making a theft of a Tesla for spare parts pointless. > refuse service to anyone who used parts with stolen serial numbers.
- Dylan16807 6y ago
  They're building on that argument. If official parts get locked down, then anyone that angers the company or wants to do their own repairs needs a new source of parts.
  - vinay427 6y ago
    I see, thank you. I completely missed that additional layer.
- sushid 6y ago
  That's essentially what Apple does but it doesn't make iPhone theft any less appealing to thieves.
  - lightgreen 6y ago
    Apple didn’t lock the parts yet afair. I recall a couple years ago they tried to lock screens and a lot of devices bricked. But I wish they locked them: where I live virtually everyone I know have their phone stolen at least once.

rhino369 6y ago

They are mostly just stealing them to joyride / commit other crimes with. The primary purpose isn't to sell to chop shops.

devwastaken 6y ago

You don't need a tesla service center to service a tesla. Neither would we want one else tesla vehicles will become entirely unownable by those making less than 70-100K a year. Affordable repair is the lifeblood of lower income people. Without it work will cease.