Owner Recovers and Reveals His Stolen Honda Civic Type R by Mistake

Stories of stolen cars are unfortunately quite prevalent these days, however, this particular tale takes an astonishing turn. A gentleman from the U.K. claims that his cherished 2016 vehicle was taken. Honda Civic Type R was illegally taken from him early this year; subsequently, three weeks later, he inadvertently repurchased it.

Ewan Valentine, who owns the Honda, recently shared his remarkable story on his Instagram page. He mentions that back in February, his Honda was taken from his driveway. He had been the owner of this vehicle for around three years—similar to numerous Type R owners, he started customizing the car, such as installing a Remus exhaust system.

As he had such affection for the vehicle, he expressed his thoughts. Road & Track He aimed to purchase something as close as possible to what was stolen, and ultimately discovered an almost identical vehicle for sale at a nearby used-car lot. The new find shared many similarities with his original; although the license plates, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and odometer readings differed, both cars matched in terms of color and model year. Additionally, they featured the same Remus exhaust system installation.

Valentine mentions that once he brought the car home, he began spotting several small details: the trunk contained a tent peg along with some pine needles reminiscent of a Christmas tree, similar to what he used to find in his previous vehicle’s rear section. Additionally, the locking wheel nut key was inside an identical type of pouch where he had stored his old key before.

"He posted on Instagram saying he searched for clearer information and examined his satnav history. As expected, it showed his address, his partner’s parents’ address, and his own parents’ address. At that moment, it struck him that his phone had paired automatically with the system without needing manual connection. TheBluetooth device list included not only his current phone but also previous ones along with his partner’s mobile," he explained.

He mentions that he subsequently drove the vehicle to a close-by Honda service center. There, the mechanic connected their facility's computer system to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and found out that the initial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of this supposedly new Honda was actually linked to Valentine’s previous automobile. This revelation indicated that he had inadvertently bought a car that had been previously stolen.

Valentine doesn’t think the app he used to locate the car or the dealership where he purchased it knew anything about it being stolen, so he refrained from mentioning their names. "I did report the sellers, yet there was definitely nothing suspicious about them," he stated.

In terms of a criminal inquiry, Valentine stated Road & Track He stated that so far, "no arrests have been made, and the investigation has been put on hold." He also mentioned that those who took his vehicle performed an exceptionally convincing job of replicating it. His current issue, he explained, lies with dealing with the insurance company representatives.

The insurance company has been taking an eternity to handle everything, and it seems like they're not quite certain how to proceed with the entire matter," he stated. He thinks it might take another few weeks before he can get his car back. In the meantime, he mentions that he’s currently relying on his partner's 2007 vehicle. Civic Type S , which Valentine characterized as "much less enjoyable to drive."

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