Other mistake: Why did Merrimen have to show Donnie how to use a M4? Earlier in the movie it was stated that Donnie was in the Marines for a short time.
Continuity mistake: As they hold up the van, they drill, then pull the windscreen out. When leaving the windscreen is back in. (00:05:35)
Continuity mistake: When Nick (Gerard Butler) enters the Pico Rivera Bank in pursuit of Merrimen and his team, he's wearing a black tactical vest that has no markings on either front or back. Nick and his team leave the bank and head toward federal reserve where they pick up Donnie and move to intercept Merrimen at the salvage yard. Once Nick gets out of the truck for the shootout, he now has a Sheriff patch on both the front and back of his black vest.
Plot hole: One of the bank robbers, a former soldier, Ray Merrimen just got paroled 8 months ago for a previous felony. This film takes place in California. Convicted felons are prohibited by law from touching or owning firearms. Merrimen is at a public shooting-range with CCTV shooting his firearm. The police officer tracking him since he's a suspect in a new string of former and recent holdups walks into the shooting-range and they just stare at each other. He could've been busted and sent back. (01:03:45 - 01:06:00)
Continuity mistake: When they pull the glass windshield out of the armored car in the beginning it rips the rear view mirror off, but as they drive through the tunnel it is back on.
Factual error: O'Brien ask the uniformed officers to "push back the perimeter" because it's too small. When a crime scene perimeter is established you can always shrink but never enlarge a perimeter because everything outside of it has all ready contaminated by other people, officers, press, etc. (00:18:45)
Revealing mistake: During the big shootout on the freeway at the end of the movie, there is a camera pan over all the cars stopped in traffic. There are no people in any of the cars. The shot is so high that you would still be able to see people crouched down if that was the case. (01:56:47)
Factual error: There is no Federal Reserve Bank in Los Angeles.
Factual error: When discussing the set up for the Federal Reserve Bank heist, Merriman states that this federal reserve branch destroys on average $30 million each day in worn $100 bills by shredding. If that were true, this branch alone would destroy about $7.5 billion in $100 bills each year. The Fed Reserve system consists of 25 branches, and according to its data they only replace a bit over $1 billion per year in worn $100 bills. If that was divided between all 25 branches, that would be only $40 million in $100 bills each year at each branch, not the $30 million per day that Merriman quotes. (01:30:00)
Other mistake: When they are back in the office after leaving the crime scene, Big Nick asks when was the last time "Merrimen" paroled, and they tell him 8 months. Then he asks what about that Wilson kid (Donnie) we put a tail that was hanging out with "Merrimen." I thought he didn't know Merrimen was out?
Plot hole: The whole timing in the count room at the Reserve scene is off. If he allegedly stole $30 million there's no way he could've done it in those few minutes. (01:36:00 - 01:41:00)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning armored truck scene. Marcus blows the armored car with shape charges. After the doors pop Marcus' shotgun is flashed with a drum style magazine. However, when Marcus squares off in the next scene with police he has a mag style.
Audio problem: When Donnie is grabbed after leaving the Federal Reserve there is an audible sound like a fence is being hit, but the concrete barrier is front of the fence, and Donnie is never seen pushed into the fence.
Factual error: In the big shoot out scene in the "corridor" highway next to the train tracks (supposed to be the "Alameda Corridor" highway and train-way in LA) they are on a two lane one way road (as the Alameda Corridor is one way) through construction with barriers and temporary orange signage set up. However when you see the sheriff's team advancing on the Merriman and his men retreating in the direction of traffic, there are a large number of yellow permanent traffic signs (turn arrows and speed signs) up on posts and poles facing traffic the wrong way. This is obviously either a two-way road or a one-way road going the other way normally, but because it was next to railroad tracks they thought it could pass for the one-way southbound Alameda Corridor. Also, it is afternoon and the sun is on the driver's side windows which means they must be going northbound, which cannot be the Corridor. Part of the shootout scene shows a passing elevated transit train that is yellow-golden across the bottom half of its cars with green logo boxes at the end of each car side - no LA trains look like this. Lastly, as they are driving up to the shootout location they pass a whole lot of tall trees, some obviously evergreen pines, and sizable green spaces - there aren't any along the Alameda Corridor or that part of LA, and rare evergreens in that town (unless you count cypress or sequoias which these aren't). (01:45:00 - 01:50:00)
Suggested correction: Only Big Nick and the other cops knew Donnie had served. They had his records pulled up. Donnie never told the other crew so he could look inexperienced enough to not run the whole show. It made it easier to double cross both sides later. Donnie played the fool to get the upper hand.
50 cent told Merrimen "he was a marine for a minute" also Donnie has an Eagle, Globe and Anchor tattoo (Marine Corps).