Tips to help prevent keyless car theft

Keyless car theft is on the rise, and many popular cars are at risk. Whether you unlock your car with a fob, a card, or an official app, tech-savvy criminals are finding new ways to steal your car in a matter of seconds. Fortunately, there are several ways to protect your vehicle from keyless theft. Find out more in our guide below.

What is keyless car theft?

Keyless car theft covers a range of methods used by thieves to gain entry to a car without a traditional key. The best known of these is ‘relay car theft’. By intercepting your key fob or mimicking your digital key, thieves can trick your hi-tech car into unlocking without the need to force entry. This often involves devices that you can buy online, such as relay boxes, with thieves working in pairs to fool the car’s system into thinking the key is nearby.

Which cars are vulnerable to keyless car theft?

Any car with keyless entry is potentially at risk. But manufacturers are working to improve keyless car security. The likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz have introduced ‘sleeping fobs’ to their keyless vehicles. These fobs are fitted with motion sensor technology, which essentially sends them to sleep if they haven’t moved for a while. This prevents criminals from using relay attack or close-range testing tactics to steal cars. Other manufacturers, such as Jaguar, have equipped some of their newer models with ultra-wide radio technology, which prevents the car’s code from being traced.

How to prevent keyless car theft

This might all sound a bit worrying, but the following simple tips can help to keep your keyless car safe.

• Make sure your car is properly locked before walking away – it can be easy to forget to lock your car or assume that the lock function has done its job. Always double-check that the vehicle is secure before you leave it.

• Keep your keys away from entry points – remember not to leave your keys near a door or window. Keep keys as far away as possible from the car. If your car is at the front of the house, put your keys at the back of your home, and vice versa.

• Buy a signal-blocking pouch/wallet or Faraday bag – these pouches are designed to intercept the signal from a relay box, making relay attacks all but impossible. You can buy pouches, wallets and Faraday bags (also called cages) in pairs online, for under £10. Just make sure you check they work properly. Putting your keys in a metal box at night will also work.

• If you use your mobile phone as your car key, take the same precautions as you would with the fob key.

• Use a steering wheel lock or wheel clamp – for extra peace of mind, using a steering wheel lock or wheel clamp acts as both a visible deterrent and an additional barrier to car theft. There are also digital locks available for some keyless cars to prevent hackers from accessing your diagnostic port.

• Make sure you keep your car’s onboard software up to date – manufacturers bring out regular security updates, so check to see if there’s one for your vehicle. Some cars let you update the software wirelessly without having to plug anything in.

If you’d like us to explain what onboard technology your car has to prevent keyless theft, or check that your car’s software is up to date, just give us a call on 01202 148303 or email us at service@star-tech-ev.co.uk