How to Prevent Keyless Car Theft in 2020

16 Jun 2020 15:43:51

How to Prevent Keyless Car Theft in 2020

On the one hand, keyless cars are a convenient, cutting-edge piece of technology that many car buyers find attractive. However, like most car safety systems, they have their downfalls and cunning thieves can breach them with the right knowledge and equipment.

Your car may have been stolen before, or you may be considering buying a keyless car. We’re going to show you how to prevent your keyless car from being stolen by thieves.

 

What is Keyless Car Theft?

Car thieves have developed systems that trick the car into thinking the device in their possession is the owner’s key fob. The car opens, the thief enters and then drives off. The owner may not even be aware the car is gone until much later, and there is no damage to the car or alert because the device tricks the system into thinking it hasn’t been stolen. By the time the owner realises, the car is long gone and could even be dismantled and sold.

 

What Cars Are Stolen the Most? 

What Cars Are Stolen the Most?

If you own any of these cars, there’s more chance of it being stolen.

  1. Range Rover Sport

  2. BMW X5

  3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class

  4. Range Rover Vogue

  5. Land Rover Discovery

  6. BMW X6

  7. Range Rover Evoque

  8. BMW 3 Series

  9. Range Rover Autobiography

  10. Mercedes-Benz E-Class

 

Any keyless car can be stolen, but factors such as sell-on price, parts price, the location and how easy it is to steal will come into play.

 

How to Protect a Keyless Car

 

Use a Signal Blocking Pouch

A signal blocking pouch does what it says on the tin! The pouch contains metallic layers that prevent any waves from transmitting to the car or any other device. They’re cheap to buy and usually do the job. However, you should check reviews as some report their cars being stolen when their keys were in the pouch.

 

Check if You Can Turn Off Your Wireless Signal

Check if You Can Turn Off Your Wireless Signal

Some manufacturers offer the ability to turn off the wireless signal which means thieves can’t hack into it. However, some manufacturers aren’t using this technology, make sure you check before you buy or contact your manufacturer if you already have the car.

 

Install a Tracker

While a tracker won’t help you prevent your car being stolen, it’s instrumental in the mission to find it when it has been stolen. Even if you find your car has been stolen hours later, the police can still use your tracking device to locate it. Without a tracker, it’s incredibly difficult to locate a car unless the police get to the scene of the crime quickly.

 

Get a Steering Wheel Lock

Get a Steering Wheel Lock

Most thieves are equipped with technological tools rather than physical tools these days, so putting something on your car that requires mechanical tools and physical graft can act as a deterrent if the thieves do bypass the keyless system.

 

Reprogramme Your Keys

If you’re buying a second-hand car, you’ll want to get the keys reprogrammed so you’re confident nobody else has a set. This can be a pricey affair, but it’s worth it if you want peace of mind.

 

Park Strategically

Park Strategically

For example, if you’ve got several cars in your household and you can ‘block’ the car with the keyless access in, you can deter thieves from trying to steal it. Also, if you’ve got a garage you can use, put your car in there.

 

Use More Than Method

If you want to keep your keyless car safe, it’s best to use a few of the methods listed above. The more obstacles a thief faces, the more likely they are to give up.

 

 Further Reading: What is Keyless Car Theft?



Posted in News By TrackerFit