How to protect your car from keyless entry theft

Keyless entry has been a common feature on cars over the last two decades.

The purpose of such technology is fairly self-explanatory: To make it easier for you to gain access, start and exit your vehicle without using a key.

However, in recent yers keyless entry systems have become a target for car thieves using relay hacking devices – which are designed to bypass keyless opening and starting functions to make it easier to steal a vehicle.

So, how do you prevent this from happening? What can you do to stop your car from being stolen?

To help answer just those questions, we have compiled a list of things you need to do to stop your car from being targeted by keyless entry thieves.

A faraday pouch is a cheap and easy solution to stop car thieves gaining access to your vehicle.

It’s a sleeve/pouch where you store your keyless car fob. It’s made with a metallic lining which blocks radio waves – making it harder for the criminal to gain access to your car.

There are a range of different variants available online, with prices varying from £5 to £100, depending on the make and quality.

Always keep your keys away from your car by taking them upstairs and storing them next to your bed.

If you leave your keys in a drawer by your front door, they will be more susceptible to thieves because of the smaller distance between the key itself and hackers’ devices.

The further the key fob is away from the vehicle, the harder it is for a would-be car thief to receive a signal.

More expensive cars come fitted with trackers, but for an added cost, you can fit one to any vehicle.

A tracker is a little device located in your car which will use software from satellites to know where your vehicle is at any given point. For example, if the car is stolen, the device will alert you to where the vehicle is located and how fast it’s going. Also, a lot of tracking devices will alert the police when a vehicle has been stolen – making it easier for the car thief to be stopped.

An old fashion way to prevent your keyless entry car is with a steering lock.

They are available in all shapes and sizes, but their job is to lock the steering wheel in position to prevent the car from being driven.

A steering lock is a long metal arm that attaches to the steering wheel, stopping the wheel from being turned. They come with a lock, which clamps the device down onto the wheel – making it harder for a thief to pull it off.

Prices will vary on size, make and model, but expect to pay from £20 to £300.

Cars that feature keyless entry will have a function on their keys and infotainment screens which will enable you to turn off the function.

Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, the system can be activated and deactivated through a simple button. However, companies such as Toyota make things harder by making the driver turn off the system by pressing buttons on the key fob at a certain frequency. Its job is to make the car as secure as possible and to make it harder for anyone else to reactivate the keyless entry function.

Another way to stop your vehicle from being stolen is to install a security camera at your house.

Thieves will often be put off by cameras as they want to be in your vehicle as quickly as possible without being caught. A security camera can help identify the criminal, and when your vehicle has been stolen, making it easier for police to retrieve your car.

Parking your car on a driveway makes the vehicle more secure from being left on the road.

Also, if you have lights on your driveway, use them. Thieves do not want to be caught, and by having a bright driveway will make it harder for them to be discreet.

If you’re fortunate to have multiple cars, use the space wisely by parking the most vulnerable ones at the front of your driveway and then blocking them in using a cheaper car. It may not stop the thief from breaking in, but it could slow down or deter them.