How Easy is It for Someone to Steal a Ford Fusion
Car thefts in the U.K. have increased 50 percent over the past five years, with more than 100,000 cars stolen in England and Wales just last year. WhatCar did a deep dive on the problem and found that the main issue is our/their fancy keyless entry systems.
According to ABI (Association of British Insurers), "The fact that you're unable to know exactly how the vehicle was stolen unless it is recovered (which happens in a minority of cases) means it is difficult to specifically attribute a numerical 'extent' to which keyless systems have caused the rise, but insurers and the police agree that the increase in the number of keyless vehicles on the road has played a big role, particularly because they tend to be higher-end vehicles."
These keyless systems – granted, they are super convenient – emit a code, which is picked up by the car to allow you to enter and start the vehicle. The problem is that scanning devices used by thieves can also pick up the code even when your key is inside, which is then sent to a booster to repeat it next to the car, unlocking the doors and allowing the push-button ignition to work.
Automakers have fought back, using motion sensors to basically turn off the key fob when it hasn't been moved in a few minutes. When it's in your pocket or purse, it's still moving and can be hacked. But when it's sitting on your end table overnight, it can't -- at least as long as it has the motion sensor. WhatCar notes that some thieves hang out by service stations, cloning signals.
WhatCar found two security experts "to use any non-damaging technology to gain access to seven cars with keyless entry." It measured the time it takes to drive away, and the results were, frankly, scary. In five cars, fake thieves used a scanning device; in two, they used a lockpick.
In keyless entry cars, when armed with the scanning and booster devices, thieves can be gone in as little as 10 seconds. The security experts said it takes about two and a half minutes to steal a car without keyless entry.
When the key fobs are inactive or in sleep mode, it was almost impossible to steal the cars. The Audi TTRS, BMW X3, Ford Fiesta and Mercedes A-Class were not stolen when the key fobs were inactive but stolen immediately when they were. The Peugeot DS3 doesn't have a key fob with sleep/inactive mode, so it was stolen immediately as well. The Land Rover Discovery – and remember these are all British versions – features an ultra-wide-band signal, making it much harder to clone. Thieves could get in, but not drive away. The Discovery Sport doesn't use ultra-wide band, so that was stolen in 20 seconds.
Many key fobs can be set to sleep/inactive by hitting the lock button twice. Others can be deactivated completely, so check your owner's manual for information on that. Some cars that didn't come with motion sensor key fobs can now use them retroactively. You'll have to call your dealer to find out if yours is included. Additionally, anyone can get a Faraday Bag, which blocks any signals going in or out of the pouch. Slip your key fob in and it can't be touched. Finally, at night, keep your key fobs in the interior of your house because the signal usually reaches less than 15 feet. Don't put it by your front door, especially if it doesn't go into sleep/inactive mode.
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Source: https://www.autoweek.com/news/technology/a2147721/how-easy-your-car-steal/
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