How Safe Are Keyless Cars? The Truth

With the huge influx of recent negative media attention towards new cars, it may seem like they are unsafe. With a majority of cars on sale featuring keyless entry as standard, buying a new car might feel like walking on eggshells if you want to avoid the dreaded push to start button – but just how safe (or unsafe) are keyless cars? Let’s take a balanced, unbiased look into the topic.

Keyless Cars Are Easier To Steal Than Traditional Cars

Yes, you heard that right. Unfortunately, according to the Telegraph, keyless cars are considerably easier to steal than cars which need a key in the ignition to start. It’s often not quite that simple though. Different new cars have varying security measures and levels of vulnerability, just like non-keyless cars. For example, a number of older VW’s are known for being highly secure, whereas old Land Rover Defenders are notorious for being commonly stolen. The same applies to modern cars. Some can be stolen in a matter of seconds without even having access to the key, using a technique known as relay theft.

Keyless Cars Are Stolen More Often, and More Cars Are Being Stolen

According to Tracker, 92% of stolen cars which were eventually recovered by them had keyless entry systems fitted, and had been stolen without the thieves even having the key. This highlights just how vulnerable most modern cars are to being stolen in seconds. Not only that, but the overall number of cars being stolen has increased dramatically over the last several years, thanks to cars being easier than ever to steal.

Relay Theft Makes Stealing a Vehicle Easy

It might sound like some kind of hi-tech wizardry is at play when thieves steal vehicles using relay theft. The unfortunate reality is that these crooks are able to purchase off-the-shelf devices which enable them to perform these crimes, with almost no skill or technological knowhow necessary.

With two people and a couple of hundred pounds to buy the gear, just about any criminal can turn themselves into a master thief. The sad part of all of this is that manufacturers are simply turning a blind eye to a problem they caused. To admit wrongdoing would tarnish their reputation, so most of them plead ignorant and just hope the problem goes away. As more and more old cars are headed for the scrap heap, and more and more new cars get registered to the road, this problem is only going to continue getting worse.

Not All Key Fobs Are Safe

It’s important to note that certain key fobs on keyless cars pose a considerably higher level of security risk than others. Many cheaper keys actually continually emit a signal which can be read by the car when it’s close enough, which makes relay theft a lot easier for car thieves. On the other hand, some keys turn off completely and stop emitting a signal if the key does not sense any kind of motion after a period of time. It’s worth trying to research how the keyless entry system works on your car, or future car.

The Difference Between Keyless Entry and Start

There are two main types of security technology modern cars are fitted with, and one is a lot safer than the other. Some modern cars let you open the door without the key. Some have keyless start, and many have both. These are all different and post different security vulnerabilities. For example, a solely keyless entry car will let you open the door without pressing a button on the car, however many of these models still require you to put a key in the ignition.

Keyless entry is generally considered to be safer than cars fitted with keyless start. Cars with keyless start enable you to start the car without needing to put the key in the ignition, which means that if a thief can mimic the radio frequency from the key fob, they can drive away without having the key.

Cars fitted with both keyless entry and start are widely considered to be the most vulnerable type, since thieves able to read the signal from your key will be able to not only get into the car, but also start it and drive away, all without physically having the key. Traditionally, breaking into a car used to be a loud and slow. From smashing the window to often breaking apart the car’s interior, it could easily take two people 20 minutes before they could drive away. On the other hand, keyless vehicles can be stolen in a matter of seconds, often without making a sound.

It can be hard to tell from Auto Trader listings, but a little research will help you to understand to what extent that particular car is vulnerable to theft.

Keyless Cars Are Also Riskier to Park In Public

This is an infrequently mentioned downside to a number of new cars. If you park your vehicle in a public car park or street, thieves can target the car, wait for you to come back, and then quickly open the door and drive away. Many vehicles with keyless start will allow you to drive without the key even being in the car…

That’s right – keyless vehicles often only check the key is nearby to start the vehicle, but after that? It doesn’t matter – most of these cars will let you drive as far as you want, as long as it remains on.

And that leads us on to another downside. It’s possible for someone to steal your car key, but wait around near enough to the car to let you drive away, being none the wiser that your key has been stolen. They can then track the car down, and simply drive off whenever they want. Tracking of all cars has become a lot simpler thanks to inexpensive item trackers being used illegally, such as Airtags.

You Need Additional Security Measures to Stay Safe

It’s almost impossible to buy a great new car which isn’t fitted with keyless technology in 2023. If you’re looking to get a brand new car, the best option is to just admit defeat, but make sure you compensate for the increased vulnerability by taking a couple of straightforward, inexpensive measures to protect your new car. Firstly, I’ve written in great detail about faraday bags, and why you should use them so definitely check out my article on that here for a better understanding of what they are and why you need one.

Getting a faraday bag to protect your vehicle is just a starting point though. To really make your car truly secure, look into getting a ghost immobiliser and perhaps install a driveway bollard if you’re able to, especially if your car is either a hot hatch or luxury vehicle, such as a Range Rover. These cars are huge targets to thieves thanks to their value and desirability.

How To Tell if a Car is Fitted With Push to Start

There are a number of ways to identify if a car is fitted with keyless entry. Firstly, detailed listings on automotive marketplaces such as AutoTrader tend to list features like this in the description. Newer cars fitted with this feature often have a button on the door handle too.

The best way to find out is to check the manufacturer’s website. Most car makers have an online configurator, which will list all of the specifications of each of their models. Many new cars in the UK have hands-free entry as standard on all trim levels.

Can You Start a Car Is The Fob Has No Battery?

This is another disadvantage of keyless start cars specifically. For a number of years now, cars from many manufacturers such as BMW actually charge the key’s battery whilst the key is in the ignition. Since this is no longer a feature with most cars fitted with this newer technology, there’s a very real possibility of being either locked out of the car or being unable to start it if the key’s battery dies.

Unlike most older cars, where you could manually open the door by putting the key in, no such option exists for a majority of these newer models. It seems very regressive to me, all for the sake of saving a couple of seconds for opening the door. Very silly indeed.

Conclusion – Keyless Cars Are Not Safe

I would be lying to you if after all that I said that modern cars are just as secure as the cars of 5 years ago. This technology isn’t even in its infancy, as many luxury brands have utilised this technology for over 10 years now. Despite having over 10 years to solve this problem, the sad reality is that almost any car fitted with keyless entry is massively less secure than even a car made 20 years ago. Talk about a downgrade, eh…

With that being said, keyless vehicles are only hugely unsafe when the owners don’t understand the risks. Installing inexpensive security cameras and investing in a faraday pouch or two will make you a much smaller target. Hopefully over the next few years the luxury car manufacturers will set a new standard for vehicle security and find a way to stop their cars being stolen by just about anyone. Hey car makers – the biggest luxury of all is waking up and still seeing my car is on the driveway!