Combatting keyless theft

Car makers have finally begun to fight back against the epidemic of keyless car crime, new British tests have revealed.

Six of the latest models from major manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ford and VW received the highest security rating available in a new round of assessments that scrutinises how well vehicles stand-up against “relay” thefts.

It found that many of the latest cars with keyless entry and keyless start systems now have motion sensors built into the fobs to block organised gangs who use cheap hacking devices bought off the internet to steal motors.

The new Audi A6 Allroad, BMW 1 Series, BMW 8 Series and X6, along with the Ford Puma and Volkswagen Passat all gained superior ratings for all-round security from Thatcham Research.

The assessment group has been testing the security levels of the latest cars as part of new industrystandard tests introduced this year.

Car thefts have ballooned 50 per cent in the last five years as a result of this keyless crimewave, with a motor vehicle being stolen every five minutes, according to latest figures.

Data from police forces around the UK revealed there has been a 45 per cent rise in reported thefts since 2014, before which there had been a six-year decline in motor vehicle crime.

Many now are using motion sensors inside the keyfobs to detect when it has been stationary for a period. As a result, a sleep mode is triggered.

This means the fob will no longer respond to attempts to relay its signal.

Full functionality is restored only when the key is moved again by the owner.