[MSC]

None of the connected car techs work as desired.
I am using Bluelink and frankly speaking, I am really fed up of its usability. The main cause is the pathetic network sim tagged to it. Even though I live in small town, it's functions are highly erratic. To make matters worse, I use a diesel Venue and it can't even be switched off remotely even if I know that it's being driven away unauthorised. Only thing I can do is watch helplessly my prized possession being driven away on the Bluelink app. Atleast these basic security features need to be incorporated if you have this tech.
The Bluelink is completely dependent upon the network and once you or your car moves out of network reception, the Bluelink and it's entire connected car tech is useless. A top class product which is spoilt entirely by selection of a hopelessly hopeless network.

[BMW_Fan]

More tech in cars=More problems! Nowadays car manufacturers are just focused on how to give more useless features than improving overall quality/build of the car.

Its not just about Creta, any car with keyless system can be stolen like this. The best thing to do is if your car has analog key system then use it instead of keyless one.

Off topic but another new concern for me is about the new Ola Electric Scooter which has proximity lock/unlock(I know it can be disabled), suppose the owner is nearby and he is busy in some other work, being an EV it won't even make a sound if the thief takes it.

Good old days are gone and soon our cars will be hacked while we are asleep.

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by s.jain1990

The fingerprint locks can be bypassed easily. This was also observed in some thefts in my area where the owner of the house had a smart lock installed on the main gate of the home. I don’t think that these biometric systems will prove to be of any help.

I'm not talking only about Fingerprint Sensor, we can have Face Recognition just like the cameras that detect driver alertness levels or a combination of both along with Voice Recognition. We can even have the car send an OTP to our smartphone before it starts!
Why not? It's all about discouraging thieves even if it causes a bit of discomfort to us. We can't have it easy all the time, can we?

And since manufacturers are focussing on Electric Vehicles, why not have a built in Electric Fence using the batteries? Why not have face detection cameras on side mirrors just like lane detection/blind spot cameras that can detect the owner approaching the car and disable the electric fence. If others try to open the door, they should get a shock! Just like a James Bond car.

Originally Posted by s.jain1990

Also, you would have to end up creating multiple profiles for different family members sharing the car. The valet and the multi-level parkings where you need to drop the car key will be another challenge.

Creating profiles would be a one time affair just like Computers and better than the lengthy process of claiming insurance after theft and the inconvenience we have to face till we get another car. We can even set the maximum speed for each profile which might prevent rash driving by over enthusiastic persons in the family.

Originally Posted by s.jain1990

Another challenge as mentioned in one of the post above is stopping the alloys from being stolen. I have heard dozens of cases in my society where the car was left on the bricks. The alloy locks and the CCTVs are not stopping these thieves either.

I guess alloy wheels must come with built in trackers like Air Tags and Alarms. In any case, replacing alloys/tyres is not bigger than the whole car being stolen.

Just because hackers can infiltrate even secure military sites doesn't mean we stop using passwords on our computers. By that logic, even physical locks can be broken. Is it practical to put chains/tyre locks every time we park our car anywhere? I want manufacturers to spend more money on R&D of vehicle theft prevention technology.

[warp_10]

Any system needs to be fixed and repaired for fail safe - lost keys, part failures etc.

Till there exists a single path to enable it on failure, hackers will use the path of least resistance to get there !!

These are problems not faced only in cars - software / music / currency everything with value and ownership have this problem.

Blockchain solves a great deal of this problem. It's just a matter of time before they start employing block chain algos constructs (not per se) to secure physical assets (as digital assets like NFTs and cryptos currently are secured).

[warp_10]

Originally Posted by BMW_Fan

Its not just about Creta, any car with keyless system can be stolen like this. The best thing to do is if your car has analog key system then use it instead of keyless one.

Off topic but another new concern for me is about the new Ola Electric Scooter which has proximity lock/unlock(I know it can be disabled), suppose the owner is nearby and he is busy in some other work, being an EV it won't even make a sound if the thief takes it.

Good old days are gone and soon our cars will be hacked while we are asleep.

Tech is something we need to adopt. Problem with it, doesn't mean we go to stone age. We sit and fix it the right way.

Most common analogy I can think in India is folks complaining with EVMs, aadhar, digilock anything tech based - doesn't mean we go to manual polling booths and physical cards.

Unfortunately, Tech in general needs to be heavily adopted or paid with premium for their problems to be worked upon.

[Tubeless_tired]

With all these cars getting stolen through hi-tech means, I think I am going to have to go the Mr. Bean route.

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by Tubeless_tired

With all these cars getting stolen through hi-tech means, I think I am going to have to go the Mr. Bean route.

All the thief needs is one of these:

[sukhoi]

As we are adding more tech to our cars (or other areas of our life for that matter), we need to also up the various measures we can take to ensure safety. Quite some time back had seen a video on YouTube of how someone could control the car (wipers, lights, windows etc.) remotely by hacking the car. Was scary stuff. Seems that with cars getting more tech in India as well, that could become a possible reality. With all auto-makers adding tech to the automobile, I would like to believe that they will start thinking about security too, if not already doing.

Originally Posted by fine69

There is no sustainable approach to theft-proofing one's car. By sustainable I mean effort that one is willing to put in each day everyday!

The best alternative is to ensure that you have car insurance (please don't laugh) and if you've spent some lakhs getting it accessorized then get them added too in the insurance (I even have my Rigid LED bar added in insurance).

Once you've covered yourself with the best theft-proofing alternative lets proceed to the second best alternative.

Put obvious deterrents! However obsolete they look or sound you must get them in place. I have a gear lock and a clutch lock (its better than brake lock) so I've put a shiny sticker on both so that even with one look into the car cabin, the guy knows he has to bypass two more physical locks and working the clutch lock in that awkward position isn't any car jacker's preferred choice.

To re-iterate, please come to terms with the fact that your most beloved possession is at the end a combo of metal and moving parts. If one gets totaled you can always get another but cortisol and its effects are real, enjoy the time you have with your car and if someone jacks it then use the insurance money to get another, maybe even an upgrade!

Agree with the above. All said and done, it is something that can get stolen, damaged and insurance is a must. I have seen few colleagues skimp on insurance by taking a lower IDV and hence a lower premium. I always make it a point to go for max possible IDV even if it means a slightly higher premium, for same reasons as mentioned by BHPian fine69. Was convinced about this when a colleague's car was stolen from an open parking lot and the insurance amount was settled. Realised that this is a cover (like life insurance or health insurance) and should get the maximum possible to account for worst case scenario.

Regards,
S

[Old_Salt]

Apart from all sorts of locks, like steering / wheel / gear, its also wise to invest in RFID blocking wallet. Smart thieves use technology to unlock your car without your knowledge, they still need access to the signal from your key fob before they can clone it. Instead of shoving your keys in a drawer or leaving them in your pocket, invest in an Anti RFID blocking wallet that will prevent readers from accessing the signal. It’s a small amount of money to prevent your car from disappearing altogether!

[curious.yash]

My father is thinking of getting the Creta SX(O) which has the push start system and I live in Indore where these thieves are currently operating. I also own a BMW R1200 GSA with a keyless ride system. So I'm a little scared about the situation.

I am a hardware hacker as a hobbyist and I found that push-start systems have great convenience but basically they are less secure than the conventional key with immobilizer. I'm not saying that the old system was hack-proof but thieves had a second layer of security which was a manual key-operated steering lock. Breaking in would take time and might create noise. Now the steering lock is automatically unlocked as you start the engine.

My curiosity grew more with the push start system and I started researching. Basically push start system is a 2-way communication system where the vehicle sends the wake-up signal to the key as you approach the vehicle. As an acknowledgment, the keys send a rolling code to the vehicle which then the vehicle activates the request sensor button on the door and the engine start button. This communication is continuous unless you move away. This is where the thieves come in and capture the acknowledgment sent from the key to your car. They can actually capture the signals from 10-20mtr as the acknowledgement is sent from the key via RF. Now they replay the same signal and voila!!! the vehicle is unlocked and started.

Another way they can use is to break-in via OBD. They can program a new key but programming is not easy as they require a PIN code which they will extract it from your VIN number.

Now, why I feel the conventional key with immobilizer was safer than push-start because, the communication done between the conventional key is via LF, which works in the range of 4-5 cms. So, it is impossible to capture the immobilizer signal.


After all this, I came to the conclusion -

1) Agree or not but push-start are not safe as thieves can walk to your vehicle,unlock and drive away in a broad daylight without even getting noticed.

2) Putting your key in a signal blocker pouch will not help as thieves will capture the signal when the key is woken up by the car as the signals are getting transmitted via RF.

3) I park my GSA in my villa with the gate always locked and whenever I go out, I never resist using a disk lock as a physical lock which takes effort to break, and also tip the security guard for added safety.

4) I will get an external lock for a brake, accelerator combined with a steering lock for my Dad's car. Now, this looks bad and kills all the convenience of a push start but it is okay to be extra safe than logging an FIR for a stolen vehicle and going through trauma.

5) Another way to protect is to remove the battery of the key and use it as a manual key. Unlocking the doors with a physical key and starting the vehicle with a key near the push button. This will prevent signal capturing and the key will be only communicating in LF.


Regards,
Yash

[Sushil Pingua]

Originally Posted by curious.yash

5) Another way to protect is to remove the battery of the key and use it as a manual key. Unlocking the doors with a physical key and starting the vehicle with a key near the push button. This will prevent signal capturing and the key will be only communicating in LF.


Regards,
Yash

Hello Yash,
Quite helpful inputs..
My query is - if the battery has been removed from the keyfob how do we start the vehicle with a key near the push button. Do you mean to say that I place the keyfob touching the start button to start the vehicle?
Another point I would like to mention that in my push-button start Honda, the manual keyhole to unlock the car is located on the front passenger side door. So i would have to unlock the car manually from the passenger side door then move around the car to enter the driver's seat

[lemedico]

A nice bright yellow or red steering lock is a good deterrent.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by sunilch

This is something serious going on in Indore. I have come to know of such cases in recent times more frequently that what I will be ok to live with.

In one particular case, got to know that a less than 1 month old car got stolen after first service and the secondary key that the owner had with him was a duplicate one and not the original. Hence the insurance company refused the claim for want of the second key and now they are accusing the owner to have faked the car theft.

Forgot to add, there is something wrong with the general behavior in Indore and many small cities in India and may be even Old Bangalore areas too but I am not sure about the full city scene now a days since it has grown exponentially in last 2 decades. People park outside their homes despite having enough space to park inside. This is so rampant in Indore that I have seen colonies where it is impossible to drive two cars in opposite directions. There is only one lane and you can either go in or come out - simply because you have cars parked on both sides of the road. The only vehicles they keep inside are the scooters or bicycles because they are easy targets for theft.

So in a way, people are giving an invitation to thieves to try their luck.

[curious.yash]

Originally Posted by Sushil Pingua

Hello Yash,
Quite helpful inputs..
My query is - if the battery has been removed from the keyfob how do we start the vehicle with a key near the push button. Do you mean to say that I place the keyfob touching the start button to start the vehicle?
Another point I would like to mention that in my push-button start Honda, the manual keyhole to unlock the car is located on the front passenger side door. So i would have to unlock the car manually from the passenger side door then move around the car to enter the driver's seat

I'm not sure where the keyfob antenna is located in the honda cars. You can refer to your Owner's manual for the emergency start in an event of a dead battery of the remote.

Regarding the door keyhole in your case is very inconvenient. Better invest in a physical lock or get a kill switch installed for disabling the fuel pump.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by curious.yash

After all this, I came to the conclusion -

1) Agree or not but push-start are not safe as thieves can walk to your vehicle,unlock and drive away in a broad daylight without even getting noticed.

2) Putting your key in a signal blocker pouch will not help as thieves will capture the signal when the key is woken up by the car as the signals are getting transmitted via RF.


Regards,
Yash

Yash - You are correct about RF signals and thieves capturing this. I use combination of Key Blocker pouch and a steel box to store the keys at home. The risk is when the key is used to unlock the car and thieves being present there at the same time. I read somewhere the range is around 300 ft.

Hidden GPS can also be scanned by thieves?