Just blown all the meagre savings on a new to us, three year old car. It has a start button and something called keyless entry. You walk up to car, press a button on door handle and it opens up if you have key in pocket, press a start button on dash and off you go. Crazy bat shit stuff I know. Having previously owned 2Cv, morris Ital and now a Berlingo this is all rather Star Trek to me.

Am I about to have my car nicked first week I have it?
What can I do to avoid this?

Yes the horse has bolted and gate is not shut, wife and daughter very excited about not being in smelly boy van anymore. I cannot afford it to go walkabout. Advice please.

Nobody’s stolen my Qashqai in 19 months I’m sad to say

Suzuki Swift two years no problem

Mercedes definitely have issues with this. Some guy at work had some chaps walk round his house waving something in a bag (presumably a laptop) around all the exterior walls before just climbing into his brand new merc and driving it away.

Make sure you don’t put you keys near the door and if you want to keep them in something like a metal box that blocks signal.

Also use a disclok or steering wheel bar as a deterrent to the thief.

I cannot afford it to go walkabout.

Er, you have insured it, haven’t you?

You may be able to disable it, have a read of the manual.

It’ll be fine.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/94918/tests-uncover-major-security-risk-to-keyless-cars

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/12/cars-risk-keyless-entry-system-hacked-volkswagen

With all due respect, I doubt there’s a huge stolen-to-order market for Citroen Berlingos.

There’s an area not far from mine, they have a Facebook page, I joined as I occasionally work over that way. Everyday a keyless car stolen, top of the tree lately are focus/fiesta st’s, Land Rover evoque things, audi’s I could go on.

Police recommend that you use the old steering locks we had back in the 90’s, leaving your keyless card in the microwave, the thieves have a device which boosts the signal between the key and the car, it then copies the code and they use it to just drive off.

Ford and others deny there’s an issue but it seems there’s a massive issue with new cars.

khaki trousers my dear boy

If you’re that worried get a “Ghost Immobiliser”

oh that security hack is elegant, and obvious 🙁
runs round house looking for metal box to stick keys in

I had that for 8 years with a Mazda 6. No-one stole it. Be more concerned about starting the car, popping back indoors to get something, absentmindedly putting the key down, getting back in the car, driving 100 miles then turning the engine off…….. 😐

Don’t you get a big “KEY NOT IN CAR” alert on the dash? My i40 did.

Also, “absentmindedly putting the key down” – why would you have picked it up even? The whole point is that you leave it in your pocket. Going back to a regular key took me ages to get used to, fishing round in my pocket whilst sat in the car…

Er, you have insured it, haven’t you?

Shirley, this is the pertinent statement here?

My VW won’t open unless the key is right beside the door. So if my kids are a few paces ahead of me and try to open the door, it doesn’t work until I get there.

My VW won’t open unless the key is right beside the door.

The ‘hack’ involves a pair of receiver/transmitters to bridge the gap between your car and your house where your keys are. Once the car is started they no longer need the link to your key
luverly

I’d be extremely surprised is anyone is able to clone a Citroen keyless transponder via signal interception, or other means.

Your biggest risk is that you’ll start the engine for your wife on a cold winter morning to get the engine warm, go back inside while she drives off without her key in her pockets 😉

they don’t need to clone it. They only need to extend the signal far enough to reach your key. Once it is going, they no longer need the key

Of course once they get where they are going they need to work out how to replace the key but that is a different matter

It’ll be fine. Stop worrying about trivial things

And I thought this would be along the lines of the escort van owned by my mates dad that had a teaspoon wedged in the ignition barrel.

Had one for 3 years – fine. Back to regular keys now and I really miss it. It’s up there with cruise, air con and heated seats on my list of options you don’t need but I don’t want to be without. No one stole mine.

I have keyless entry on my 3 month old Focus ST. Started keeping the key in a tin in the house (spare key wrapped in foil and another tin). Not going to get a steering lock as it’s major faff.

They are having kittens over at the Focus ST forums and buying GAP insurance which ironically is quite cheap still (so insurance companies don’t seem too worried 😕 )

I keep my keys in a shielded bag, it works and it was cheap!

http://amzn.eu/hjyvngd

This way of stealing cars has been around for many years now, but it did hit the news a couple of months ago due to some newer cars being manufactured without it being rectified.

Sometimes they don’t even steal the car, they steal the contents. I don’t know if have to prove to your insurance company that you locked your vehicle as there are no signs of forced entry. 😐