[rick24]

Hello All, I was just wondering if I needed to bother to have a car alarm system put in? I have a 2013 Rav4 Limited with the smart key system. I see the Immobilizer light flashing inside when doors are locked so I'm thinking I may not need one. Not sure though.... Thanks

 

[rdgrimes]

About the only way to steal a hybrid with smart keys is to drag it onto a flatbed.
Alarms are for letting you know its already been broken into, not much else. People buy alarms because they make them feel better, not because they actually do much.

 

[OmoPastor]

About the only way to steal a hybrid with smart keys is to drag it onto a flatbed.
Alarms are for letting you know its already been broken into, not much else. People buy alarms because they make them feel better, not because they actually do much.

Unfortunately, that is an extremely false statement. In the recent years, car thieves have gotten much smarter and recently their latest means of theft has been all over the news. Car thieves now use a small device that amplifies the LF signals from your car's antennas in order to communicate w/ your Smart key fob from a longer range.

I.E under normal circumstances, your car can't communicate w/ ur smart key fob at a distance further than 3-4ft but w/ these little portable gadgets, that range can be easily increased to over 300ft.

Thus, theoretically if you park your car outside your home or a restaurant, a thief could walk up to your Rav4 Hybrid (w/ your keys in ur pocket or on the kitchen counter) and enter your vehicle, start your car & drive off -- no flatbed or break-in required.

Car Thieves Hack Remote Keyless Entry Systems with $17 Device

$15,000 Bike Stolen from Athlete's Car in Sausalito in Front of Her Home

 

[matt007]

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So, its better to have the old fashion key with immobilizer/transponder built in? cause they might be able to open your car but they can't drive your car without the physical key (with built in immobilizer/transponder).

 

[OmoPastor]

So, its better to have the old fashion key with immobilizer/transponder built in? cause they might be able to open your car but they can't drive your car without the physical key (with built in immobilizer/transponder).

In contrast to the Smart-key system, yes.

Which is why I also found @rdgrimes statement that "People buy alarms because they make them feel better, not because they actually do much" to be misleading.

An option that ppl who get aftermarket alarms can benefit from is a device called a "starter-kill." With this device, if John arms his car w/ his aftermarket alarm key FOB & some1 (or thief) happened to have made a duplicate key without his knowledge, broke into his car, and tried to start the car w/ the OEM key or duplicate, it wouldn't start until you disarm the car using the aftermarket FOB.

Ofcourse, a counter measure for those w/ Smart keys is to wrap the key in aluminum foil (or place them in such a container) at home or put the keys in the freezer (sounds weird but works).

 

[rdgrimes]

Unfortunately, that is an extremely false statement. In the recent years, car thieves have gotten much smarter and recently their latest means of theft has been all over the news. Car thieves now use a small device that amplifies the LF signals from your car's antennas in order to communicate w/ your Smart key fob from a longer range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTOUArz3bNU

Well then you certainly came prepared to provide a link or reference supporting your reported rash of stolen Toyota smart key cars. Maybe just ONE? Anything other than stories you saw on TV?

 

[OmoPastor]

Well then you certainly came prepared to provide a link or reference supporting your reported rash of stolen Toyota smart key cars. Maybe just ONE? Anything other than stories you saw on TV?

If the device works on one Smart Key RFID entry system -- such as the Audi in the stolen bike story -- and seeing as most of the RFID keyless entry systems work the same, please can you explain why you feel Toyota's would be the "round peg in the square hole?"

Check out this thread on the ToyotaNation forum where a member confirmed that his 2015 V6 XSE Camry had been broken into with ZERO evidence of forced entry (after he had made sure to lock the car).

Here is another article where the author explains that his 2013 Toyota Prius got broken into on three separate occasions within a month.

And it happened to our Prius, not once, but three times in the last month.

The most recent incident took place on a Monday morning 10 days ago. I was working at my kitchen table, which overlooks the street in front of my house. It was just after 9 a.m., when one of my perky-eared dogs started to quietly growl at something outside.

I grabbed my coffee cup and wandered to the window, where I saw two teenagers on bikes (one girl, one boy) stop next to my 2013 gray Prius.

I watched as the girl, who was dressed in a baggy T-shirt and jeans, hopped off her bike and pulled out a small black device from her backpack. She then reached down, opened the door and climbed into my car.

If that isn't good enough for you, then feel free to keep believing that only a flatbed can be used to steal a keyless entry Toyota vehicle. Can't make every1 happy...