According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), cases of vehicle-related crimes in England and Wales have significantly declined over the past few decades. While this is comforting news for car owners and a broad recognition of the improved security measures included as standard in new vehicles, we should remember that car thieves have not stopped operating.
It is therefore important not to become casual about vehicle security and run the risk of becoming a statistic ourselves. With that in mind, the following seven points are our top recommendations for improving car security.
1. Lock your car
This advice may seem obvious but ONS crime figures show that car owners consistently forget to apply this most basic security feature. Almost half of all vehicle-related thefts are because thieves had gained access through an unlocked door.
Get in the habit of always locking up, even if you will only be away from the car for a few seconds. Don’t solely rely on a quick press of the key fob either: check for audible or visual signals that the car has actually locked before you walk away. And if your Lexus has door mirrors that can automatically fold in when the car is locked, be sure to activate this feature – potential thieves recognise it is a clear visual sign of a locked car.
2. Keep valuables out of sight
Opportunist thieves are often looking for easy-to-grab valuables that have been left on display. Police report that items such as jewellery, bags, purses and wallets, cash, credit cards, clothes and documents are the most commonly stolen in vehicle-related crimes.
Reduce this risk by stashing valuables out of sight, such as in the glove box or boot. Better still, take those items away with you. And if you’re going to leave the car for a longer period of time, consider clearing the boot entirely and removing the parcel shelf or load cover to show thieves that there is nothing to steal.
3. Be mindful of signals
Most modern Lexus models are equipped with a keyless entry and start system – a convenience which sends a constant signal from the key fob in order to unlock the vehicle’s doors and de-activate the immobiliser as you approach. Although it is possible for tech-savvy thieves with special equipment to hijack this signal, they must be in close proximity to the key or vehicle.
So if you doubt the intentions of anybody in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle, wait for them to leave before approaching the car. Better still, whenever you are not driving, block the signal from the key by keeping it in a metal box or Faraday pouch. This is equally important at home as thieves can use a ‘daisy chain’ of receivers to relay the signal from the key (which is probably kept near the front door) to open the car.
4. Secure your port
Every new car sold in the UK since 2003 has been equipped with an on-board diagnostic port. Abbreviated to OBD, this port is a computer connection that allows the car to communicate messages about its mechanical health to an authorised technician. Unfortunately, thieves have discovered that with special equipment they can use this OBD port to programme blank keys to work with the car.
For this reason, some owners choose to secure their OBD port with an aftermarket lock. Typically, this can either be a lockable metal box that covers the port itself, or an electronic lock that works alongside the original immobiliser to disable the port when the ignition is off.
5. Protect your cat
Your catalytic converter, that is. The ‘cat’ forms part of your car’s emissions control system and cleans exhaust gases before they are expelled through the tailpipe. Unfortunately, the precious metals inside the cat that help to neutralise these passing gases are exactly that – precious. Which means that the catalytic converter itself has become a target for thieves.
Lexus UK has taken action to deter thieves by issuing thousands of SmartWater invisible marking kits to local initiatives, as well as providing Lexus customers with a free SmartWater forensic marking service at their local centre. Lexus has also developed a mechanical locking device to deter would-be thieves. These measures are explained in more detail in our dedicated article on catalytic converter theft.
6. Park with care
Thieves do not like performing in front of an audience, so the place where you park has a bearing on the vehicle’s vulnerability. ONS statistics show that the likelihood of experiencing a car-related crime is much lower in busy, town centre parking areas. This is especially true when car parks are well-lit and have manned or CCTV security coverage.
Similarly, the time at which you park your car has a bearing on its security. Most instances of car-related crimes occur in the early hours of the morning, so avoid leaving in your car in a dark, unfamiliar area overnight.
7. Extra security
Modern vehicles invariably come with a high level of built-in security – the specific features of which are usually designed to react in the event of an incident. But there are simple things you can do to actively dissuade a thief from pursuing an attack on your car. These precautions include:
- Using a brightly coloured mechanical device locked across the steering wheel, gear lever or clutch pedal will provide an excellent visual deterrent to a would-be thief. A well-known steering wheel ‘crook lock’ “Stop Lock Pro Elite” is what Lexus would advise fitting to models, particularly RX, NX and UX (other brands of steering wheel locks are available to purchase should you wish).
- We may be living in a digital age but nothing will persuade an opportunist to leave your car alone more effectively than a good old-fashioned piece of ironmongery. Or for that matter, a snarling dog.
More information on preventing car crime can be found by visiting the Police UK website – www.police.uk – and by searching ‘car crime’.
Oddly the link to the Stop Pro Elite says that it doesn’t fit my RX450H so I guess back to the drawing board for me. Amazon also says there is not an alternative that fits my car.
Hello Rich, thanks for your comment.
We would recommend contacting your Lexus Centre regarding this.
Thanks.
Hi Rich,
The Pro Elite fits my RX450h (2016-on) without issue. I know a fellow Lexus owner who also used it in his previous gen RX450h (pre-2016).
Cheers,
Charles
Yes I also got a does not fit“”Link. Perhaps Lexus can provide the correct link. thank you
Hello Toby, thanks for your comment.
Please provide your Vehicle Registration so that we can look into this.
Thanks.
Can local dealership fit or provide assistance with the fitting of an OBD lock or immobilizer
Hello Bill, thanks for your question.
Our Technical Team have advised that fitment of non genuine accessories is not normally carried out.
Thanks.
So car manufacturers having upgraded cars to be more secure with immobilisers have now incorporated an easy theft system by using the OBD port! Unbelievable!!
Why are Lexus not offering a fix for this blatant lapse in security, after all the port is fitted for Lexus not us as drivers?
Hello David, thanks for your comment.
We appreciate you concern and would like to assure you that we are constantly monitoring this situation.
We have published car security advice and tips, which have been developed to help improve car security. Additionally, the use of a steering lock is recommended.
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact our Customer Relations Team, here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/forms/customer-relations-contact-us.
Thanks.
My Ux 250 has not got key less opening 22 plate why is this
Hello Peter, thanks for your comment.
Please provide your Vehicle Registration so that we can look into this.
Thanks.
I think there is an opportunity for Lexus to help with security by putting two lexcus branded faraday pouches with each new lexcus
My 2019 registered RX 450h was stolen with what looks to have been a CAN Bus hack. This was done at 2am, can be seen on CCTV and seems to have been executed in under a minuet. Now, though no fault of my own, I’m subject to a missive waste of my time in sorting this out and no doubt, significant on going insurance costs.
Why are Lexus not offering a fix for this total lapse in security to all owners of venerable vehicles?
What can I do, if anything to recover my costs?
For anyone reading this a ‘CAN Bus hack’ is performed by removing the inner passenger side wheel arch cover, accessing the wiring loom, connecting to the vehicles computer with a device that that allows the criminal to unlock, disable the alarm and start the vehicle then drive away in potentially 60 seconds.
Hello Riley, thanks for reaching out to us.
We are very sorry to hear that you’ve been affected by this horrible crime and apologise for the distress and inconvenience this must have caused.
We would like to assure you that we appreciate the severity of this situation and are constantly assessing it.
Please contact our Customer Relations Team to discuss this, as they are best placed to advise you. You can find them on 0345 129 5484 or https://www.lexus.co.uk/forms/customer-relations-contact-us.
Once again, we are very sorry to hear that you’ve been a victim of this crime.
Thanks.
Thank you for the response, I’ve done that.
Hi Riley
This happened to me a few months ago and they damaged the steering wheel having accessed the car but couldn’t remove the steering lock. Customer services were less than helpful. It happened again today. Lexus have a design fault and I will not be taking another vehicle when my lease expires
Mark
Sir
I’ve a 2022 ux250h any fining very difficult in finding which crooklock fits my vehicle. Some suppliers state the StoplockElite will fit, but it it acutely fouls the lighting stalk. Please advise the Lexus recommend safety device
Kind regards
David Mumford
Hello David,
Please provide your vehicle registration so we can look into this for you.
Thanks.
Good evening
My registration is M1 DGM
Kind regards
David Mumford
Hello David,
Currently, we do not have a Lexus genuine steering lock available.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Thanks.
Sir
Can you recommend a crook lock for my UX250H?
Kind regards
David Mumford
Hello David, thanks for your question.
Currently, we do not have a Lexus genuine steering wheel lock available.
Thanks.
Break-in using car electrics happened to us too. Failed once because our battery had too little power. Failed a second time because we have a steering wheel lock.
Please could you at Lexus explore how to improve security on these cars and offer a security update service post sale? The original security is no longer adequate.
Hello Sage,
We are sorry to hear about this.
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide this feedback.
Please be assured we are constantly monitoring this situation and will do all that we can to assist customers affected by theft.
Thanks.
I have done a lot of research recently and the Ghost system seems to be unbreakable at the moment, unless someone knows differently.
I to have done a lot of research on this subject recently. For Ghost it depends on who fits it to the vehicle, some fitters just immobilise the start / stop button which doesn’t stop either of the common professional theft methods currently used on a Toyota / Lexus hybrid.
Ghost even if fitted correctly also doesn’t stop the thieves causing damage to the vehicle getting in as they wont know its there until they attempt to start it.
A suitable alarm & immobiliser upgrade would be a better bet, as soon as the thieves attempt to gain access a loud warn away alert will sound which will demonstrate that the vehicle has had a security upgrade fitted to it & to move on else the full alarm will trigger.
Its extremely difficult to fit aftermarket security to a Toyota / Lexus hybrid which works successfully & doesn’t cause any errors to be displayed / triggered on the vehicle.
What make of immobiliser are you talking about Lee?
I had my RX450 stolen on 3rd Nov 2023 and saw it on my Ring Doorbell camera afterwards. I was parked for 5 mins and it took them just 50 seconds to go in under the near side front wheel arch to get to the electrics and drive off without setting off an alarm and without needing access to my key.
Ghost or Pandora for just an immobiliser OR Pandora also do alarm / immobilisers which is the better investment.
The issue with Lexus / Toyota hybrids is the fitment of aftermarket security systems & how clued up the fitter is, immobilising the push to start button for example wont stop the vehicle being driven away in a CAN invader theft.