Quote:
Originally Posted by Viffermike
Correct: a Faraday cage, essentially. Anything surrounded in metal that can block a radio signal. Even your microwave oven works well enough.
Some of us don't have the convenience of a "locked garage" (nor do we want one) because we don't want, or can't have, a full house. For instance, I own a condo in a building with assigned gated parking. Three times in the past two years, thieves have used repeater transponders to capture passive keyless entry codes while the keys sat in their owners' condos. I know of at least two cases personally where passive keyless entry cars were stolen right out of the driveway of someone's home -- one of whom had bought the car earlier that day. I'm sure they essentially happened like the Ring video demonstrates.
"Comfort Access" applies as much to the thief as the owner. Personally, that I ordered my two most recent cars without it (BMW and Porsche) has saved me from theft at least three times because cars around me were broken into or taken, while mine weren't even touched.
Makes me wonder how many car models aren't available without passive keyless entry ... personally, until it becomes more secure, I won't consider a car that I can't order without it.
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it's funny that Porsche get criticized for making you tick every option for stuff that comes standard in a lot of other cars, and keyless entry is one of them. I believe with all entry level Porsches, keyless only comes with Premium Package Plus or could be a standalone option.
Sadly, with BMW M cars today, comfort access is standard.
The good news is, this wave of car theft hasn't hit US yet. Perhaps its because we don't live within driving distance of eastern Europe where many of these cars' final destination is or that these cars aren't that expensive for thieves to even care about boosting cars. Moving cars in large volumes to Central and South America is near impossible thanks to the terrible roads in that area and the only way out of the country is in a container which isn't cheap, and certainly not worth it for a $50k used M3.
Most car thefts here in the US are related to its use in committing another crime. So often it's the old Japanese compacts and family cars that's getting stolen. They then use it for a drive by shooting or robbery and then ditch it. Often stolen cars are found within the same metro area where they were taken.