PHEV theft avoidance - advice needed - immobiliser tracker

[UratorI]

Hi,

I'm looking into getting a PHEV from Volvo and noticed that these cars have keyless entry which makes them vulnerable to theft. I found some posts and articles about Volvo being stolen in under 1 minute. I know most of the common options (steering wheel lock, Faraday box, immobiliser, tracker, alarm) but need some advice...

Does anyone have a PHEV with a 3rd party immobiliser fitted? If yes, which one and do you recommend it? Like Ghost, Pandora, or any other... I'm asking this because I want to fit one on my next car and want to make sure that it won't cause any problems in the long run...

Does Volvo allow 3rd party immobiliser - tracker - alarms to be fitted on top of the factory-fitted ones? I'm asking this because doing this might void the warranty (if the car is under warranty). I know 100% that BMW doesn't allow immobiliser, but are ok with some trackers.

I know about their theft tracking page where they want to help:
https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support...a8015172792dc2
...but the issue is that these devices are the 1st to be disabled when a car is stolen, normally in a few minutes, which makes them not really useful... so I was thinking of fitting a 2nd tracker in case the other deterrents fail.

Can the keyless entry be disabled in PHEV models from Volvo? If yes, what model do you have and how can you do this?

I know that any deterrent is good in theft prevention, but this doesn't mean that it will stop the car from being stolen. Hopefully, a good immobiliser will slow the thief and put him off, as they don't want to waste time finding where the extra protection is fitted, so they will look for another car.

Police have sent a warning only in Liverpool, but this applies to the whole UK:
https://liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv...s-car-28105592

To face a bit of the reality you can check this Facebook group and search "Volvo"...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/794001950679901

Sorry for the long post, but I've just had my car stolen (not Volvo) and want to make sure that I can add an extra layer or 2 for peace of mind.

Thank you!

[IainG]

Hi
I was under the impression the later Volvo keys "went to sleep" after a period of being static (ie in the house on the side). This then stops the ability to "Relay" the signal from inside the house to open and start the car.

I also heard the earlier keys could be changed/upgraded to make them more secure

https://accessories.volvocars.com/en...CC-518815/2020

[sk546]

Originally Posted by IainG

Hi
I was under the impression the later Volvo keys "went to sleep" after a period of being static (ie in the house on the side). This then stops the ability to "Relay" the signal from inside the house to open and start the car.

I also heard the earlier keys could be changed/upgraded to make them more secure

https://accessories.volvocars.com/en...CC-518815/2020

From my understanding of the keys, this is true but I have not actively tested this out (although I think someone else on this forum has).

I use a faraday key pouch to store my keys in the house to prevent any possibility of relay theft from occuring and to me, this is the best and cheapest method to do this as 3rd party immobilisers plus installation is faffy and expensive.

I wouldn't not have a car with keyless entry now as I love the convenience of it, just always remember to place the key in the pouch once you have entered the house and all will be good.

[Philip Fisher]

I have had a few Faraday pouches and without fail after a while they stop working. I assume that this is because they are flexible and the lining breaks down.

I have now bought a Faraday box and a tin which I hope will be more durable.

[Philip Fisher]

And referring to the initial question I would focus on stopping the theft in the first place rather than tracking. I have also heard that the professional thieves simply use a unit to block the tracker whilst the car is being moved. Then it is in a container and gone.

[UratorI]

Originally Posted by sk546

From my understanding of the keys, this is true but I have not actively tested this out (although I think someone else on this forum has).

I use a faraday key pouch to store my keys in the house to prevent any possibility of relay theft from occuring and to me, this is the best and cheapest method to do this as 3rd party immobilisers plus installation is faffy and expensive.

I wouldn't not have a car with keyless entry now as I love the convenience of it, just always remember to place the key in the pouch once you have entered the house and all will be good.

Thank you very much for the replies. I did some research into this and it seems that only some keys have this function. I will try to find out if the car I'm looking at has this function on the key. It is a 22 plate and hopefully it does... I found the same discussions at Polestar which should use the same technology. I have a Faraday pouch for the main key and a Faraday box which I use for the spare key.

I still want to add a battery-powered tracker so this can work without the need of getting power from the car's battery, as this can be easily disconnected... plus an extra immobiliser... so the questions in my initial post are still open...

I know that this sounds a bit too much, but the last thing you want to go through is having your car stolen... too much stress... hopefully it will never happen to anyone... but the reality with car security is like a game of cat and mouse... car manufacturers find new ways of securing their cars, whilst thieves find new methods to break that layer of security... once found the car manufacturers are extremely slow in fixing their older cars security or don't do anything... and only applying the new layer of security to their newer models which leaves people with older models vulnerable...

[UratorI]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

And referring to the initial question I would focus on stopping the theft in the first place rather than tracking. I have also heard that the professional thieves simply use a unit to block the tracker whilst the car is being moved. Then it is in a container and gone.

This is what I'm trying to find out... it seems that an immobiliser is a very good option. I know people who had theft attempts and thieves couldn't leave with their car. But I want to know if this affects in any way the PHEV system... So far I found out that the Ghost immobiliser works great with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and never caused any issues. I'm hoping to find someone who has any type of immobiliser fitted on their PHEV Volvo and know if they have any issues with it.
Depending on your budget there are multiple systems with various layers of extra security, from my understanding Pandora is the most advanced and is Thatcham CAT 2 certified... but is also the most expensive...
https://pandorainfo.co.uk/pages/immo...alarm-tracking
A bit out of my budget, but seems to be a strong system to have.

[Lucien]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

I have also heard that the professional thieves simply use a unit to block the tracker whilst the car is being moved. Then it is in a container and gone.

My understanding is that the GPS trackers can be blocked easily and cheaply by commonly available blockers. A VHF tracker cannot be blocked as easily, or at all by portable equipment.

[techwatcher]

Originally Posted by UratorI

I will try to find out if the car I'm looking at has this function on the key. It is a 22 plate and hopefully it does...

The more secure keys were introduced for MY21 so vehicles built after mid-2020 will have them as standard.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by UratorI

Hi,

I'm looking into getting a PHEV from Volvo and noticed that these cars have keyless entry which makes them vulnerable to theft. I found some posts and articles about Volvo being stolen in under 1 minute. I know most of the common options (steering wheel lock, Faraday box, immobiliser, tracker, alarm) but need some advice...

Does anyone have a PHEV with a 3rd party immobiliser fitted? If yes, which one and do you recommend it? Like Ghost, Pandora, or any other... I'm asking this because I want to fit one on my next car and want to make sure that it won't cause any problems in the long run...

Does Volvo allow 3rd party immobiliser - tracker - alarms to be fitted on top of the factory-fitted ones? I'm asking this because doing this might void the warranty (if the car is under warranty). I know 100% that BMW doesn't allow immobiliser, but are ok with some trackers.

I know about their theft tracking page where they want to help:
https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support...a8015172792dc2
...but the issue is that these devices are the 1st to be disabled when a car is stolen, normally in a few minutes, which makes them not really useful... so I was thinking of fitting a 2nd tracker in case the other deterrents fail.

Can the keyless entry be disabled in PHEV models from Volvo? If yes, what model do you have and how can you do this?

I know that any deterrent is good in theft prevention, but this doesn't mean that it will stop the car from being stolen. Hopefully, a good immobiliser will slow the thief and put him off, as they don't want to waste time finding where the extra protection is fitted, so they will look for another car.

Police have sent a warning only in Liverpool, but this applies to the whole UK:
https://liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv...s-car-28105592

To face a bit of the reality you can check this Facebook group and search "Volvo"...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/794001950679901

Sorry for the long post, but I've just had my car stolen (not Volvo) and want to make sure that I can add an extra layer or 2 for peace of mind.

Thank you!

You should be talking to your dealer only about this very important and confidential info rather that talking about it on a public forum.... you need not worry it is not a Landrover . If your key Isn't the latest type it can be upgraded at a reasonable price.

If you want a theft and tracking device Automatrics are the best in the Business. they look after you if your car is stolen they travel to where it is and check it out and arrange to get it back to you.

https://www.trackersecurity.co.uk/au...cs-mtrack.html

They have many recovery missions shown on you tube, one of which is below.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...trics+recovery