Are you concerned about having your RX stolen?

[Grey RX]

I am only going on the coincidental appearance of food wrappers at 3 points outside my house one morning.  One set by the front door. one by the drivers door of the car and the other behind the car on the footpath, which all strangely coincides with the layout the scum usually seem to adopt in the CCTV videos I have seen.  They were obviously hungry after a busy session thieving.  Oh, and another car in the street stolen the next night.   

[Barry14UK]

Yes, I am concerned about losing my car!  I spent several months looking for a late Silver Premier 3 generation RX450h that had at least light coloured seats and armrests.  It had to be sub 40K miles and in excellent condition but affordable. Should I lose this car, I would be very lucky to find one the same in all respects. or might have to wait months to source one.  It's quite different to other SUV marques where there are numerous cars on the market to choose from.

Members will doubtless be aware that thieves are increasingly using a signal relay trick to steal keyless entry cars so I have bought a purpose made case which is very well made to stop the signal from the fob being intercepted.  The box is well very made and certainly does the job so doesn't fall apart like some of the foil lined pouches you see advertised.  It is a little cumbersome and will only take the key/fob (not the Lexus chain and logo which I removed).  I added a very small amount of sponge to stop the fob rattling inside.  The case is the Alpa 'Vonetti' and is apparently made in Germany.  I bought mine from amazon for about £39 which was the cheapest price I could find it at the time and it is now available for £31.99 delivered https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpha-Shield-Premium-Keyless-Aluminium-Schwarz/dp/B077JCQFXQ I have no connection with supplier or manufacturer.

 

 

[DanD]

On 6/15/2019 at 2:14 AM, Barry14UK said:

Yes, I am concerned about losing my car!  I spent several months looking for a late Silver Premier 3 generation RX450h that had at least light coloured seats and armrests.  It had to be sub 40K miles and in excellent condition but affordable. Should I lose this car, I would be very lucky to find one the same in all respects. or might have to wait months to source one.  It's quite different to other SUV marques where there are numerous cars on the market to choose from.

Members will doubtless be aware that thieves are increasingly using a signal relay trick to steal keyless entry cars so I have bought a purpose made case which is very well made to stop the signal from the fob being intercepted.  The box is well very made and certainly does the job so doesn't fall apart like some of the foil lined pouches you see advertised.  It is a little cumbersome and will only take the key/fob (not the Lexus chain and logo which I removed).  I added a very small amount of sponge to stop the fob rattling inside.  The case is the Alpa 'Vonetti' and is apparently made in Germany.  I bought mine from Amazon for about £39 which was the cheapest price I could find it at the time and it is now available for £31.99 delivered https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpha-Shield-Premium-Keyless-Aluminium-Schwarz/dp/B077JCQFXQ I have no connection with supplier or manufacturer.

 

 

You could have just deactivated the key every night. For free.

[ISJason]

I agree. But I guess the case is an extra layer of protection, and you don’t then have to deactivate the key every night.

 

I must admit I’m a bit perturbed about not been able to put the key fob in the case as well.. seems a bit lacking in thought on the part of the makers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[royoftherovers]

4 hours ago, DanD said:

You could have just deactivated the key every night. For free.

And read the Handbook.

[Barry14UK]

13 hours ago, ISJason said:

I agree. But I guess the case is an extra layer of protection, and you don’t then have to deactivate the key every night.

 

I must admit I’m a bit perturbed about not been able to put the key fob in the case as well.. seems a bit lacking in thought on the part of the makers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

But the Fob does go into the case, its the chain with a separate logo connected to it you can't fit in the case.

[Barry14UK]

15 hours ago, DanD said:

You could have just deactivated the key every night. For free.

It's not just for overnight use!  You car is vulnerable every time you leave it as one thief can hover near your car and another be sufficiently near the owner who has the key in his pocket. The signal is relayed to the person near the car and they are in.  (Read some of the insurance reports).  Are you suggesting deactivating key EVERY time you leave the car and reactivating  it for reentry?

[DanD]

As an alternative to using a Faraday pouch/box? Yes I am. It's less faffing about, I would argue quicker, and it does not cost anything. It even increases the longevity of the Battery.

I do it every night. I have not the need to deac the key during the day.

 

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[Herbie]

4 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

It's not just for overnight use!  You car is vulnerable every time you leave it as one thief can hover near your car and another be sufficiently near the owner who has the key in his pocket. The signal is relayed to the person near the car and they are in.

Technically Barry, you are of course, correct.

However, there are six major car parks (and by 'major' I mean either multi-storey or open-air with spaces for at least 100 cars) in Preston where I live.

The chances of two blokes hanging around in a random car park waiting for a random keyless-entry car to park within range of where they are randomly situated within the car park at any given moment has got to be pretty slim. Not impossible I'll grant you (which is why I use a steering lock) but pretty slim.

The relay boxes are very sensitive, so much so that if the guy with the box is at the front door and the unprotected or unshielded keys are at the back of the house, the box will pick up the signal, but as above, you'd have to be unlucky enough to inadvertently park near them for the same thing to work in a car park.

[DanD]

@Barry14UK I am not criticising your approach: it certainly works and it fits your requirements. Plenty of other members have elected to use a Faraday pouch / box. I personally prefer to deactivate the key every night, which only requires a couple of presses on the key fob. As per Herbie's comments, I don't bother when I am out and about as I think that the risk is minimal.

What really prompted my comment is the fact that you paid nearly £40 for your box when there are plenty of perfectly adequate alternatives available for a fraction of the price (often packs of 2 for less than £10). Look here. Pouches also fit better in pockets.

Incidentally, I assume that you deactivate or protect your spare key also? 😉

[Barry14UK]

10 hours ago, DanD said:

@Barry14UK .

What really prompted my comment is the fact that you paid nearly £40 for your box when there are plenty of perfectly adequate alternatives available for a fraction of the price (often packs of 2 for less than £10). Look here. Pouches also fit better in pockets.

Incidentally, I assume that you deactivate or protect your spare key also? 😉

I read reviews on various Faraday pouches and containers. Many are cheap and also will take a credit card but usually these rely on some inner foil lining which in many cases was said to break up after a few weeks use, an important consideration.

My 2nd key is secure.

Both my father and I have had one of our cars stolen although not Lexus. With this experience and being on a BMW forum where a number of people had their cars stolen, I thought it prudent to pay for a quality Faraday cage that will outlast the car. Admittedly, the risk of a Lexus being stolen is far less due to rarity but  parts are expensive and there will always be a market for used parts.

Car theft is a growing problem https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/28/keyless-car-thefts-blamed-record-high-insurance-claims-1-million/

à chacun son goût

[LexusPartsDirect]

Concerned about security? This is the Lexus Approved Faraday pouch.

https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-rc-f/lexus-rc-f-2014-onwards/lexus-rc-f-accessories/lexus-faraday-wallet/

Order today and have your pouch delivered to your door. Protect your Lexus!

[tayaste]

20 hours ago, LexusPartsDirect said:

Concerned about security? This is the Lexus Approved faraday pouch.

https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-rc-f/lexus-rc-f-2014-onwards/lexus-rc-f-accessories/lexus-faraday-wallet/

Order today and have your pouch delivered to your door. Protect your Lexus!

A friend of mine was showing me his Faraday pouch a few month back. It just so happens it was the same brand as the one you’re advertising. I’m sure he told me he paid £25 for his, so very good price. 👍

[LexusPartsDirect]

Hi @tayaste! Yes all of our parts listed online are heavily discounted, if you need service kits, accessories, merchandise, or other parts we have them and they are listed considerably lower than main dealer prices.

Kind regards,

Jon

[minxygirl2020]

3 weeks today my Lexus RX450h was stolen from outside my home in Bracknell. Car theft has got really bad in this part of berkshire in the passed 6 months. Approx 6 cars a week are being taken to order. lots of BMWs Mercs and Landrovers. We used Faraday boxes and pouches for our keyless transmission but it appears whatever they are using to get around signal blocking is quite advanced.  i wish i had installed a tracker and immobilizer.

[Mr Vlad]

That's really bad news Leah. Seems if those tea leaves want something so bad they'll do whatever it takes. 

Maybe whilst transferring a key from a pouch to a box that's just enough time to scan the keys frequency. Pouches give up after a time. 

[Harrier Man]

After reading a few articles on this subject, I did invest in a Stoplock, Faraday pouches and a cheap tracker but there is only so much I can do and I'm not going to worry about it beyond what I've done already.

I picked my new NX up last Thursday (1st September) and pleasantly surprised to see the last part of the VIN etched into all the glass. A really good deterrent - if the thief notices! Not sure if this was done at Derby or by the dealers. Has anyone else found this done on their vehicle?

[NemesisUK]

48 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

Maybe whilst transferring a key from a pouch to a box that's just enough time to scan the keys frequency. Pouches give up after a time. 

Is this an example of the thieves getting to the car's wiring via removing the front wheel arch liner?

[Mr Vlad]

I don't get what you mean Peter. You quoting me about the time it takes to put a key into a Faraday pouch and within that time that key possibly being scanned. What's removing a wheel arch liner got to do with what I said?

[NemesisUK]

Sorry Vladimir but there was a post some time back where it was suggested that the thieves had gained access to the car's wiring by removing the wheels arch liner and bypassing the security system to open the car and start it.

I just postulated that this is maybe what happened in this case, as the car keys were apparently well protected?

[Mjo]

Hello from France

New methods appear in Japan to steal  LEXUS

I think Peter is refferring to this

"Japanese police struggling with growing number of 'CAN invaders' used to steal luxury cars"

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/japanese-police-struggling-with-growing-number-of-'can-invaders'-used-to-steal-luxury-cars?comment-order=popular

The term CAN-Intruder is the one used by the Japanese police to describe this kind of theft. To achieve this, it is necessary to reach the CAN wires, a priori on Toyota / Lexus the easiest way is to access the area of the front headlights, and then to electronically insert the orders which unlock the car, and energize it.

Lexus look vulnerable ...

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Mjo
correction

[Mr Vlad]

Blimey they say an easy access behind the front bumper? Plus without causing damage because a damaged car is worth so much less etc etc. 

That amount of 'shaking ' the car to fold back the bumper surely has to trigger the cars alarm. From my own experience with changing a nearside headlight it took me a good 15 mins to losen the wheel arch liner and to remove numerous screws to access the headlight mounting screws. 

Very good article though. Something made me chuckle though. Where it said to use a steering wheel lock as a physical deterrent as it probably would deter the 'techno kid' who doesn't know manual things.

[LenT]

18 hours ago, Harrier Man said:

I picked my new NX up last Thursday (1st September) and pleasantly surprised to see the last part of the VIN etched into all the glass. A really good deterrent - if the thief notices! Not sure if this was done at Derby or by the dealers. Has anyone else found this done on their vehicle?

Yes, I have it on my 2015 IS250 done by Lexus MK.

But as you say, it only works as a deterrent if chummy notices. In fact, does anyone notice?  Apart from which, it’s easier to compare the reg. number than the VIN.

Many years ago I was taking delivery of a new BMW in Leicester.  In the handover chat, the sales guy made a point of saying that as a free customer service, they had etched the reg. number into all the glass.

Having thanked him for that, I then asked if it wouldn’t have been better to ensure that they were the SAME number?

As this was apparently such an effective deterrent, I asked if they proposed to change all the glass or the reg. number?

In the end we compromised on an additional discount to cover the botheration factor and a signed letter from the Dealership Principal admitting the error to show when it was queried.

Not once in nearly three years did this ever happen!