More cars given poor security ratings for keyless car theft vulnerability

Latest Thatcham security test gives ‘Poor’ ratings to the Volvo S60, DS 3 Crossback, Mazda 3 and Toyota RAV4 due to keyless flaws

Thatcham Research has released the second set of results for its new security test, which has seen cars from a number of major manufacturers criticised for having keyless entry systems that are vulnerable to external relay attacks.

Seven new models were each given two results for the test – one with a ‘keyless penalty’ and one without.

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The BMW 7 Series, BMW X7 and Porsche 911 all performed well, receiving the maximum rating of ‘Superior’ both with and without the penalty. This was because all three cars have motion sensors fitted in their keyless fobs, which effectively puts the key to sleep when it isn’t being used, meaning there’s no signal for any would-be thieves to hijack.

It wasn’t such good news for other brands though. The Volvo S60 earned a ‘Superior’ rating, but this dropped to ‘Poor’ when the keyless penalty was added. It was a similar story for the DS 3 Crossback, Mazda 3 and Toyota RAV4, which were all classed as ‘Good’ without the penalty, but ‘Poor’ with it.

Thatcham’s chief technical officer Richard Billyeald said: “Theft claims paid by insurers in the first quarter of this year were at their highest for any quarter since 2012, with a payment made to a car crime victim every eight minutes.”

He called on the automotive industry to “move to secure keyless entry and start systems, many of which offer criminals the chance to quickly and silently circumvent otherwise robust physical security”, adding that the “fixes” seen on some models should be applied to all cars.

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In a statement, Mazda said it was important to note that the Mazda 3 is fitted with a Thatcham Category 1 Alarm and immobiliser that complies with the latest published guidelines and that the test is “only a perceived score” of how well the car would perform if the 2021 criteria (which will see keyless security systems taken into account when deciding insurance groups) were in place today.

It also pointed out that the Mazda 3’s keyless fob can be turned off by the driver when not in use and that Mazda is continuing to “work in close partnership with Thatcham, SMMT and the Police to ensure engineering solutions are put in place to combat new theft trends”.


A Volvo Car UK spokesperson said: “This method of theft can affect any make or model of car which operates a keyless entry system, and is extremely rare. Volvo Cars uses industry standard technology with its keyless systems and applies advanced encryptions to limit any remaining risks.”

The Swedish brand pledged to “continue working to improve and enhance our vehicles in line with the latest technological developments”, adding that it is “introducing new technology to keys of new Volvos later this year to enhance the car safety system significantly and further reduce the risk for our customers.”

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), said manufacturers were “continually investing and developing new security features… to try and stay one step ahead of criminals” in an “ongoing and extremely costly battle”.

He added: “There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and brands will have their own individual strategies to combat vehicle theft with lead-times to engineer, test and source new countermeasures varying across the industry. Ultimately, however, technology can only do so much and this is why industry continues to call for action to prevent the open sale of devices used by criminals to steal cars.”

DS and Toyota have been contacted for comment.

Are you worried about your car being stolen through keyless entry? Let us know in the comments below…

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