Relay attack – how safe is your Range Rover against being stolen?

Car Keys Solutions | Posted May 24, 2020

Range Rover – Ghost immobiliser or no ghost immobiliser?

Although the security of the vehicles has increased drastically in recent years, they are still at risk of being stolen. And, one way to make the vehicle undrivable even if a relay attack occurs is to have a ghost immobiliser installed. Car Keys Solutions is your auto locksmith company to use as we are authorised installers. We will talk a little bit more about how the ghost immobiliser can protect your Range Rover later in the article.

Range Rover made the top list…

Unfortunately, Land Rover Range Rover Sport is reported as being one of the most desired vehicles to be stolen in recent years in the UK.

According to www.fleetnews.co.uk article, in 2019 it was number one, making it the most preferable for thieves, a big jump from the eight places in 2018. Yes, a lot of progress has been made by Land Rover, to secure its own vehicles against any criminal activity such as stealing and yet the keyless feature still leaves them prone to relay attacks. A relay attack is hijacking the radio signal between 2 devices with the purpose of committing a criminal activity.
Now, we’re going to present a case, where a customer of ours has brought in his Range Rover Sport 2017 after it was stolen. Extensive damage has been done to it in the process of stealing as shown in the photo below:

range rover wheel security lock

This customer went the extra mile, to secure its own vehicle with a wheel security lock with the idea in mind that it will serve as a deterrent for thieves. Only to find out that there is nothing that a hacksaw cannot cut. After cutting the steering wheel, the thieves started looking to remove the telematics.

And then this happened!

In search of the telematic model, the whole vehicle was trashed.

range rover sport-looking for telematics module photo 1

Thanks to the London Police Department, this vehicle was recovered, when otherwise it would’ve been almost impossible given the fact that the telematics module was removed. As we mentioned earlier, a lot of security improvements were made over the years, and one of them is the telematics module. The purpose of it, according to a techradar.com article, is among many other things to assess the driving behaviour, which in return may lower your insurance cost, but most importantly it offers theft tracking.

A list with helpful tips

Now we know that Land Rover Range Rover Sport is one of the most stolen vehicles in the UK. That is as of 2019 statistical data, therefore, Car Keys Solution has come up with a list of suggestions in terms of keeping the vehicle safe and out of the thieves hands as much as possible.
Here are the tips:

Whenever possible, have a ghost immobiliser installed. Even in the event of a relay attack and cloning a key, the vehicle will not start unless the pin code that was set up at the time of the installation is entered. This pin code can be a combination of buttons that can be located on the dashboard, steering wheel or driver side door.
Have you had your ghost immobiliser installed? Congratulations! This is the first step into ensuring that your vehicle will not fall into the wrong hands. At the same time, always be careful of your surroundings when exiting the vehicle. Be aware of people suspiciously hanging around stores, parking lots and other places alike. If you notice anything unusual, try and find a different parking space or reschedule the trip if possible.
Never leave expensive items in plain sight.
Have the windows tinted per legal requirements whenever possible.
When parking, always be aware of your surroundings. If and when possible, park in areas that are lite and rather busier. This can be a deterrence for wannabe thieves.
Have expensive tools or other equipment? Try not to leave them in the vehicle overnight.

Car Keys Solutions, London based and most trusted

Car Keys Solutions is the most trusted auto locksmith company in London and surrounding counties. Besides being an authorised ghost immobiliser installer, we offer many other Range Rover car key services as well. You may also be interested in reading more about our services here:

For Range Rover or any other make and models car key repair, you can also visit our online shop https://shop.carkeyssolutions.co.uk/ as we now have a car repair courier service. You can also visit us at 142-144 East End Road, East Finchley, London, N2 0RZ or call us at 0203 393 5669. We cover all makes and models.