Sometimes, a defective key fob can be the cause of glitches with your cars alarm system.Supplied / iStock.com Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.Look out Toyota and Lexus owners! Key fob relay thefts on the rise in CanadaCanadian thieves have been capitalizing on the key fob’s imperfect digital security to steal dozens of newer Lexus and Toyota vehicles from Ontario driveways. A report by the CBC explains how tech-savvy criminals are making hay by catching the key fob’s wireless signal near the front doors of a drivers’ homes, and tossing them to a second device which is then used to open and start the vehicles. Scary, but there’s good news: you can protect yourself with something called a Faraday pouch. Consumer Reports names 2019’s most (and least) reliable modelsConsumer Reports released a pair of insightful lists, naming the year’s most and least reliable vehicles, as identified through driver surveys. The research organization landed on a pretty typical collection of worst and best, with mostly Japanese-made cars on the top and mostly American-made on the bottom.Beating out Lexus for the number-one spot was the Mazda MX-5 Miata (that’s right, a sports car!) while the Chevrolet Colorado brought up the rear at the very bottom. Reports suggest GM will take a loss on base CorvettesThe new Chevrolet Corvette is a predator, and not just because it looks like the kind of creature that, if it had a chance under the cover of darkness, would totally eat your baby. It’s also priced like a predator. According to a GM source quoted by Motor Trend, the $69,998 tag on the C8 ‘Vette “would have to go through the roof in order to cover GM’s cost” in the coming years. So brace, if you want a base, or buy now. Jaguar F-Type 2021 hits 450 km/h (on Hot Wheels track)Jaguar took to the toy chest to hype up a mid-model refresh of its F-Type. With a video of a camouflaged toy car ripping down a 232-metre Hot Wheels track, the British brand teased and then revealed (in pieces) the new two-seater. You can watch the stunt, which includes multiple loop-the-loops, “gravity-defying” jumps and peaks at the bits of the actual F-Type including its grille, head rest and wheels before its full reveal at the end, right here. 2020 Nissan Qashqai gets priced just over $20,000As Nissan’s second-best-selling model in Canada, the Qashqai is worthy of any SUV shopper’s attention. With a recently announced starting price of $21,498 for the base S MT FWD model, the Qashqai is $1,300 more than its predecessor, but comes with a bunch of added comfort features like rear-seat heating and cooling, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus a suite of intelligent safety systems including high-beam assist, rear sonar, traffic sign recognition and driver attention
Origin: News Roundup: Key-fob-relay thieves hit Ontario, CR names the year’s best and worst, and more
Thieves
Thieves stealing Toyota, Lexus vehicles using key fob ‘relay’, police warn
2020 Lexus RX 450hHandout / Lexus Dozens of newer Toyota and Lexus vehicles are being stolen across Ontario with a simple trick that allows the thieves to just drive the vehicle away, CBC News reports.To steal the vehicles, the thieves use an amplifier to boost the signal of the cars key fob, assuming its within range of the vehicle. The signal is then captured, and the car can be driven without the fob nearby. More than 100 vehicles from across Canada have been stolen so far.While Toyota and Lexus vehicles seem to be targeted most often, its likely any vehicle with a key fob could be broken into using this system.Most of the stolen vehicles are destined for resale in Africa and the Middle East, explain authorities, which probably has more to do with why popular Toyota and Lexus vehicles are swiped most often.Toyota has suggested owners put their key fob in a Faraday pouch, which shields the device from radio signals. Some owners have also resorted to putting their fobs in the microwave or the freezer.Owners should also consider equipping more safeguards against the thefts, David Shum, Toyota spokesperson, said in an email to the CBC, such as an aftermarket alarm system, steering wheel lock and diagnostic-port lock.Also, if it doesnt go without saying, dont leave your key fob near the front door where thieves can easily steal the
Origin: Thieves stealing Toyota, Lexus vehicles using key fob ‘relay’, police warn
Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
Gone in 33 seconds! A video of two men apparently stealing a Tesla from a driveway in a town near London demonstrates just how simple it may be to fool a car’s electronic security system. From the time the man with the backpack antenna-transmitter walks through the front gate to the time the Tesla backs out off the driveway, about 33 seconds pass.The video was shot by a doorbell camera and allegedly shows the two men stepping onto the property, one walking toward the door carrying a bag on his chest and holding a wire above his head, the other standing next to the drivers side of the electric car.The process they use to get the Tesla open and running in seconds is known as a Signal Amplification Relay Attack (SARA). It’s pretty simple and works the same on any car with a fob key, not just Teslas. Basically, the makeshift antenna (the wire) grabs the signal being emitted by the key fob, which likely sits inside the door, transmits it to a transceiver probably concealed in the bag on his chest, which spits it over to a second receiver being held by the accomplice next to the car.When the Tesla senses the signal, which it thinks is coming from the fob, being broadcast near the door, it pops open. Then the pair drives off with their shiny new EV, probably headed to a chop shop to remove all the pieces that won’t signal the car’s whereabouts back to Tesla and the authorities. Theres a lesson here, and were pretty sure its this: park in the garage whenever
Origin: Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
U.S. car thieves target Hellcats, luxury cars versus Canadian truck-stealers
2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat RedeyeNick Tragianis / Driving The Dodge Charger Hemi and Challenger SRT Hellcat top a list of the U.S. most stolen vehicles, according to a study released early August by the Highway Loss Data Institute.The two Dodges were stolen at a rate five times the average for most 2016 through 2018 model year vehicles, as was the third-place Infiniti Q50. The U.S. data only includes vehicles as old as model year 2016.The models most likely to be stolen tend to be powerful, pricey or pickups, but vehicle theft is also a crime of opportunity, said Matt Moore, the institutes senior vice-president, in a statement.Its not all that surprising that Americans love to steal hot muscle cars its practically ingrained in their social consciousness from birth. (Gone in 60 Seconds, anyone?) Other oft-stolen vehicles included the Infiniti QX80 at number four, followed by the GMC Sierra 1500, Dodge Challenger (non-Hellcat), Nissan Maxima, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chrysler 300 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.In Canada, the preference seems instead to be to steal the absolute largest vehicles possible. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the number one most-stolen spot in Canada goes to the 2015 Lexus GX460, and the number eight spot on the list is another Toyota SUV, the 2016 4Runner. The rest of the list is filled with various model years of the Ford F-350, with the F-250 taking the final spot at number 10. Even when broken down by model instead of model year, trucks seem to be more regularly swiped than cars, here. It is also worth noting the Canadian data does not stop at model year 2016.The four main reasons a vehicle gets stolen in North America is so it can: be sold overseas; be resold with a fake VIN; be taken for a joyride; and be used for committing other crimes, only to be abandoned. In Canada, the older pickup trucks are easier to steal, and theyre useful for smash-and-grab crimes its unlikely theyre being sold
Origin: U.S. car thieves target Hellcats, luxury cars versus Canadian truck-stealers
Police near Montreal say alleged car thieves liked Lexuses—a lot
2018 Lexus RX 350Handout / Lexus Two young Montreal men recently arrested by Longueuil police for car theft are alleged to have stolen 25 vehicles since last October, nearly all of them Lexus luxury models. Police identified the suspects as César Jose Ramos-Rosario, 21, who was arrested May 13; and Tommy Lapierre, 22, who was taken into custody May 17. The pair face a total of 31 charges, 25 of them for car theft, with 11 of the infractions committed in Longueuil. In 21 of the cases, the vehicles targeted were Lexus models. Four others were Toyotas. Police say the cars were destined to be exported out of the country. Police have recovered eight of the vehicles thus far. The suspects have been released on bail with various conditions including a curfew and a ban on contacting each other. Police in Montréal, Mascouche, St-Eustache, Laval, the Régie intermunicipale de police Roussillon and the Régie intermunicipale de police Richelieu-St-Laurent were part of the investigation that led to the
Origin: Police near Montreal say alleged car thieves liked Lexuses—a lot
Thieves are targeting luxury cars’ rear-view mirrors in New York City
Hondas clever mirror-mounted camera displays the passenger-side blind spot on the centre dash screen when the right-hand turn signal is activated. At the risk of giving criminals everywhere their next bad idea, the New York Post is reporting there has been a rash of high-tech car mirror thefts in Manhattan. The thieves are targeting newer models from luxury brands like Porsche, Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, stripping them of their expensive side-view mirrors, which contain high-tech camera equipment and are valued between $2,000 to $2,600, and selling them on the black market. The NYPD says the criminals hit the Manhattan area a total of 19 times in March and April. “This is a local pattern in Manhattan North and does not appear to be a citywide condition,” an NYPD spokesman told The Post. Part of the problem, suggests Manhattan precinct commander Deputy Inspector Timothy Malin, is that we’ve become accustomed to the sound of car alarms in busy cities. “People tend to ignore car alarms nowadays,” he said, “but if you hear one going off in the middle of the night, take a look, and if you see something suspicious, call 911.” Sure, it may be Manhattan’s problem for now, but if it works for thieves there, it’ll work for them
Origin: Thieves are targeting luxury cars’ rear-view mirrors in New York City
Thieves steal 124 wheels in a single night at a Louisiana dealership
A row of vehicles with stolen wheels at Matt Bowers Chevrolet in Slidell, LouisianaSlidell Police Department Thieves stole the wheels from 31 vehicles as they sat on a car dealer’s lot in Slidell, Louisiana. Police reported that 124 tires and rims were taken, valued at some US$120,000. The stripped vehicles were discovered on the morning of April 27 by a manager when he arrived to open the store. The theft took place at Matt Bowers Chevrolet, where many of the cars and trucks were propped up on blocks following the theft – although the thieves were kind enough to leave the lug nuts on the ground beside most of them. Dealership owner Matt Bowers had recently been in the news for buying billboards that criticized the NFL when referees didn’t call a penalty during a championship game, resulting in the New Orleans Saints losing to the Los Angeles Rams and a shot at the Super Bowl. A Chevrolet Tahoe with stolen wheels at Matt Bowers Chevrolet in Slidell, Louisiana Slidell Police Department However, police didn’t make any connection between the billboards and the theft. Instead, they suspect it’s the work of a professional theft ring, especially since the thieves got past alarms and surveillance video, and “went as far as manipulating the exterior lights in the parking lot so nobody could see them working during the darkness,” said Slidell Police chief Randy Fandal. Similar thefts had been previously reported at dealerships in Denton, Texas, and in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Security video captured footage of two men cutting the entrance locks at 3 a.m., and driving a U-Haul truck into the rear parking lot. The truck left about 40 minutes later, although police suspect that it took several hours to remove all the tires, and that the truck had only been brought in at the end to load up the stolen goods. Surprisingly, while wheels were stolen off some trucks and sport-utilities, most of the vehicles hit were Malibus that weren’t equipped with higher-end rims. At a news conference, Matt Bowers announced he was putting up a $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and
Origin: Thieves steal 124 wheels in a single night at a Louisiana dealership
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