How Secure Are Teslas/Tesla Thefts

[drtimhill]

Have a look at this link. This is a specific device for Toyota or Lexus cars, but demonstrates the potential weakness.

2022 Toyota Lexus EMERGENCY START JBL Device no Immo

I’m not aware of any Tesla’s being targeted I such a manner. I think the cars are so connected to the Tesla mothership that they are extremely unattractive to steal. You might be able to break it for parts, but you’d never sell one on.

Exactly, a Tesla might appear attractive to steal, but in reality it's only suitable for parts (but what would you do with them?). Of course, this assumes the car thief knows this, but dont underestimate the street-wise of car thieves. You ship a Toyota to some far-off spot, no problem. You ship a Tesla, and it wont even start.

The issue (I suspect) isnt theft of the cars, but theft of the car CONTENTS. That's why I never ever leave anything visible in the passenger compartment, and never leave valuables of any sort in the trunk.

 

[The_Cable_Guy]

no one is going to steal a boring common tesla, stop worring, there are far easier higher value cars to steal.

 

[inimic]

no one is going to steal a boring common tesla, stop worring, there are far easier higher value cars to steal.

Bro - people steal Fiestas and Prii...

 

[Adopado]

no one is going to steal a boring common tesla, stop worring, there are far easier higher value cars to steal.

Most commonly stolen car in UK 2022 is apparently the Ford Fiesta. But having my Model 3 stolen is not on any list of worries for me.

 

[Pink Duck]

Worth mentioning that if relying on Sentry Mode as a detterent to check its settings, as vision-based activation was switched off by default after a recent update.

 

[The_Cable_Guy]

Bro - people steal Fiestas and Prii...

because they are easy to steal, common theifs might take them, but proffesionals are not going to bother with EV's which can be fully traced and locked OTA.

its just not worth their hassle.

 

[init6]

Why are people worrying about the CAN network as if you can steal a car after accessing it? You can gain access to a vehicle probably by making doors open, but that's the same opportunity as breaking the glass. I don't understand this thread.

The Range Rover is wired such that cutting a couple of wires in the loom the goes through the tailgate, disables the alarm and unlocks the doors. Parts of the tailgate are plastic so the entry can be made much more quietly than breaking glass. Breaking the glass is almost certainly going to trigger the alarm.

There is a camera at the back of any Tesla. Does anybody know, preferably an engineer, if the wiring to the cameras is CAN-wiring? If not, we're safe.

Just to repeat. The RR is not defeated by getting access to the CAN bus. Just by cutting some wires. There is no decoding or anything to do with the CAN bus in this method. As others have said, hijacking the CAN bus is a lot more difficult than breaking the glass.

 

[init6]

Somewhere there is an underground black market forum where car thieves are saying "I've just stolen a Tesla but can't get the wipers to work properly..."

 

[qwickshot]

and if thjey are going to do that -they will do it. no amount of security will prevent someone who has no interest in how much they damage a car forcing entry,

Yup which is why I buy car insurance, gap insurance and then do the absolute minimum needed to fulfil the requirements of that insurance.

Probably not the right attitude but it’s just a car at the end of the day. There isn’t even a wait for a new one anymore and plenty on the used market.

 

[AndrewGR]

Aren’t a lot of high value cars stolen by lifting them onto transporters? No need to break into them until they have been moved somewhere private. Tesla tracking would see where they have gone unless, presumably, they are dragged into a steel box.

 

[MrBadger]

Somewhere there is an underground black market forum where car thieves are saying "I've just stolen a Tesla but can't get the wipers to work properly..."

Maybe phantom braking is a security measure! Getting chased by plod and it slams on the anchors. Certainly wouldn’t make a good get away car if the car following had access to the app.

 

[LiamPope]

Give it time. In one or two more generations of EVs the scummy criminals will develop plenty of ways to derive value from stolen EVs. New tech never killed off car theft and I doubt it ever will. Wouldn't worry about it now though!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Somewhere there is an underground black market forum where car thieves are saying "I've just stolen a Tesla but can't get the wipers to work properly..."

When you see a reply I trust you''ll let us know?

Tesla tracking would see where they have gone

Tracking has never worked for me when the car has been on a low loader - I think it has to "turn on" for tracking to refresh?

 

[Adopado]

Tracking has never worked for me when the car has been on a low loader - I think it has to "turn on" for tracking to refresh?

Yes ... or on a ferry ... the tracking only turns back on when the wheels roll at the end of your journey. Aware criminals could take advantage of that "feature".

 

[Jason71]

Give it time. In one or two more generations of EVs the scummy criminals will develop plenty of ways to derive value from stolen EVs. New tech never killed off car theft and I doubt it ever will. Wouldn't worry about it now though!

I am sure that they will find ways to get them rolling after they are stolen. Already can with an MS I think but unless you can clone the identity of a written off car e.g. switch the ECU etc then you are never going to be able to connect to Tesla's servers again which means No app access, No Updates, no supercharger access and no selling on without the buyer realising the car is dodgy
I can imagine a black market in written off Tesla ECU's from cars not reported to Tesla as dead so that stolen cars can be revived but it sounds like a right faf and will no doubt limit the attractiveness of Tesla theft for the time being.
Demand for parts will only grow though.

 

[Adopado]

I am sure that they will find ways to get them rolling after they are stolen. Already can with an MS I think but unless you can clone the identity of a written off car e.g. switch the ECU etc then you are never going to be able to connect to Tesla's servers again which means No app access, No Updates, no supercharger access and no selling on without the buyer realising the car is dodgy
I can imagine a black market in written off Tesla ECU's from cars not reported to Tesla as dead so that stolen cars can be revived but it sounds like a right faf and will no doubt limit the attractiveness of Tesla theft for the time being.
Demand for parts will only grow though.

Just chatting to my brother on the phone today. He's in the middle of an EV conversion project and communicates with others who do the same thing. He says that all the Tesla major components have been "cracked" and can easily be used on independent projects (his own project isn't using any Tesla components).

 

[GRiLLA]

Just chatting to my brother on the phone today. He's in the middle of an EV conversion project and communicates with others who do the same thing. He says that all the Tesla major components have been "cracked" and can easily be used on independent projects (his own project isn't using any Tesla components).

The wipers ?

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Well.. the GPU or CPU are fairly standard and the MCU runs a linux variant... not sure what there is to 'crack'. Most of the car bits are just car bits.. If you break something into its constituent parts it's much simpler and able to be repurposed.

Unless he meant the windscreens..

 

[Adopado]

Well.. the GPU or CPU are fairly standard and the MCU runs a linux variant... not sure what there is to 'crack'. Most of the car bits are just car bits.. If you break something into its constituent parts it's much simpler and able to be repurposed.

Unless he meant the windscreens..

I think he was referring to motor controllers and such like. I'm no expert on it!

 

[LiamPope]

Yeah exactly - I imagine Tesla and other EV's software might be cracked/patched so it doesn't 'phone home' much like computer software is today, and stolen EVs could be made to operate independently albeit unable to connect/update (until the next update is cracked of course). Would be a market for such cars in some places for sure.