Watch out!

[Subevo]

Good afternoon,


As you may be aware, there has been a recent speight of high-profile Tesla thefts around the London, Essex and Kent areas, and we therefore wanted to reassure you that we take the security and safeguard of our clients’ vehicles extremely seriously.


For those of you that are members of the various forums and owners groups, you will no doubt have seen and heard lots of talk and communication on this matter, along with updates and advice on the best preventative measures to apply.


Through our contacts within the forums, and via Tesla themselves, we've been advised that the Police are still looking for a common link between the UK stolen vehicles, however, whilst their investigations continue we urge all owners to consider the following:

1. Turn OFF passive entry mode in your vehicle (so the car requires you to unlock with a key press only)

Ø To do this go to Controls > Settings > Doors & Locks > Passive Entry Off (if it's greyed out unplug the car and put your foot on the brake)

1. Should you wish to continue to use passive entry mode, place your key in an RFID blocking bag / a Faraday Signal Blocking Cage or simply a metal box (E.g. a metal spectacles box, an Altoids tin or similar) when not in use to prevent relay key attacks.
2. Don't leave keys on display or within reach of your letterbox.

It is also important to recognise and acknowledge that these incidents are still minimal, and whilst the above list is not exhaustive our view is that you can never have too much security.


Tesla are taking these security concerns very seriously and we’re expecting further, re-assuring and encouraging news shortly. In the meantime, please ensure that you have the latest software update installed.


Best regards

Novo

 

[Mark_T]

Given the high degree of connectivity and information logging from these cars, does anyone have a clue what the thieves are doing with the cars once stolen?

It feels like a stolen Tesla should be virtually worthless as it should be unsaleable /trackable and there is no significant 'spare parts' business either... ?

 

[DJP31]

Given the high degree of connectivity and information logging from these cars, does anyone have a clue what the thieves are doing with the cars once stolen?

It feels like a stolen Tesla should be virtually worthless as it should be unsaleable /trackable and there is no significant 'spare parts' business either... ?

I suspect they go into a container and are shipped overeseas. I also suspect there is a black market for spare parts, especially from those drivers who use their cars for an income and can’t live with Tesla’s awful parts supply service. Imagine being in a relatively modest shunt and needing a new bumper. That’s a multiple wait week from Fremont.

I’d imagine the batteries are worth a bit too.

 

[.jg.]

There are Tesla cars in countries where Tesla does not operate e.g. my wife saw a Tesla in Kiev last week. As such cars are unlikely to be serviced by Tesla and third party garages would have no legitimate channels through which to acquire parts, it seems likely that parts may be acquired through illegitimate means.

 

[Mark_T]

I guess the spare parts market may be big enough to warrant the effort then...

 

[Golfdriver]

I asked a question about security when I went to my recent Orientation event. The chap hosting suggested that Tesla will always be able to track your car even if the thief has turned off your location services within the car. Apparently, they can stop the car from working if they have a warrant from the Police. Obviously, this will be harder to do if the car is shipped overseas.

I don't know how true this is, I have no reason to doubt but I wonder if he was saying this as he thought it was what I wanted to hear.

At the end of the day, people will steal anything and a Tesla is desirable I just wonder with the whole issue of charging etc if they are too problematic for a thief. I assume Tesla could deactivate super-charging which again would make the car less desirable.

 

[brkaus]

I asked a question about security when I went to my recent Orientation event. The chap hosting suggested that Tesla will always be able to track your car even if the thief has turned off your location services within the car. Apparently, they can stop the car from working if they have a warrant from the Police. Obviously, this will be harder to do if the car is shipped overseas.

I don't know how true this is, I have no reason to doubt but I wonder if he was saying this as he thought it was what I wanted to hear.

At the end of the day, people will steal anything and a Tesla is desirable I just wonder with the whole issue of charging etc if they are too problematic for a thief. I assume Tesla could deactivate super-charging which again would make the car less desirable.

If they pull it quickly into a truck or on a trailer and then disconnect the 12v, tracking would be disabled.

From that point, they can more fully disable the tracking (remove the cellular data SIM card and disable the WiFi) before powering it back up.

If they could recover one, they could probably tell from the logs how it was attacked.

 

[DJP31]

If they pull it quickly into a truck or on a trailer and then disconnect the 12v, tracking would be disabled.

From that point, they can more fully disable the tracking (remove the cellular data SIM card and disable the WiFi) before powering it back up.

If they could recover one, they could probably tell from the logs how it was attacked.

It takes about 10 seconds to remove the SIM, if you know what you are doing. That, or jamming the signal is enough to render the car invisible.

 

[DJP31]

I asked a question about security when I went to my recent Orientation event. The chap hosting suggested that Tesla will always be able to track your car even if the thief has turned off your location services within the car. Apparently, they can stop the car from working if they have a warrant from the Police. Obviously, this will be harder to do if the car is shipped overseas.

I don't know how true this is, I have no reason to doubt but I wonder if he was saying this as he thought it was what I wanted to hear.

At the end of the day, people will steal anything and a Tesla is desirable I just wonder with the whole issue of charging etc if they are too problematic for a thief. I assume Tesla could deactivate super-charging which again would make the car less desirable.

They can find the car providing it is transmitting its signal. There was a chap in London who thought his car had been stolen, and the front line Tesla support people said they couldn’t track it. Turned out they could, and the car was a couple of streets away having been moved by the local council. They hadn’t advised the Police it had been moved.

The recent update disabled “passive entry”, which ensures the amplification of the signal by thieves between car and key fob doesn’t work. The car can only be opened by a double press on the key. This was largely as a result of a request from the closed Facebook group. Passive entry can be re-enabled for anyone that wants to use it, and the use of Faraday Cage type bags, or just a tin to block the signal is another way.

Tesla are the only manufacturer that enables owners to turn the keyless entry/start off, other marquees aren’t so lucky.

For the moment I’ve disabled passive entry at night and re-enable in the morning, it is a great feature and those handles presenting themselves to you is pretty irresistible .

 

[Lolly]

Hi everyone. I have just tested this Faraday pouch, works a treat and looks nice. Tested as follows:
1. Enabled passive entry, allowed car to self lock.
2. Checked each key unlocked car on approach independently, self lock in-between.
3. Tested key 1 in pouch, put right up against and all around drivers window, door handle and windscreen. Car did not open.
4. Repeated step 3 with key 2. Car did not open.
5. Repeated step 3 with both keys in pouch. Car did not open.
6. Repeated step 2. Car opened as expected.

Note: There are two sleeves in the pouch, you must use the inner one (silver lined) which is protected.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Hi everyone. I have just tested this Faraday pouch, works a treat and looks nice. Tested as follows:
1. Enabled passive entry, allowed car to self lock.
2. Checked each key unlocked car on approach independently, self lock in-between.
3. Tested key 1 in pouch, put right up against and all around drivers window, door handle and windscreen. Car did not open.
4. Repeated step 3 with key 2. Car did not open.
5. Repeated step 3 with both keys in pouch. Car did not open.
6. Repeated step 2. Car opened as expected.

Note: There are two sleeves in the pouch, you must use the inner one (silver lined) which is protected.

https:// www.amazon.co.uk /gp/product/B07989XNTT/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Remove the spaces and use the whole thing if you don't want to use a tagged URL.

 

[Tozz]

does anyone have a clue what the thieves are doing with the cars once stolen?

They are disassembled and sold as parts, atleast some of them. Some time ago a Dutch Tesla was found, in parts, in the back of a van on its way to Poland. It was stolen a few days earlier.

 

[Tozz]

Hi everyone. I have just tested this Faraday pouch, works a treat and looks nice.

As a general caution: A Tesla in The Netherlands was stolen some time ago, even though the owner had his keys in such a pouch (not the exact same one, but similar). The pouch worked before, but after it was used a few times apparently the faraday cage was broken to the extend where the keyfob would be transmitting signals again out in the open.

If you want to use a pouch that can be bend/folded please test regular if its still working. I would recommend to use something like a cookie jar that is less prone to failure or just disable passive entry.

The failed pouch has EAN number 3649230905593 and can be found for example here:

bol.com | Autosleutel RFID anti-diefstal beschermhoes

 

[jelloslug]

As a general caution: A Tesla in The Netherlands was stolen some time ago, even though the owner had his keys in such a pouch (not the exact same one, but similar). The pouch worked before, but after it was used a few times apparently the faraday cage was broken to the extend where the keyfob would be transmitting signals again out in the open.

If you want to use a pouch that can be bend/folded please test regular if its still working. I would recommend to use something like a cookie jar that is less prone to failure or just disable passive entry.

From my experiences, a granola bar in a foil wrapper will completely block the signal, even if you are standing right next to the car...

 

[Tozz]

They are disassembled and sold as parts, atleast some of them. Some time ago a Dutch Tesla was found, in parts, in the back of a van on its way to Poland. It was stolen a few days earlier.

See: https://www.carscoops.com/2017/06/cops-found-stolen-tesla-model-s/

 

[Fellsteruk]

The option to turn on passive entry is still greyed out on my MX tried pressing the break but still grey how do I turn it on?

 

[12Pack]

PIN to drive - 2018.32.4 update - works well to add another layer of security

 

[Tozz]

Should you wish to continue to use passive entry mode, place your key in an RFID blocking bag / a Faraday Signal Blocking Cage or simply a metal box (E.g. a metal spectacles box, an Altoids tin or similar) when not in use to prevent relay key attacks.

THere are reports from others on TMC that their pouch purchased specially for this purpose stopped working after just a few weeks. The metal shield was broken and the keyfob was detected by the car.

WHen using these special pouches, test them regularly! A metal box would be better. Ofcourse passive entry off is the best solution.

Given the high degree of connectivity and information logging from these cars, does anyone have a clue what the thieves are doing with the cars once stolen?

Dismantled for parts. Tesla can track Tesla's even with mobile access off. So a stolen Tesla can only be used if they remove the SIM, which means the entire MCU becomes almost useless. No nav, no spotify, no tunein, no nothing. Doesn't really work for most people I think.

I'm afraid they end up in parts on eBay. The shortage of parts from Tesla itself doesn't help either I suppose.

 

[thegruf]

Note: the new PIN entry option in 32.4 will stop the car being driven without the code
it will NOT prevent entry to the car.

Hopefulyl the deterrent factor will be sufficient to send thieves elsewhere, however you should also consider that said thieves will be sat in your driver's seat only to be presented with a PIN login. It would be nice to think they will just leave without a fuss, but one thump of frustration on the screen is going to leave you a hefty bill. Just consider this prior to relying on PIN entry security.

It is also far from inconceivable albeit maybe less likely that thieves can monitor you with zoom cameras/binoculars etc for the PIN code, so exercise some care when entering the pin too. Remember this is worth £10Ks to the thieves so they may not give up so easily.

I have said elsewhere that I am not a fan of a 1990s pin code kludge to defeat these thefts, however I do accept it is better than nothing.
Hopefully Tesla will come up with something smarter still in future.

 

[Mark_T]

In other news... Direct Line are mailing out free faraday pouches to those who have policies with them.

Use of the pouch is not a condition of the insurance but it sure can't hurt their bottom line to make sure all customers at lest have one...