URGENT WARNING: Is Your Toyota C-HR, RAV4, or Lexus NX/RX Truly Safe?
We have seen a distressing surge in the theft of keyless vehicles across the UK, and high-value models from Toyota (especially the C-HR and RAV4) and Lexus (particularly the NX and RX series) have become prime targets.
Thieves are exploiting a critical digital vulnerability using a technique known as the CAN Bus Attack (or CAN Injection). If you own one of these popular keyless vehicles, your factory security is likely inadequate against this sophisticated method. Action is required now to protect your investment.
🚨 The Threat: How The CAN Bus Attack Steals Your Car
Your vehicle’s sophisticated electronics rely on the Controller Area Network (CAN), which is essentially the car's digital nervous system. The theft method works by digitally overriding the factory immobiliser system:
Access Point: Thieves gain quick, often non-destructive, access to the CAN bus wires. On many vulnerable models, this access is achieved through the wheel arch liner or behind the headlight unit in just seconds.
Injection: They connect a small, inexpensive hacking tool directly to the exposed wiring.
Digital Override: The device "injects" fake, highly authentic-looking messages onto the network. These false commands trick the vehicle's computers into thinking the correct, authorised key is present, telling the immobiliser to disarm, and the doors to unlock.
Drive Away: The thief can then start the engine and drive away in under a minute, without ever needing your physical key fob.
🛡️ Your Three-Step Defence Strategy
Fighting this digital threat requires a multi-layered approach that combines professional digital security with visible physical deterrents.
1. Install a CAN Bus Immobiliser (The Digital Shield)
This is the most effective defence against CAN Injection. A high-security CAN Bus immobiliser, such as the Autowatch Ghost or Scorpion X-Series, integrates silently into your vehicle's electronics.
Zero Fobs: It requires you to enter a unique, personalised PIN code sequence using existing buttons in your car (e.g., steering wheel, window, or dashboard switches) before the engine can start.
Invisible Security: It is completely invisible to thieves and their diagnostic hacking tools. Even if the thief successfully injects the CAN signal, the engine will not start without your secret, button-press PIN sequence.
2. Employ Visible Physical Deterrents
Physical deterrents are crucial because they add time and risk for the thief, encouraging them to move on to an easier target.
Steering Wheel Locks: A substantial, brightly coloured steering wheel lock is a classic and effective visible deterrent. It signals to the thief that your car is not a quick grab.
OBD Port Lock/Relocation: Consider securing or moving the OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) port. This port can sometimes be used by thieves to reprogram blank keys or tamper with the security system.
3. Review Parking, Manufacturer Updates, and Key Security
Secure Parking: Always park your vehicle in a well-lit area, or, ideally, a locked garage or secure driveway.
Physical Protection: Ask your local dealer about manufacturer updates, such as the Vehicle Protection Plate (VPP) or similar physical shields designed to cover vulnerable wiring looms near the headlights.
Physical CAN Bus Shields: Investigate specialist security suppliers for physical CAN Bus Anti-Theft Shields—metal plates designed to physically block access to the vulnerable wiring access point.
By combining an invisible, digital PIN-based immobiliser with high-visibility physical security, you can drastically reduce the risk of your Toyota or Lexus becoming the next target.
PSA: NO Toyota is safe...hundreds of NEW Toyotas stolen with this tool provides a visual explanation of how thieves are exploiting this vulnerability to steal various Toyota models and what owners must do:
The following installers are highly rated and located in key areas of the borough (Welling, Sidcup):
Certified Immobiliser Installers in/Near Bexley Borough, London
| Installer Name | Location in Borough | Address | Rating | Phone |
| Sounds Alarming | Welling | 146-148 Upper Wickham Ln, Welling DA16 3DX | 4.7 stars | +44 20 8309 8999 |
| Glow Customz | Welling | Alleyway, 178 Park View Rd, Welling DA16 1ST | 5.0 stars | +44 7842 508180 |
| AWTuning | Sidcup | 180 Halfway St, Sidcup DA15 8DJ | 4.8 stars | +44 20 8300 2450 |
Important Next Steps
Before booking, make sure to confirm the installer is authorized to fit the specific CAN Bus immobiliser you prefer (e.g., Autowatch Ghost) and ask for proof of Thatcham approval for the product and installation, as this is crucial for the highest level of security and may be required by your insurance company.
Further information:
Local Priorities Theft Of Motor Vehicles Message
*Beware Toyota CH-R* - These vehicles are typically broken into through a CAN Bus attack. To prevent a CAN Bus attack you can get a CAN Bus shield and get a steering wheel lock.
https://www.metengage.co.uk/Alerts/A/357977/Local-Priorities-Theft-Of-Motor-Vehicles-Message (outside area but affects such models if you own them in the borough of Bexley).
https://www.metengage.co.uk/Alerts/A/360727/Local-Priorities-Theft-Of-Motor-Vehicles-Message
