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So what manufacturers do seem to care about security? If I wanted to buy a car made in the last few years, who is least likely to be cracked?
by sarahprobono 11y ago
So what manufacturers do seem to care about security? If I wanted to buy a car made in the last few years, who is least likely to be cracked?
- wlesieutre 11y agoTesla's at least on top of their software updates, and I believe they designed some more sensible separation of systems than most cars. For affordable options, I have no idea.
- blackbeard 11y agoWait until Teslas become cheaper. Until then, buy a Lada Niva. No one will want to steal it and it doesn't have anything complicated in it that can be hacked.
- stcredzero 11y ago1993 Corolla with decayed paint. Utterly, utterly, reliable. Appears undesirable. It will also guarantee that you'll never get laid.
- blackbeard 11y agoGood cars. Too wet here in the UK for something to last that long. My 2006 Fiat is on its way out already...
- ild 11y agoI know someone bought 1988 Honda. Made a sharp turn - front wheel fell off.
- icelancer 11y agoNo way. Late-model Toyotas and Hondas get stolen a ton. Spare parts are still useful for tuners and sport compact car ricers. Get an old American junker.
- stcredzero 11y ago1993 is late model?
- superuser2 11y agoNope. 90s Toyotas have eminently resalable parts and no immobilizer, making them far and away the most-stolen cars in America. There are very high-end car thieves who want flashy cars, but the vast majority of car theft is about 1) ease and 2) what the parts are worth.
- mordocai 11y agoSomething with no wireless features at all(I think the no-feature nissan versa might be that way?). Not because their manufacturer cares about security, but because of less attack vectors.
- robmcm 11y agoJust don't opt for the "smart key" option, on most models it's an optional extra. Radio keys should be OK although they have their own security risk.
- moze 11y agoTesla? It seems that they do understand the risks and invest in security more then others.
- fweespeech 11y agoI drive a Hyundai Accent with manual windows and doors. No one is going to crack that but a guy with the right piece of plastic can still take down a window, get in, and steal the car. If someone wanted to murder me, they'd need physical access to the car to mess with it. So...yeah. No situation is 100% safe or secure. However, pretty much anything wireless pretty much guarantees any criminal can just make a kit to do X and sell it to actual car thieves claiming he thought they were [legal profession like car repo]. Sort of like how people sell malware/"security tools" now. "Oh, I sold it to a criminal. HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN?" :p
- mikeash 11y agoTheft of newer-model cars is extremely rare and I don't think vulnerabilities will change that much. Anything that requires computers at all is going to be beyond the average car thief. If you're worried about safety, buy a car with a good crash safety rating. You're far more likely to get into a normal crash due to bad human drivers or mechanical failures than you are to be hacked. If you're worried about the financial loss from a crash or theft, your best protection is good insurance.
- ceejayoz 11y ago> Anything that requires computers at all is going to be beyond the average car thief. Not for long.
- mikeash 11y agoWell sure, pretty much by definition. Car thieves who can't handle technology will eventually have to stop stealing cars. There are only so many late 90s Honda Accords out there to be stolen, after all, and they aren't making any more. But I really doubt that all the thieves out there will learn fancy technology so they can steal newer cars. A few will, but most will find other things to steal. Right now, popular new cars are stolen in amounts of hundreds per year in the US. Older cars (like the Honda Accord) are stolen by the tens of thousands. That's not because older cars are more valuable, it's just because it's a lot easier.
- leni536 11y agoOh, then there is a pretty open market on preconfigured "thief tools".
- walshemj 11y agoreally there has been an epidemic of thefts of range rovers in London - car theft gangs are not some kid with a screwdriver any more.
- fastandfurryous 11y agoYou're making the mistake of assuming car thiefs are unintelligent or unorganized. Successful thefts that return a profit require a network of skilled people to pull off and talent can be found within that pool or recruited. By saying a thief would have to understand how a computer exploit works, it's saying a thief needed the equivalence of an engineering degree to drive away with a car before computers entered the equation. Exploit discovery, maybe, but it doesn't take much to execute packaged tools you bought on the blackmarket.
- rwmj 11y agoIt's not possible. Make sure your car is well insured. The insurance companies have traditionally put pressure on manufacturers to add better security. In the UK, the car insurers set up this respected research institute which has steadily improved car security: http://www.thatcham.org/about http://www.thatcham.org/about
- BuildTheRobots 11y agoThat Thatcham rating might not be as good as you think; we used to have massive problems with Thatcham certified motorbike chains and locks, eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck Pro-Tip: If you're chaining your bike up, make sure the chain can't touch the floor.
- a3n 11y agoDon't buy a high end car that has a high theft rate. Research theft rates like you would reliability and resale. Buy a plain vanilla mid-level toyota, honda or the like. Insure your car.
- vonmoltke 11y agoThe "plain vanilla" cars are the ones with the highest theft rate: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/08/18/the-most-stolen-new-and-used-cars-in-america/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/08/18/the-most... It has been this way for about two decades. It is much easier for thieves to slice-and-dice a common vehicle into hard-to-trace parts, since the hot parts will disappear into a sea of legitimate used and reconditioned parts. High-end cars are comparatively rare, and thus harder to dispose of discreetly.
- a3n 11y agoInsurance should be cheaper on a plain vanilla car.
- CamperBob2 11y agoI don't always buy new cars, but when I do, I don't let car thieves pick the make and model.