Interesting...

Those reports have been about for some time - indeed watchdog showed some high end cars being nicked with the technique a year or so ago.

Some of the advice in the link might be a bit difficult in some circumstances

"Criminals sometimes use radio jammers to block the door-locking signal from fobs: this is why you should use the door handles to physically check that your car is indeed locked."

I had a rental car with a proximity key - walk up to it and it would unlock - walk away and it locked. But there was no way you could check it was locked unless

A) you have very long arms B) you send in a colleague to check its locked C) you leave the key 10 yard away and walk back.

As someone who is obsessive about making sure the car is locked this caused me a bit of a problem. How can a design like this ever get out of the factory?

I would hope that the car locks thunk when they're operated. All we then need to do is listen out for it, which I always do even with my button-operated locks.

Dave, this has been abounding since about 2 weeks after the first keyless cars we introduced. The police have a simple answer, use a steering wheel lock. Great idea. Spend zilch time locking your car but 10mins securing and unsecuring it. A wheel clamp might also be a good idea.

I'm all in favour of technological advances but it appears to me that some (many) just make life a damned sight harder. Nick.

Except that nowadays they're probably engineered to be silent locks and there's a little chip playing an MP3 of a 'thunk' just to be reassuring.

Doesn't mean the locks work, though.

Owain

At least it removes the need to mug the driver to get the keys.

Check the status using the app on your mobile phone...

I had an experience where the neon display of a Pizza Hut prevented me from unlocking the car. Parked further away after that.

Or break into the house to get them. It does help to have cars which no one wants to steal.

About 12 years ago, we managed to leave a backdoor unlocked one night.

Scrotes came in and found car keys.

They moved my wife's Fiat Punto (about 9-10 years old) off the drive and parked it on the road so that they could steal the 4 year old Ford Mondeo.

Is this not why so many cars now make strange noises so youknow the locking worked?

Brian

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I have auto folding mirrors. They are a good visual cue.

Ditto. Ears in = locked. Ears out = unlocked. It would drive me crazy with insecurity if it didn't display it's lock status like this! ;-)

Tim

Ditto

Except when you've locked it, unlocked it but not started it, then walked away and left it unlocked, with its ears in ...

Um, not on mine. Ears out on unlock, not engine start.

Tim

On mine, the ears come out when you unlock it, not when you start it.

On mine, unlock it and walk away without opening a door, it relocks itself after about 10 seconds and the mirrors only come out after you open a door.

My Disco4 is the same. Very irritating.

Sure, they tell you the mirrors have folded. They don't tell you the doors are locked.

Micra drivers over 75 use steering wheel locks = have you noticed? Then spend ages fiddling about with them just to pop into a shop for a few minutes.