Disabling Keyless Entry: What It Stops — and What It Doesn’t

Many cars have settings such as:

1. “Disable automatic unlock when approaching”
2. “Disable automatic lock when walking away”

Disabling means you’ll need to press the button on your key fob instead to unlock / lock. The settings are worded slightly differently depending on the manufacturer, but the principle is the same.

Whilst this stops the car unlocking and/or locking automatically—it does not fully prevent relay car theft on cars with vulnerable key fobs. That’s because:

• Keyless unlock can be disabled
• But keyless start cannot (for obvious reasons)
  A thief can still relay your key fob’s signal to an accomplice who can start the engine but the accomplice has to break into the car if the key fob is without a motion-sensor* or doesn’t use UWB. This method is less common than classic silent relay theft of full keyless-entry vehicles. The need for a visible forced entry, alarm activation and prolonged time inside the cabin makes it a much higher-risk approach for criminals, and therefore far less attractive.
  *even with a motion sensor the key fob has to be motionless for long enough to have started “sleeping”

Not all keyless cars that unlock as you approach will lock again when you walk away — walk-away auto-lock depends on the manufacturer, and many models don’t support it in which case locking requires a key fob button press.

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