YOUR CAR
CAN BE STOLEN
in under 60 seconds with no alarm triggered
Manufacturer security updates help, but they were never built to reach the car you already own
Sleeping fobs, ultra-wideband keys, over-the-air patches. Real progress, and worth knowing about. None of it retrofits automatically onto a keyless car that already left the factory without it.
The real progress manufacturers have made
Some manufacturers have made genuine improvements. Motion-sensing, or sleeping, fobs stop transmitting a signal when left still for a period, closing the window a relay attack needs. Ultra-wideband ranging measures the actual travel time of a signal, making a relayed signal arrive too slowly to be accepted as genuine.
These are real engineering responses to a real problem, and where available, they help. This is not an argument against manufacturer security, it is an argument about who actually gets it.
The gap that progress leaves behind
Hardware Cannot Be Patched In
Sleeping fobs and UWB ranging require specific hardware built into the key and receiver. A software update cannot add hardware that was never fitted.
Rollout Is Slow and Uneven
These features typically appear first on premium trims or flagship models, and only spread across a manufacturer’s range gradually over several years.
The Existing Fleet Is Enormous
Millions of keyless vehicles are already on UK roads without these protections, and will still be driven for years to come.
Why an aftermarket CAN bus immobiliser is the practical answer
A CAN bus immobiliser does not wait for a manufacturer’s roadmap. It is fitted directly to the car you have right now, whatever generation of keyless technology it shipped with, and it works the same way regardless of whether your specific fob has motion sensing or ranging built in. It does not depend on the factory system succeeding or failing, because it sits entirely outside that conversation.
Better factory security is a reason to be optimistic about future vehicles. It does nothing for the one currently on your driveway. A CAN bus immobiliser, LockCar’s CAN-IMMO protection, is the layer available to you today, on the car you already own.
LockCar recommended for this page
- Fits the car you own today, no waiting
- Independent of your fob’s factory technology
- From £150 fitted, full insurance certificate
- Same immediate protection plus tow-away recovery
- Movement alerts and live camera stream
- No mandatory monthly subscription
Frequently asked questions
Does my car need to support sleeping fobs or UWB for LockCar to work?
No. LockCar’s CAN bus immobiliser is independent of whatever keyless technology your factory fob uses. It works the same way regardless of how advanced or basic your car’s factory system is.
Should I wait for my next car to get better factory security instead?
That depends on your own risk tolerance and how long you plan to keep your current car. A CAN bus immobiliser protects the car you have now rather than a future one.
Will manufacturers eventually fix this for everyone?
Over time, newer models are likely to include stronger protections as standard. That timeline does not help a car already built and sold without them.
Protect the car you already have, not a future one
LockCar CAN bus immobilisers are fitted UK-wide, with a full insurance certificate included.
