General Discussion

Dave Starsky

(5,914 posts)

5. To hell with keyless cars, for many reasons.

Tue Jun 18, 2019, 08:15 AM

Jun 2019

They are relatively easy to hack. There are guys who work in teams of two using a radio relay system. One guy stands next to your car, and the other walks around in the grocery store until he's in range of your keyless fob. Once he's there: Wham! Door opens, car starts. That's just one way. There are many others.

I have heard more than one story about people who have either accidentally left the fob on top of their car or had it fall out of their pocket/purse upon entry. They then drive off, and when they reach their destination, they discover they're screwed.

The fob runs out of battery at the most inconvenient times.

I'm not sure why these things even exist. Is it that inconvenient to have to twist your wrist to start your car? Well, maybe if you have crippling arthritis, but otherwise...

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A word of caution: His keyless car killed him while he slept. New legislation could save others [View all] mfcorey1 Jun 2019 OP

My MIL"s friend died the same way. woodsprite Jun 2019 #1

Are they forgetting to turn off the engine? 3Hotdogs Jun 2019 #2

Probably forgot to turn it off radical noodle Jun 2019 #32

some cars can be remote started with a key fob. unblock Jun 2019 #39

my great-aunt's 5th husband died in the garage starting his normal car, but he was older. around 80. pansypoo53219 Jun 2019 #3

I had to teach my kids that. MissB Jun 2019 #4

Wow, that's scary. marybourg Jun 2019 #61

That's only late middle age here on DU. marybourg Jun 2019 #59

To hell with keyless cars, for many reasons. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #5

My Hertz rental Chevy had the key fob Submariner Jun 2019 #10

I'm sure customers have been flying away with rental car keys for decades. Hassin Bin Sober Jun 2019 #52

Electronic switching is cheaper than mechanical switching. Dr Hobbitstein Jun 2019 #14

It may be cheaper for the car company. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #16

My 04 VW and '10 Mercury both have keyed ignitions. Dr Hobbitstein Jun 2019 #18

That's what they charge. It's not what the true value is. defacto7 Jun 2019 #25

This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Jun 2019 #28

When I bought my new Prius the salesguy said the keyless device costs about $300 to replace sop Jun 2019 #30

I'm aware of that. Dr Hobbitstein Jun 2019 #87

it has vastly more to do with how much you need the key fob than how much it costs to make one. unblock Jun 2019 #41

I always keep mine on a watch chain. Kablooie Jun 2019 #21

Keyless sucks. I hate when car companies take control of the vehicle defacto7 Jun 2019 #24

Manual locks are easier to jimmy than hacking a keyless lock. LanternWaste Jun 2019 #63

An immobilizer key does the job as well or better than keyless. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #71

CO detectors in the home ought to be a requirement Kaleva Jun 2019 #72

My house is all electric. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #73

I don't think it's your intention to argue that you need protection from your car. Kaleva Jun 2019 #75

I have smoke detectors in almost every room. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #77

A CO detector may still be a good idea for you if you have an attached garage. Kaleva Jun 2019 #78

Because you don't know what appliances people are bringing into the home. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #83

CO detectors are required in all new construction Michigan Kaleva Jun 2019 #85

Key fob dead? Here is how to start the car. Lucid Dreamer Jun 2019 #90

In my hybrid Sonata customerserviceguy Jun 2019 #104

I hate to love keyless entry but moonscape Jun 2019 #108

They'll take my keyless fob when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #115

Last year I got my first keyless car. I forget quite often to turn it off, but the bells remind me. Hoyt Jun 2019 #6

I left mine running for four hours in the yard of my home. mfcorey1 Jun 2019 #9

It is easy to do. Glad it was outside. Hoyt Jun 2019 #11

I have a keyless car. luvtheGWN Jun 2019 #15

That's me, too. Hybrid car, you'd never hear that you left it on by accident. There is an alarm Nay Jun 2019 #17

Same here my Prius so quiet marlakay Jun 2019 #95

Oh yeah, I'm always leaving the fob in the house. Truthfully, I'd rather have an old style key. Hoyt Jun 2019 #100

Me too when i found out replacing marlakay Jun 2019 #107

CO detectors save lives! Nt USALiberal Jun 2019 #7

I absolutely insist on having them, in the garage and in the house. Mariana Jun 2019 #48

Should have a CO detector on the car so it detects when it's running in an enclosed space. Gidney N Cloyd Jun 2019 #66

I have a keyless car. tammywammy Jun 2019 #8

Mine alerts me spinbaby Jun 2019 #12

Plus a Prius will NOT lock if you leave the key fob inside the car csziggy Jun 2019 #80

The problem is the tailpipe. Ron Green Jun 2019 #13

Plus ++++++++ Tikki Jun 2019 #19

Wikipedia says that the U.S. has more electric cars per capita than Europe. sl8 Jun 2019 #29

There should be ways to disable it IronLionZion Jun 2019 #20

My Ford F150 does that fescuerescue Jun 2019 #68

My Mazda CX-5 has a keyless fob. Thankfully it is a ALBliberal Jun 2019 #22

I would be shocked if a CX-5 would allow you to lock the doors from the outside, AtheistCrusader Jun 2019 #27

Most cars do actually fescuerescue Jun 2019 #69

I have not experienced this. At minimum, the key that unlocked the doors cannot be locked inside. AtheistCrusader Jun 2019 #82

My wife has a Mazda with keyless fob. Codeine Jun 2019 #37

Keep the radio on. Lonestarblue Jun 2019 #23

Should have had a CO detector still_one Jun 2019 #26

Especially with an attached garage. Hassin Bin Sober Jun 2019 #31

I agree. I have two. A lot of smoke detectors come with both now still_one Jun 2019 #33

+1 Kaleva Jun 2019 #60

I'm safe. No garage and no keyless car. nt leftyladyfrommo Jun 2019 #34

Correction: "He accidentally killed himself with a car while he slept." Act_of_Reparation Jun 2019 #35

I disagree - the design of the car and its keyless system is poor hueymahl Jun 2019 #42

In what way? Act_of_Reparation Jun 2019 #44

But that doesn't happen hueymahl Jun 2019 #46

And I've never done it. Act_of_Reparation Jun 2019 #49

I guess you just feel like arguing hueymahl Jun 2019 #50

Or history has taught me to be skeptical of tech panics. Act_of_Reparation Jun 2019 #51

What is the per capita ratio of key vs fob deaths? LanternWaste Jun 2019 #65

It actually happened at a house on the same street as my inlaws. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2019 #114

One more reason we need electric cars. tinrobot Jun 2019 #36

+1. Off-lease used electric cars are reasonably priced Rstrstx Jun 2019 #94

Not taking the basic precaution Codeine Jun 2019 #38

I have had keyless cars on business rentals . I really like them . I can't see how someone lunasun Jun 2019 #40

The car didn't kill him. He killed him. He left it running. You can do that with keys, too. Maru Kitteh Jun 2019 #43

It is not that simple hueymahl Jun 2019 #47

Not having CO and smoke detectors in the home can kill you too. Kaleva Jun 2019 #56

Since my car key and my house key are on the same fob TruckFump Jun 2019 #55

it seems like a subtle thing.... Locrian Jun 2019 #45

I will NOT have one of these keyless monsters!!!!!!!!! TruckFump Jun 2019 #53

A deaf couple in my home town died that way. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #74

OMG! How awful! So sorry! TruckFump Jun 2019 #88

That happened a long time ago. Dave Starsky Jun 2019 #89

I check the tachometer - if it's zero, it's off. NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #93

Yep, I have had a few toy cars over my life. TruckFump Jun 2019 #98

Lack of CO detectors killed him. Every home should have them. Kaleva Jun 2019 #54

Keyless cars are the worst innovation ever Calculating Jun 2019 #57

There WAS a reason. Car theft. MicaelS Jun 2019 #106

Don't touch my remote and keyless start. SouthernProgressive Jun 2019 #58

It's prime for some improvements by mandate. NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #91

Show me a car that doesn't. SouthernProgressive Jun 2019 #97

Positive my 2019 doesn't. NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #110

Then it isn't similar to the scenario you described above. SouthernProgressive Jun 2019 #111

I'm willing to bet none. NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #112

I have a keyless car. LiberalFighter Jun 2019 #62

I recently ended up renting a Ford Flex that had MineralMan Jun 2019 #64

My keyless vehicle has a safety feature for that fescuerescue Jun 2019 #67

Banning combustion engines for cars would also prevent this Tiggeroshii Jun 2019 #70

Having a messy garage can save you! OhZone Jun 2019 #76

Our garage is a laboratory of mad scientists and artists. No room for cars there. hunter Jun 2019 #79

The keyless car didn't kill him; it was his own carelessness... Blue_Tires Jun 2019 #81

It's interesting to me to read how divided people are... Phentex Jun 2019 #84

Why have any safety features in a car? NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #92

Why have CO detectors? Kaleva Jun 2019 #96

How far are you willing to go to idiot-proof the world? Blue_Tires Jun 2019 #101

I think warning chimes are pretty reasonable. NutmegYankee Jun 2019 #109

Wow, how horrible. Catherine Vincent Jun 2019 #86

Keyed cars will soon be very rare if non-existent. MicaelS Jun 2019 #99

But airbags and seatbelts serve practical safety purposes. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2019 #103

Purpose? MicaelS Jun 2019 #105

I could imagine things going terribly wrong with a defunct sensor in that proposed solution. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2019 #113

I'm not a fan of them. They serve no point. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2019 #102