Keyless car thefts hit 15-year high across UK
Keyless vehicle thefts have reached a 15-year high, according to new data from Tracker Network UK Limited.
Between January and October 2025, the company recovered more than £35 million worth of stolen vehicles, with 93% taken without the keys.
The figures highlight a growing national problem, as criminals increasingly exploit keyless entry systems using a method known as a “relay attack”. Using electronic devices, thieves capture and transmit the signal from a car owner’s key fob to unlock and start the vehicle remotely.
Earlier this year, the Home Office announced plans for new legislation to criminalise the possession, manufacture or supply of such electronic devices.
Offenders could face up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine, but no implementation date has yet been confirmed.
Mark Rose, Managing Director of Tracker, said: “Tracker has been campaigning against the sale of devices that intercept keyless car fob signals, as well as tools that jam GPS tracking technology, for many years. As the BBC report confirmed, devices used to conduct relay attacks and steal keyless vehicles are readily available online, and although the price is high, organised crime groups know the profit potential makes the upfront cost worthwhile.
“Previously, prosecution for handling these devices was only possible if it could be proved by police that they had been used to commit a specific crime. Under the new laws proposed, anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, will bear the consequences and rightly so. Without meaningful action in the shape of robust legislation, such thefts will continue to rise unchecked, with more drivers becoming victims of these crimes and suffering the emotional and financial impact of that. The time for that action is now.”
Tracker is the only stolen vehicle recovery expert that works formally with every police force across the UK.
Over 2,000 police patrol vehicles and all UK police helicopters are equipped with Tracker detection units, which use VHF and GPS/GSM technology to locate stolen vehicles even when GPS signals are blocked.
The company reports a 95% recovery success rate, with half of vehicles recovered within four hours and 80% returned within 24 hours.
Tracker has also issued security guidance to drivers, urging them to take preventative steps such as storing key fobs in signal-blocking faraday pouches, never leaving vehicles idling unattended, fitting security gates or posts, and keeping documents and valuables out of sight.
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