10:18 am, February 5, 2026
Keyless car theft is no longer a growing problem – it’s now a well-established one, with dealerships increasingly feeling the impact.
Most vehicles stolen in the UK today are keyless models. Figures cited by Which? show that between 60 and 70% of cars stolen in the 12 months to June 2024 were equipped with keyless technology.
More recent data from Admiral Insurance suggests the picture has intensified, with up to 70% of vehicle thefts in the year ending November 2025 involving keyless cars.
Meanwhile, traditional smash-and-grab theft – once synonymous with car crime – has been reduced to just 4% of incidents, proving just how central keyless systems have become to modern vehicle crime.
Increasingly sophisticated key cloning and relay-style attacks are allowing criminals to access and remove vehicles quickly, quietly and without visible damage. And while this shift presents obvious concerns for vehicle owners, it also creates a growing challenge for dealerships.
Reports of cars being stolen directly from forecourts are rising, bringing new risks around stock security, insurance costs and operational disruption, and forcing retailers to rethink the systems they use to ensure their site is protected.
Industry action at large
Keyless car theft – or ‘relay theft’ – is when an electronic device is used to fool a car into thinking its fob is nearby.
The devices only need to be within a few metres of the fob to capture or ‘boost’ its signal. This enables thieves to make entry to a car, start the ignition, and drive the vehicle away in a matter of seconds.
And the industry has taken note. In recent years, car manufacturers and the wider automotive sector have been taking steps to strengthen the security of keyless systems and offer greater reassurance to drivers.
Brands including Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have introduced updated software, enhanced smart keys and more secure digital key technology to reduce the risk of relay and signal-based theft.
Alongside this, new industry standards are quietly improving how keyless access works behind the scenes.
For example, The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) – which includes big brands such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Lotus – rolled out Digital Key 4.0 in 2025, adding layers of verification and encryption to keyless technology to improve theft rates.
However, the figures still speak for themselves.
Vigilance required
For dealerships with keyless cars on their forecourts, this ongoing risk presents a clear need to be extra vigilant.
In support, KeyTracker, one of the UK’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of secure key and asset management solutions, has developed RFID Signal Blocking Pouches – an innovative new product to store keyless fobs to prevent vehicle theft via relay attacks.
By storing a keyless car’s fob inside the pouch, the transmission of its signal will be cut off, preventing thieves from being able to boost it.
The pouch is so effective, it’s been given the seal of approval by Secured by Design’s Police Preferred Specification, meaning it’s been tested to relevant security standards and fully certified by an independent third-party certification body accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
To double up on security in dealerships, the pouches can be used together with KeyTracker’s electronic key management systems, or mechanical key systems.
They provide an extra layer of protection and reassurance, but also make dealership operations more efficient by helping teams easily and quickly identify which fob belongs to which car.
Share the knowledge
While there’s extensive industry commentary relating to unease amongst driver about keyless tech and vehicle theft risk, with it now offered as a basic standard in most new cars, it’s unlikely to be a factor that impacts sales.
Instead, what’s more important is for dealerships to take the measures to protect themselves while cars are still on their premises, and instil good habits into customers to remain vigilant once they take a vehicle home.
By using fob pouches and promoting their benefits, dealerships will not only create a more secure working environment but will also demonstrate best practice for keyless car ownership, too.
Reassuring customers in this way will help them proceed with confidence – benefiting both the customer and the dealership.
You can find out more information here.
