We’re huge fans of Australian cars, so it pains us to write stories like this, but vehicle thefts in Australia (in Victoria in particular) are getting out of control and there’s one group of cars being disproportionately targeted using a cheap device from eBay.
Victoria Police this week announced that vehicle crimes in the southern state have reached record levels. In the 12 month period to September 2024, more than 25,000 vehicles had been stolen in Victoria.
Victoria’s Vehicle Crime Squad reports vehicle recovery rates of 73 per cent. Worryingly, around 40 per cent of offenders are classified as children or youth.
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Unfortunately, there’s also been a massive uptick in crimes related to late-model Holden and HSV vehicles (typically more desirable V8 models) in the last six months.
There’s a mix of offenders – lowlives who steal them to joyride and commit other crimes. These are the type dumb enough to keep driving the cars on stolen plates.
Then, there’s the other type – organised criminals who steal vehicles to rebirth them, or strip them for parts and then dump them as empty shells on the roadside.
What many of them have in common is a cheap device currently for sale on eBay. The tool itself isn’t illegal and is primarily used by mechanics and locksmiths to read OBD data (via a port in the interior that allows them to read vehicle diagnostics and reprogram certain onboard computers) and reprogram keys.
Unfortunately, this device is being paired with a method used by thieves to disable horn alarms to buy them more time when stealing vehicles.
This is how it works:
- Thieves spot a late-model Holden or HSV, pop the front bumper out, and locate then cut a cable to disable the horn
- They will then use a turbo decoder or, more brutishly, a screwdriver in the door lock to open the vehicle
- Then they will plug the device into the vehicle’s OBD port, disable the alarm (switching off the flashing indicators as well as the horn), delete the original keys paired to the car and then pair a new set of keys
- Once this brief process is complete, the car starts and away they go
One person that spoke with us said: “I was a victim of an attempted theft of my VF Calais V this week, which I interrupted and saved. I have a video of them using a [device name] key programmer,” he said.
“The guy who attempted to steal my VF had a stolen VF with him and it’s been three days now that he is using same car to go and pick almost five VFs in and around the CBD.”
“I got there in time and was able to stop them in the process. The photos show a clear face of the offender and the fingerprints were taken by Victoria Police but still they couldn’t get him.”
So how can you stop this if you own a late-model V8 Holden or HSV? We’d encourage you to immediately stop driving your vehicle in public and to not leave it parked outside until you take the steps listed below. They are being stolen from people’s homes, train station car parks and shopping centres. Every single vehicle is a target.
You need to buy either a Club Lock or a Cop Lock – these are both mechanical devices that prevent a vehicle from being driven by stopping steering wheel movement and/or pedal operation.
Better still, you can install a PIN-coded immobiliser and relocate your horn. A horn going off or a mechanical device preventing theft will more than likely cause the thief to move on to the next vehicle instead of focussing on yours.
One of the companies that helped us with research on this, Euro Chiptuning Solutions (which is discounting the installation of alarms and immobilisers for anybody that mentions this story), is able to install these devices.
There are likely many other companies that will be able to assist with this as well. If you own a late-model Holden or HSV, it’s now a matter of urgency to act before your vehicle is targeted next.
