I just read this article and it's interesting how theives use a laptop to hack (possibly with brute force) cars equipped with RFID keyless push button start to steal them. It says it only takes as much as 20min to hack a car then drive away with it

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2117

Perhaps it's a good time to get one of these:


Here in canada it's easy to tell which ones have that option: since there are only 3 options to choose from. Base model, Fully loaded, and Fully loaded with Nav. This makes it even easier to distinguish for theives
The base model doesnt have it and you can tell that by looking to see if the car has fog lights; If it has no fog lights, it's the base model, therefore, it doesnt have RFID push button start.

If you are paranoid it's really easy to disable the smart key function, then no hacking can happen. There is a button under the steering column that switches it on and off.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
1992 Mitsubishi Delica Diesel-WVO Hybrid Photos

Thanks for the info, but actually i only have the base model so i didnt feel threatend by this in any way. just thought i'd share the info to the other readers out there.
I paid cash for my car and my budget was not to go over $40,000CND so that's why i ended up with the base otherwise i would have ended up with a luxury brand like a RWD Lexus IS250 which would have been a good choice too.


regards,
gj

Wouldn't this apply to all the new Toyota and Lexus models? I believe the newer models all have the key-less push button ignition.

If you look into it 20 min is kinda long can take most other cars in half that time might not be as pretty but works.

Sounds high tech and very clean to just hack an RFID signal with a laptop, if all it takes is 20min it's a pretty **** good and very short time invested to earn a car like a lexus or a prius, Or David Beckham's BMW X5 SUV

Very few theives have laptops, and of the ones that do they are pretty limited in their hacking skills, let alone wireless car device hacking that requires very specialized RF interfaces, it's nothing that a laptop can interface with normally. My guess is that it's more or less the organized crime types that would have access to and use such systems to systematically target high value cars, and that may include hybrids, maybe the Luxury SUVs, but I doubt a Prius would be a big target as they are pretty common stock, and smallish as compared to so much else, especially in the US, but you never know.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
1992 Mitsubishi Delica Diesel-WVO Hybrid Photos