OBD theft goes in 4 steps
1. The thief gets into the carThrough a broken window or a door that was left unlocked.
2. They find the OBD portIt is the spot under the steering wheel where diagnostics are plugged in. On every car of the same model it is in the same place.
3. They plug in a deviceThe device is like the one a mechanic has. With it the thief programs a blank key into the car, a new key that has never been in any car, and the car accepts it as its own.
4. They start the engine and drive awayAll of this takes the thief a few minutes.
The factory immobiliser, a block that will not let the engine start without the right key, does not help here: the car learns the new key and from then on treats it as genuine.
In a 2-minute video you see how theft through the OBD port works and how relocation prevents it.
Why the thief goes through the OBD port
Because the port is open to anyone who sits behind the wheel. Through it a mechanic reads faults and makes new keys, for example when you lose a key.
Key programming devices are made for garages, but they are also sold online. That is how a thief gets one too.
The port is usually under the steering wheel, within reach of the driver. Petrol cars have it from 2001 and diesels from 2004. More about where the OBD port is
The port has to stay open, because both dealer and independent garages work through it. European rules require the maker to open diagnostics to independent garages too.
How OBD theft is stopped
This theft is stopped by 3 kinds of OBD protection. With them the thief plugs in their device, but the car does not answer, or they cannot reach the port. An immobiliser works differently: it stops the engine once the key has already been made.
OBD port relocationThe factory connector stays in its place. The thief finds it, but the port does not work until your adapter is in the hidden socket. More about OBD port relocation
Electronic OBD blockerThe port stays where it is, but does not work while the blocker is on. Before servicing and the technical inspection you switch the blocker off: with an adapter with a code, a fob or through the alarm. More about the electronic OBD blocker- OBD lockThe port is under a cover with a lock, so the thief sees the protection straight away. Before servicing and the technical inspection you unlock it.
ImmobiliserIt does not stop a thief from making a new key. It only stops the engine from starting with that key, because the engine will not start without your fob. More about the immobiliser
Which protection: it depends on the car
- Most cars: relocation or an electronic blocker.
- An expensive car that is a frequent target: relocation and a blocker together, and for the whole car an immobiliser and GPS as well.
No protection can promise that the car will not be stolen. Each one costs the thief time, and thieves pick cars without modern protection.
Servicing and the technical inspection after protection
Servicing and the technical inspection go as before: plug the adapter into the hidden socket, and the garage connects to the factory port. At the inspection the emissions equipment is checked through the OBD port. More about the technical inspection and OBD
Keep the adapter outside the car, always in the same place. If you lose it, call us: we come to your address and restore access to diagnostics. More about a lost OBD cable or adapter
OBD protection does not protect against keyless theft or the headlight attack
These 2 thefts do not go through the OBD port, so OBD protection does not stop them:
Keyless theftA keyless key unlocks and starts the car from your pocket. The thief catches its signal and carries it to the car, so they do not need the port. A key pouch and an immobiliser help. More about keyless theft
The headlight attackThe thief removes part of the bumper, connects a small device to the headlight wiring and sends the car a fake message that the key is present. An immobiliser or an alarm that blocks starting helps. More about the headlight attack
Which cars thieves steal in Serbia
According to Serbian Ministry of Interior data, the car stolen most is the Volkswagen Golf from the 2nd to the 7th generation, followed by the Passat, Polo, Touran, Tiguan and Caddy.
After Volkswagen come Audi, Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, Škoda, Opel and the BMW 3 and 5 Series. The figures cover all ways of stealing a car, not only through OBD. More about the most stolen cars in Serbia
Signs that someone tried to steal the car
By a broken window, even if it is only a small side window. The thief may break exactly that one, because the alarm then sometimes does not go off.
If you notice a broken window, report the attempt to the police on 192. After the attempt the OBD port still works for anyone who gets into the car. So protect it as soon as you can.
Habits that make the thief’s job harder
- Do not leave the key in the car.
- After locking, pull the door handle. A thief can jam the remote's signal, so the car stays unlocked.
- Keep the spare key at home, never in the car.
- Keep a keyless key in a pouch that blocks the signal.
- When you can, park in a locked garage.
Habits do not close the port. Once the thief is inside the car, they make a new key just the same, so habits go alongside OBD protection, not instead of it.
