Do I need to keep my key in a coffee can and arrange an armored pocket?

[Bombastinator2]

I’ve got a 2019 leaf. I read that electronic key fobs are turning into a serious security risk because stupid engineers. (Or bean counters who wouldn’t allow the engineers to do it right, or whatever) shouldn’t have been a problems in the first place (encryption is a thing, guys) but while my leaf is a threat risk, it is filled with thousands of dollars of lithium and may become one. I don’t even have a key. Just the fob. Is it encrypted?

 

[Snakebitten]

Are stolen Leafs a thing?

I have several vehicles. And one of the additional bonuses of the Leaf, beyond never needing to stop for gas, is nobody is even interested in snatching it from the parking lot.

 

[Bombastinator2]

Not that I know of currently. They might become that way though. Gonna depend on how the lithium market goes I suspect. I remember seeing a bumper sticker on a Prius in front of me once that read: “‘that’s a cool car’-no one ever.” I remember thinking “well it’s cooler than my car’. Weird bit is the car I had before this one was a type4 GTI autobahn. Fastest 4 cyl Volkswagen ever made. It was rev limited to I think 144mph or something and did zero to 60 in 6.8. My leaf with eco turned off is noticably quicker than it though and it’s zero to 60 is 6.2. It’s heavier, but a better sportscar

 

[Oostenrijker]

No, because once they steal your Leaf: they can't get far anyway, unless you are the type of person who keeps his Leaf always topped off to 100% SoC.

 

[cornbinder89]

Both fob and car have to fairly close by. The ign and fob "talk" to eachother over very low power weak signals. What you are hearing about is thieves make a "repeater" that picks up the signal and amplifies and re broadcasts to unlock the car. SO if your car is in the driveway and your key is close by, where their little repeater will pick up both, they can make the signal strong enough to open the car.
What they can't do is walk up to your car and just spoof the signal, they need to know the "code" the fob send out, and their a billions of possibilities. Far more than with a physical key.
Those of us that worked on cars back in the dinosaur days, all have stories of the wrong car being opened and started with another key (either my mistake or on purpose).
1st came the "chip" key where a "chip" inside the key had to match, or you could turn the key but the car wouldn't start.
Then came the "keyless" as they realized the key wasn't as secure as a unique digital code.
Thieves got smarter and changed with the times. If they really want your car, they will steal it with a tow truck (which they likely also stole).
don't worry-be happy

 

[flydiver]

I do, but it's a much more attractive and smaller cookie 'can'. An aluminum security tin didn't seem to work.
Current generation of car thieves are a new breed of creep that will steal ANYTHING.
That said, I don't think the Leaf is a particular target, and mine is in the garage for charging anyway.
The keys in the can are for the Prius, AND I had to put a catalytic converter protection plate on that too. Those disappear like porch packages.

 

[jrswick]

I leave Leaf running, doors locked obviously, when running in for groceries or hardware store, constant starting & stopping takes time I should probably test if I can drive away without a key.

If you can get past the foul language, which was a surprise to me from Julia Roberts, watch Netflix movie Leave the World Behind. There is a scene that makes me hapapy I'm driving a Leaf and not a Tesla - makes a point about the potential threat to the USA.

 

[Eddie16]

Leaf is not on the list of the most popular cars to steal. Don't know how Leaf security compares to Tesla, but it's interesting to note that Tesla cars are the least likely cars to be stolen. Could find no info on the searchable internet about security issues with the Nissan fob.

 

[Lokaim]

Can't pay cash for public charging, so it leaves a credit card trail.

 

[goldbrick]

Also, a lot of stolen cars are shipped overseas. I imagine there is not a large demand for EV's in that environment.

 

[psalmon]

I’ve got a 2019 leaf. I read that electronic key fobs are turning into a serious security risk because stupid engineers. (Or bean counters who wouldn’t allow the engineers to do it right, or whatever) shouldn’t have been a problems in the first place (encryption is a thing, guys) but while my leaf is a threat risk, it is filled with thousands of dollars of lithium and may become one. I don’t even have a key. Just the fob. Is it encrypted?

Some keyless entry systems are broadcasting all the time and thieves can wardrive for the signals. In a Leaf, both the car and the fob are only listening except for the moment when you press the button on the door or the fob, which makes anybody grabbing the signal much less likely. BTW, there's a physical key in the fob.

 

[TobyHolland]

I leave Leaf running, doors locked obviously, when running in for groceries or hardware store, constant starting & stopping takes time I should probably test if I can drive away without a key.

If you can get past the foul language, which was a surprise to me from Julia Roberts, watch Netflix movie Leave the World Behind. There is a scene that makes me hapapy I'm driving a Leaf and not a Tesla - makes a point about the potential threat to the USA.

Yes, someone could drive it away, when it's running & you're in the store with the fob......but only until they turn it off......

 

[TobyHolland]

Also, a lot of stolen cars are shipped overseas. I imagine there is not a large demand for EV's in that environment.

There's an HUGE demand for Used Leafs here in Eastern Europe - batteries too - so the more obvious 'big battery' cars will soon be targets as self-moving stolen batteries......

 

[Yodrak]

Yes, someone could drive it away, when it's running & you're in the store with the fob......but only until they turn it off......

Once upon a time I was driving our Leaf with my wife as a passenger. I got out at the hockey rink and my wife, without her fob, took off for a grocery store a few miles away. Fortunately I quickly realized what was going to happen, phoned her, and she turned around and came back to get my fob. (Otherwise I wouldn't be alive today to tell the story.)

 

[SJEVer]

Some keyless entry systems are broadcasting all the time and thieves can wardrive for the signals. In a Leaf, both the car and the fob are only listening except for the moment when you press the button on the door or the fob, which makes anybody grabbing the signal much less likely. BTW, there's a physical key in the fob.

You have to be quite close to the car for the key fob to communicate with the car. Won’t work over the distances such as the inside door to my garage.

 

[knightmb]

Are stolen Leafs a thing?

I have several vehicles. And one of the additional bonuses of the Leaf, beyond never needing to stop for gas, is nobody is even interested in snatching it from the parking lot.

Yes, my wife's 2018 was stolen using a FOB range extender when she was visiting a friend in Nashville. It was recovered a few cities over because we were tracking it with the GPS (well I was, as I had the only working vehicle then, she was stuck in Nashville) It was parked in a rather upscale and expensive apartment complex. Since I had a spare key FOB, I located the vehicle and just parked down the road from it and called the Police. Once they showed up, they blocked off the exit routes with their squad cars and checked the vehicle, looked around for anyone, etc. Then while they were out, I went up and tried to the use the key fob, but it didn't work. I knew it was the right one, so I used the "manual" key to open the door. All the power was out, so I opened the hood and found out they had disconnected the 12v battery after parking it there, probably because they knew it had GPS tracking. I reconnected the 12v battery and everything came back to life, could control the Leaf with the key fob again, etc. They basically stole some items out the car that had some value, but I think the Leaf itself was the main target, probably waiting for someone else to come pick it up later.
They could not start the Leaf again without a key fob, so the police suspect they had another person that would come get it with a tow truck later. I knew they were probably watching from their apartment there so I flipped off the entire place before leaving.

 

[knightmb]

I’ve got a 2019 leaf. I read that electronic key fobs are turning into a serious security risk because stupid engineers. (Or bean counters who wouldn’t allow the engineers to do it right, or whatever) shouldn’t have been a problems in the first place (encryption is a thing, guys) but while my leaf is a threat risk, it is filled with thousands of dollars of lithium and may become one. I don’t even have a key. Just the fob. Is it encrypted?

It wouldn't matter, a key fob extender just tricks your car into thinking the fob is closer than it really is by relaying the data, doesn't matter if it is encrypted or not. This only works for people that have a key fob close enough to a wall or place that the repeater can pick it up. Basically, don't leave your key fob on a hook next to your front door as that is the most popular place for them to check first. Bring the key fob to the center of your home so it is at least 10 feet or more away from any edge surface that someone could walk up to.

 

[hradek]

Once upon a time I was driving our Leaf with my wife as a passenger. I got out at the hockey rink and my wife, without her fob, took off for a grocery store a few miles away. Fortunately I quickly realized what was going to happen, phoned her, and she turned around and came back to get my fob. (Otherwise I wouldn't be alive today to tell the story.)

I keep the spare key hidden in the car wrapped in aluminum foil. Even some how if the car would lock by itself you can call nissan service to unlock the car remotely and get to the key.

 

[Bombastinator2]

It wouldn't matter, a key fob extender just tricks your car into thinking the fob is closer than it really is by relaying the data, doesn't matter if it is encrypted or not. This only works for people that have a key fob close enough to a wall or place that the repeater can pick it up. Basically, don't leave your key fob on a hook next to your front door as that is the most popular place for them to check first. Bring the key fob to the center of your home so it is at least 10 feet or more away from any edge surface that someone could walk up to.

So faraday bag for my keys when they’re in my pocket: yes

 

[AlanD]

I do like Hradek said about having a spare fob wrapped in aluminum foil hidden inside the car, but I also have the physical key hidden under the car in a magnetic key holder. That way I can use the physical key to unlock the door and then get the hidden fob to start the car.