Car Theft Devices — Anti-Theft Gadgets to Thwart Car Thieves

Verizon Hum X

Credit: Hum by Verizon

The Hum consists of a plug for the OBD port that gathers vehicle data and a wireless Bluetooth speaker that clips to your sun visor. If you wake up to an empty space where your car was parked the night before, open the Hum phone app and you can see your car’s location. But the idea isn’t to help you find the perp and go all vigilante. The Hum is there to say that the owner is watching. Because unplugging it triggers an alert, too.

Price: $5, plus $15 subscription fee.

Mission Darkness Faraday Bag for Keyfobs

Credit: Amazon

This pouch is made of fabric woven with conductive metals that block any electronic signal from getting in or out. If you park within range of your key fob, stash it inside this bag to stop a thief from copying the signal. Even with the flap open, our tester Jaguar XF couldn’t read the real key’s signal from inside the car.

Unconcerned with aesthetics? We found that two layers of aluminum foil work just as well.

Owl Car Cam

Owl

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If this dashcam detects motion in or near your car when you’re not in it, LEDs light up the interior, and it sends live video straight to your phone and to Owl—even if a thief steals it, you’ll still have his photo. The device also has a speaker, so if you get an alert, you can say, “Hey, you, with the soul patch and the Insane Clown Posse tee, just letting you know that my steering wheel is covered with botulism!” And that the cops are on the way.

Price: $299 plus $10 per month

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Winner International The Club

Credit: Amazon

There’s a screw device specifically designed to break it. (Repo men love it.) Legend has it that thieves would freeze the bar with liquid nitrogen, then shatter it with a hammer. Or you can just hacksaw the steering wheel. But what about simple tools and brute force? We took a drill to the lock, then hammered in a screwdriver, snapping the welds and releasing one of the hooks. Disqualified? Nah. Like all these devices, The Club’s job has always been to announce that this car is more trouble than it’s worth. Thirty-two years later, it still does.

Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.