With all of the thefts people are doing using the keyless entry theft from your key FOB, I was wondering how people are addressing this. I turned off a setting in my car setup that I thought would disable it, but it didn't work. I'm driving a 2020 ES350 UL. I know some people keep their FOB in tin cans when home or wrapped in foil but there has to be a better way. I also saw a procedure to disable the FOB from sending out a signal all the time but was unsuccessful in getting this to work.

 

I just turn the signal off from the keyfob.

Press and hold the lock button and press the unlock twice. The fob will quickly flash the light and you know it's off.

 

Thats what I did and it didn't work. Maybe I will try it again. Is that permanent until you make a change? I assume you can turn it back on by doing the procedure again?

 

You turn it back on by pressing any key on the fob. Until you do, it's not sending out a signal or receiving a signal. If you do the procedure and try to open the door or start the car, it won't work.

 

From page 107 of the 2020 LEXUS ES350 (either version) OWNER'S MANUAL:
In case it isn't obvious, that only turns off just the key fob you accomplish the turn off procedure on. Any key fob you haven't turned off as well as any key card you may have will still leave the smart access system operable and still be vulnerable to a relay attack.

 

This should be better than a tin can or foil:
I got the above box for my ES350. It works really well. If you put a key in it, close the lid and walk up to the car, the key can't communicate with the car at all. Doors remain locked.

 

Exactly what we have but a little wider to store our 2 car fobs. I even place my wallet in there, which has the key-card.

 

Be aware the faraday box only protect against the relay attack. There is another type of attack that involves a connection directly to the car computer circuitry (CAN Bus Attack). So, get a good steering wheel lock. It's not a bullet proof deterrent, but it will slow a professional thief a few extra seconds and the amateur will probably think twice.

Finally, get an Apple Airtag, Samsung SmartTag or similar. If stolen they are really good vehicle trackers as thief's usually remove the onboard GPS module.

 

I saw a video where someone did this. It wasn't hard, but it required them to go on the dark net and purchase a device for about $5,000. This is probably why you don't hear about many cars being stolen that way.

 

Now they can open the car remotely.
Therefore, the question is how to deactivate keyless entry from the car and not the key.
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Where did you hear this? As far as I know there are only 2 types of attacks to circumvent the keyless security:

1. CAN Bus - Directly interfering with the computer by using a device connected to the car's bus cables (usually headlights). No way to protect other than safe parking or a steering wheel lock to dissuade.
2. FOB Relay - Extend the frequency FOB range to open the car like a nearby FOB. You can protect by deactivating the FOB or storing it in a Faraday Box.

Now, given that the Lexus APP can remote open/start, maybe that could be a vector. But an attack like that will be a hacking/phishing of an account (person targeted) and unlikely to be random theft.

 

I don't understand why the FOB has to always be transmitting to the car without the need to press a button. A garage door opener or TV remote transmits only when the buttons are pressed. Why is there constant two way communication with the car, thus allowing this attack vector?

 

With Techstream you can disable keyless entry function.

 

There are several functions that operate without pressing a button, like the door lock and unlock, kick sensors, and lighting.

 

The car and the fob are always trying to communicate with each other. When they get close enough, the car knows it's OK to turn on some lights and allow the doors to be unlocked with a touch, etc. This means that a key fob that is unused will deplete its battery eventually. For this reason, if you have a fob that is not used and just kept as a backup, it's a good idea to deactivate the fob to keep the battery fresh for when it's needed (Lexus calls this "sleep mode," as I recall).
Also, a fob should be stored far enough away from the car to prevent the communication, which will drain the fob battery fast, and eventually could drain a weak car battery. This is why you are advised not to leave the fob in the car or on a shelf in the garage, etc.