Is the Toyota RAV4 easy to break into and steal?

I keep reading about how easy it is to break into and drive away a Toyota RAV4 by removing the headlight and reaching the wiring. Toyota sales people claim to know nothing about this. Any idea what the situation is? I’d rather wait to get a car not so easily stolen.

Asked on 29 September 2023 by Rufus Ulyet

Answered by Craig Cheetham
Unfortunately, there are a number of documented cases of RAV4s being stolen via what's known as a CAN Injection, where the vehicles CAN (or Controller Area Network) is tricked into thinking that a key is present due to bridging some of the wiring loom connections. Toyota in the UK does not confirm the situation but it has been widely discussed online. However, there are other models that are also prone to cyber theft thanks to cars relying more and more on online systems, with Land Rover models also prone to theft. Most car thieves are opportunists, which means a good old-fashioned deterrent such as a mechanical steering lock is a good idea.
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