Connected Car Apps Failing to Prevent Stolen Cars
· news
The Dark Side of Connected Cars: Security vs Convenience
Experts warn that connected car apps are not as effective in preventing or recovering stolen vehicles as consumers expect. Ian Fogg’s experience with his Kia, which was stolen despite using the Kia Connect service, highlights the tech industry’s tendency to prioritize convenience over security.
Fogg’s car was compromised through advanced features like live tracking. Thieves hacked into his vehicle and disabled its tracking system without leaving any signs of forced entry or damage. This vulnerability raises concerns about modern vehicles’ susceptibility to hacking. As Fogg noted, it’s astonishing that a car with similar radio technology as a phone can be so easily targeted by thieves.
The issue is not limited to Kia Connect. Thatcham Research identified a “genuine and growing gap” between consumer expectations and the technical reality of connected car features. Manufacturers often downplay or mislead customers about the capabilities of their tracking services, describing them as customer convenience features rather than certified security vehicle trackers.
Lack of standardized regulations and industry-wide standards for connected car security is alarming. UK law prohibits manufacturers from using live tracking data to locate stolen vehicles without explicit consent, which can be difficult or impossible to obtain. This raises questions about the effectiveness of current laws in protecting consumers.
The contrast between the car and phone industries is striking. While the phone industry has implemented robust anti-theft measures, including features like “Find My iPhone,” the car industry lags behind. Fogg commented on this disparity: “Both cars and phones include mobile phone radios, satellite location chips, short-range wireless activity, and sophisticated software… But while the phone industry has strengthened theft protection measures in recent years, the situation in the car industry is worse.”
Statistics from 2025 show that nearly 55,000 cars were stolen in the UK, with only around 13% being recovered. This highlights the limitations of current connected car security solutions and the need for more robust measures to protect vehicle owners.
Thatcham Research advises seeking out independently certified stolen vehicle tracking products. However, this highlights the broader problem: most connected car apps are not engineered to provide genuine real-time location monitoring or dedicated security functions. These devices demonstrate the inadequacies of current connected car security solutions.
To address this issue, manufacturers, regulators, and consumers must work together to create more robust and effective connected car security measures. This requires a fundamental shift in priorities from convenience to security, as well as greater transparency about the capabilities and limitations of tracking services. Only then can vehicle owners trust that their connected cars will provide them with the protection they need.
Fogg’s story serves as a wake-up call for the industry: it’s time to prioritize security over convenience and acknowledge the dark side of connected cars.
Reader Views
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
The convenience-driven culture of connected car apps has led manufacturers to downplay their limitations in preventing theft. But what about the financial burden on consumers? A stolen vehicle can be a costly loss, and when tracking services fail to deliver, victims are left footing the bill for recovery efforts. While experts decry the lack of standardized regulations, we should also consider the economic incentive driving this industry: manufacturers' reliance on sales data from connected car apps may outweigh concerns about security.
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
It's disingenuous for manufacturers to market their connected car apps as foolproof theft deterrents when they're often little more than glorified GPS trackers. The truth is, a determined thief can still disable or hack into these systems with ease. What's missing from the conversation is an exploration of alternative security measures that don't rely on vulnerable software and connectivity. Implementing biometric authentication or encrypted keyfobs could provide a more reliable safeguard against theft, but it seems manufacturers are prioritizing profit over practical solutions.
- RJReporter J. Avery · staff reporter
The irony of our hyper-connected cars is that they're essentially vulnerable smartphones on wheels. The industry's convenience-first approach has created a security blind spot that even a novice hacker can exploit. Manufacturers need to rethink their priorities and acknowledge that live tracking data is not just a luxury feature, but a fundamental safety measure that requires robust encryption and regular updates. Until then, consumers will remain at risk of losing their vehicles – and their peace of mind.