Auto thefts spiked during the first half of the 2020s. Thanks, in part, to creative new ways thieves were inventing to steal cars. But now car theft rates are falling again, with a 16.7% decline in 2024 and another 23% drop in the first half of 2025. And this may be because of the weird hacks many drivers are using to protect their vehicles. Here are the 12 weirdest hacks some owners use to safeguard their ride.

Drivers are wrapping up their key fobs

One all-new way thieves are nabbing cars is by using a repeater to amplify the key fob’s signal. If a vehicle owner keeps their keep fob near their front door, a pair of thieves with a repeating device may be able to unlock and start a car parked in their driveway.

So how do you keep your key fobs signal secure? As I’ve previously written, keeping your keys in an RFID-blocking pouch is your most secure option. But what if you live in the country and never bothered to buy an RFID pouch, then are staying at an AirBnB in the city that has you a bit worried. Clever car owners have tested a variety of ways to block your car key’s signal.

Some drivers are wrapping their key fobs in aluminum foil. Don’t have any aluminum foil? Other owners are dropping their key fobs in metals tins. Still others have demonstrated placing your key fob in an empty chip bag will at least reduce its signal strength.

Drivers are hiding their key fobs

Key fob signal repeaters work via proximity. One way to make it much harder for thieves to pirate your key fob’s signal is to move your key fob as far away from your parked car as possible. This is why many drivers have begun keeping their key fobs by their bed. This has an added benefit, you can use the “panic” button to deter any would-be thieves you spot. Note that thieves may be able to duplicate the signal from any spare key fob you keep downstairs.

Drivers are deactivating keyless entry

Do you have t o hit a button on your key fob to unlock your car? Or is it already unlocked when you grab the door handle? If it’s the second, it’s a bit more suspect able to the “relay attack” car theft method mentioned above. If thieves can repeat the signal your key fob emits all the time, they can just pull open your doors and hit your engine start button.

So how do you foil a “relay attack?” One easy step you can take is to deactivate your keyless entry feature. Hitting a button to unlock your car is a bit more of a pain, but it makes your vehicle much more secure against certain theft techniques.

Drivers are rewiring their OBD-II ports

What do thieves do once they’ve unlocked a car by relaying a signal from the house? Many bring along a device dealership technicians use to code brand new keys, and some blank fobs. If they plug this device into the vehicle’s OBD-II computer port, they may be able to take over and program their own key fob. But they need to find the port first.

Some clever vehicle owners are placing a lock on their factory OBD-II ports. The logic is that thieves can eventually remove the lock, but doing so will cost them precious time. If they’re fumbling with a car in a driveway, they may decide it’s too risky to stick around. Other drivers are attempting to confuse thieves by cutting the wires to their OBD-II ports. The downside here is that a mechanic will need to reattach all the wires before they can work on your car. The upside is that a confused thief may connect their key programing tool to the port and try to connect for a while before they realize something is wrong. This may even be enough time for the police to show up. A third, more sustainable option, is to completely rewire the OBD-II port. The strategy is to cut the wires to the factory port to confuse thieves while installing a real OBD port somewhere surprising, such as inside the glovebox, for a mechanic to use.

Drivers are removing a critical relay from the fuse box

Another old-school way to keep anyone from starting your car or truck is to open the fuse box and pull out a critical relay. Some drivers prefer the ignition really, so nothing happens when a would-be thief attempts to start a vehicle. Others like to get tricky and go for the fuel pump or fuel injection relay–depending on model year. This will allow the vehicle to crank over, but not fire. This will prevent the vehicle from driving away, but may also have the added bonus of confusing the thief long enough for help to arrive.

Drivers are carrying pool a pool noodle and a hoodie

In a now-viral TikTok video, a self-proclaimed travel safety expert named Victoria showed a creative hack to deter car thieves. She parked her car, slid her driver’s seat all the way forward, then fit a hoodie over the seatback to make it look like someone was waiting in the car. She even used a pool noodle to create the illusion this person had arms.

Comments were divided: This might deter a person who was walking by and just glanced at your car. But leave your car in the wrong neighborhood for long enough and this illusion won’t last long.

Drivers are hiding an Apple AirTag in their car

I’ve previously written that drivers are hiding Apple AirTags in their vehicles to track them even if they’re stolen. I argued that it’s better to use a purpose-built car GPS tracker. Why? Because the AirTag will actually alert the thieves it’s in your vehicle once they drive far enough. They can unpair it from your phone and pair it with their own instead.

That said, multiple vehicle owners have used AirTags to track their stolen vehicles and provide investigating police officers with a location to check. This makes sense, many folks buy a four-pack of AirTags and have extras around. But perhaps it’s best to toss one under you floor mat, then stick vehicle GPS tracker to your frame so after the thieves have tossed out your AirTag they think they’ve won.