Steering Lock, Faraday Pouch or Immobiliser: Which Car Security Actually Works?
Walk into any car accessory shop and you'll find plenty of ways to protect your car. The three most common are steering wheel locks, Faraday (signal-blocking) pouches and aftermarket immobilisers. They do very different jobs, and none of them is perfect on its own.
Steering wheel locks
What they do: a steering wheel lock physically stops the wheel turning. The big advantage is that thieves can see it from outside the car.
Where they fall short: they slow a determined thief down rather than stopping them. They only work when you remember to fit one, every single time.
Verdict: a great visible deterrent and a cheap extra layer, but not enough on its own.
Faraday pouches
What they do: a Faraday pouch blocks your keyless fob's signal, which helps stop relay attacks where thieves boost that signal from inside your home.
Where they fall short: a pouch only protects against attacks on the fob. It does nothing if a thief adds a new key through the car's diagnostic port, and nothing if the key is left out of the pouch. Pouches also wear out over time, so test yours regularly by standing next to the car with the key inside.
Verdict: cheap and worth having for keyless cars, but it covers one way in, not all of them.
Aftermarket immobilisers
What they do: a good aftermarket immobiliser stops the engine starting unless it recognises something only you carry, separate from the car's own key system.
Where they fall short: quality varies a lot. Look for one that's professionally fitted out of sight, doesn't rely on you remembering to switch it on, and can't be bypassed just by programming a new key.
Verdict: the strongest single layer, because it works against relay attacks and key programming theft, and keeps working whatever the thief does to the car's own key system.
The best answer: layers
Security works best in layers. A visible steering lock puts thieves off at first glance. A pouch protects a keyless fob at home. An immobiliser makes sure that even if someone gets in, the car still won't start.
Where IMMOSTOP fits
IMMOSTOP is the immobiliser layer, built so you never have to remember it. It arms itself when your phone leaves the car and disarms as you walk back. Two separate cut points must both be released before the car will start, and only your phone or keyring tag can release them. It's professionally fitted out of sight by Autosecureshop.
The layer that works automatically, every time. See IMMOSTOP, £349 all-in, fitted →