MB-E220D 2017

I have a 2017 Mercedes E220d AMG with the keyless remote on it.

About 3 weeks into owning the car, it got stolen off my driveway but I still have my key. The car thief must’ve hacked the car by getting the remote signal from my key and copying it to their device. This now means that they have a copy of my key as well as now stealing my car.

Good news is that police have found the car undamaged and are now doing forensic tests on it. I am happy to get my car back but not happy that the theives still have a copy of my remote key. They can come back and steal it again whenever they want. The police told me to go to mercedes after I get my car back from forensics to tell them the situation and for them to update my security or at least change my key programming.

Has this happened to anyone else? I really do not know what to do. Mercedes have not helped me at all through this and may have to go through legal procedures just for them to understand and help me out.

ua549

Unfortunately it is very easy to intercept a remote signal from a key fob from a distance. That is why I never use it. Instead I rely on the NFC function (keyless go). The NFC signal is very short range, less than a meter.

Proeliator2001

Pretty sure they don't have a copy of your key. This theft works by repeating/relaying your keys signal far enough for the car to detect it. The car is then driven off but as soon as it's turned off the car won't start again as no key signal is present. The idea is the thieves drive direct to a secure location to either crate the car for export or replace all the electronics/locks to clone/sell the car.

Egonvdv

+1

The_Judge

I assume the OP means that the thieves have an electronic copy of the signal sent to the car by his key fob. If they captured that and used it to steal the car, wouldn't they be able to use it for continued access to the car?

c4004matic

I don't know if this is the manner since the new MB key was designed to thwart this particular flaw. The signal is actually timed so unless the key is in fairly close proximity it will not work. Maybe they simply towed it? If there is a will there is a way.......

Egonvdv

this has been done already with certain car brands , though not sure if it would work on a benz (I hope not)

Proeliator2001

There's various news stories in the UK where home CCTV footage shows a late model Merc being taken in this way. Perhaps, with our tiny houses the keys are never too far from the car so the relay chain is short/quick enough to defeat any timing protection.

The scumbags don't "have" the key, they merely repeated the signal at the time of the theft. You can copy the signal and replay it later but it won't help you as it's rolling code.

c4004matic

To me that looks just like a cloning device.

c4004matic

Entirely possible. the usual way do this is essentially a signal booster if the key is somewhere close, however, though you can start the car you are screwed after since you can't restart it. You would have to drive directly to the chopshop. Another plus is you can always track the car with Mercedes me..

MB-E220D 2017

My car has the keyless go package on it. It’s fully speced out so I would have thought that the security would have be of standard. I’m not too sure about the whole remote signal. But as another person mentioned... Once they’ve stole it, they would surely have a copy of that signal to trick the car into thinking that the key is next to the vehicle when in actual fact, at the time of theft, it was in my house which is 40 metres away from my driveway.

MB-E220D 2017

Thanks. This info is very helpful. As the police found my car abandoned on a country road. The theives probably stopped off there and accidentally switch the car off. Or maybe the car realised that the key is not actually in the car, which resulted the car to power down? Just wild guesses atm as I still don’t know any new information about my car because the forensic still have it and won’t let me see it until after they have done their investigations.

MB-E220D 2017

I researched a bit more into this matter and have a full understanding of the situation. All I ask for now it that Mercedes-Benz should do something about this. Say when I get my car back, the same theives take it again? When I watched that youtube cideo, it just made me realise how easy it is to steal a car worth £40k+ like its a pedal bike. Mercedes refuse to even discuss about my security system. Now I have to go down the road of handling the matter through my solicitor. My car has 3 years warranty and is only 3 months old.

Mercedes are great cars and have always been high in terms of standards for a very long time. Can’t say the same for their customer services though.

cetialpha5

As others said, if they just used a signal booster, they just used the signal from your keyless go fob to trick the car into unlocking and starting. It's a rolling code so the way they'd do it again is if your key is still out in the open at home and not in a faraday cage. They sell various faraday cage cases, covers, bags online. Just stick your keys inside one once you get home and they won't be able to steal it in the same manner again. The faraday cage blocks the signal from being sent so they won't be able to find it without taking the key out of the faraday cage.

Egonvdv

why stick it in a bag and not just switch the key off ? - (2 rapid clicks on the close button, then key will flash a few times to confirm)

Mlfremont

A side note, on my 2015 ML350 i have a problem where the rear passenger door will open if pulled on the handle 2 times with key no where nar the car. The alarm does sound with the door open. Dealer states it is a problem with door lock. Will be taking in for a replacement.

cetialpha5

That would kinda defeat the purpose of keyless go. I never use the buttons on my key fob. After deactivating it, you have to hit the button again to wake it up. If you just have a container like an ammo can that's a faraday cage, you can just toss your keys inside it, close it and then when you're ready to leave, grab them, stick them in your pocket and your keyless go is ready to go.

Racin_fool

If you are worried about your car being opened or stolen again using that original key or code, the dealership can go into the vehicle's systems and disable specific key tracks so that only the remote you possess and the codes for it work for the vehicle. If you are worried that they have all the current codes for the vehicle, you can disable all the active keys and get new coded remotes to the vehicle. If they are using the blade key to get into the vehicle, there isn't much you can do to safeguard against that aside from replacing the vehicle's physical lock/tumbler set.

cetialpha5

From what I understand, the way the hack works is that they use a signal booster to relay the signal to the car. So instead of it being 100 feet from the car, the car thinks it's just a few feet away so it unlocks and starts. They don't have to record the key codes and it's rolling anyway so that wouldn't help, all they have to do is walk up to the house and send a signal to wake up the key and have it transmit the right signal to open the car. Only way to defeat something like that is with a faraday cage so that the key can't send a signal and the thieves don't find the key no matter how long they walk around the outside of the house.

Racin_fool

Almost like you need an RFID blocker (like for your wallet) but to stick your keys in while at home. Hmm, might be onto something..

cetialpha5

An RFID blocker IS a faraday cage. They're easy to make, aluminum foil will work.

Egonvdv

stil don't see it.. for me it would be easier to just click the key twice and leave it anywhere, rather than open a box, but it in there, and close it again...

guhvies

​​​​​Looks like some people are vehemently opposed to double clicking. Looks like they're fed up with windows...

cetialpha5

You have to dig the key out and hit it twice. I just keep them in my pocket and use the door sensors to lock and unlock. Then you have to dig the key out to activate it. Like I said, that defeats the whole point of keyless go. It'd be easier to put it in a box that's a faraday cage and close it than to do that every time. Anyway, I'm not worried about it, that's what insurance is for. I'm in a parking lot in a building complex so they'd have to figure out where I live first.

Bobby4919

Would a LoJack with their Early Warning System help in these cases? They supply a second key fob that communicates with the LoJack and if the car is moved without their key fob being in the car, you'll get a phone call and a txt message. At that point you can verify if indeed the car has been taken and call the police to activate the LoJack for tracking.