On-board Diagnostics linked to massive 400 per cent surge in car thefts across Victoria

Small, security-busting devices allowing crims to steal cars without keys have been linked to a surge in car thefts across the state, with these makes the biggest targets. SEE THE LIST.

Cheap security-busting devices are suspected of being behind surges of up to 400 per cent in the theft of some major car makes.

Victoria Police figures show there has been a massive jump in vehicle thefts which were not connected to a home burglary, home invasion, armed robbery or carjacking.

Most of those are being attributed to offenders armed with small on-board diagnostic (OBD) units which can reprogram and override security systems and start a vehicle within seconds.

Youth offenders under notice from Victoria Police’s Operation Trinity have been seen throwing the devices from the windows of stolen cars as the law closes in.

The police numbers show that in the 28 days to June 23, the top-eight makes had huge increases of between 47 per cent and 400 per cent in which no other linked crime was committed when they were taken.

Toyota manufactured six of those vehicles, the Corolla, HiLux, LandCruiser, RAV4, 86 and Prado.

The Holden Commodore is one of the most stolen cars using the OBDs. Picture: Tony Gough

The Commodore was a long way out on top in the rankings and the Subaru Impreza was in fourth place.

The statistics indicate youth offenders are turning away from getting into victims’ houses to get their car keys and using OBDs instead.

There were 131 Commodores stolen in thefts not connected to another offence in the 28 days to June 23, compared to a rolling average for the previous five years of 89.

Next were the Corolla, on 76 compared to 27 over five years, and the HiLux which was up 129 per cent to 62.

LandCruiser thefts increased from a rolling average of 16 to 59 in the four weeks to June 23.

One of those was started by a thief using an OBD at Ivanhoe East on June 2.

It was 16 days later driven through Northland shopping centre after police tried to intercept it in the complex’s car park.

The state’s car theft rate is at its highest level since 2002.

While there is no break-in involved with the OBD thefts, police remain alarmed that youths under scrutiny from Trinity were still endangering the public.

“A significant concern for Victoria Police is that crashes involving stolen cars have soared as a result of rising thefts, with 760 collisions in the past year,” detective Insp. Julie MacDonald of the vehicle crime squad said.

“We know that child offenders are also using these devices to steal cars and drive at extreme speeds on our roads with several arrested by Operation Trinity in recent weeks.”

Among them were three who stole a Toyota parked at a Melbourne gym and threw a key reprogramming device from the vehicle moments before police pounced.

One of the group was connected to three other Toyota thefts in which vehicles were stolen without the owner’s keys going missing.

A Toyota spokesman said the safety of customers and the broader community was top priority and that the company was “proactively” helping police with their inquiries.

“We continuously review and update vehicle security features to support our customers in the ongoing prevention of theft,” he said.

Compatible Toyotas are fitted with stolen vehicle tracking which can enable them to be found after being stolen.

Emergency nurse Andrea Honeyman’s prized Toyota LandCruiser was wiped, probably by an OBD-equipped thief, while she worked at a regional hospital last week.

Ms Honeyman’s car keys were with her the entire shift and returned to the car park to find her 4WD missing.

She said stealing a nurse’s car while they were working was as low as people could go.

“It’s so low, and I had the worst shift, it was just an absolute kick in the guts,” she told the Herald Sun.

A LandCruiser stolen using an OBD was later driven through Northland shopping centre. Picture: Josie Hayden

“I had to save a guy having a stroke, here I am saving people’s f***ing lives and come out (of the hospital) and go ‘wow’.

“We just work so hard so it’s really frustrating.”

Ms Honeyman said the thieves appeared to have waited for her to enter the hospital at the start of her shift before making their move.

She noticed a suspicious car sitting idle with its lights on nearby as she got out of her Toyota.

She said the police’s CCTV footage of the theft made it clear.

“They smashed the window in and used a device to override the car,” she added.

“Why the hell aren’t these things banned?”

“They were watching me, and I know they were watching me.”

Originally published as On-board Diagnostics linked to massive 400 per cent surge in car thefts across Victoria