By: Otaiba Ahsan
Car thefts in Canada and the U.S. are a rampant problem, and vehicle owners are spending a fortune on trying to add third-party safety features to combat this issue. However, if you look at the numbers, Tesla’s are often the least stolen vehicles in several locations around the world. Continue reading to see why Tesla vehicles are so hard to steal.
Security Features
Tesla as a company prioritizes safety and security first. Their suite of vehicles come equipped with several features to make the car difficult to steal. These include:
1) Sentry Mode
Sentry Mode is an intelligent vehicle security system that alerts you when it detects possible threats nearby, by using the car’s cameras and sensors to record any suspicious activity around your Tesla when it’s parked. It alerts you with a notification on your phone and it also saves the footage to the USB drive in your vehicle.
Therefore, if people are trying to break into your Tesla and you have Sentry Mode enabled, you’ll be alerted of this threat right away and can call the authorities. For more details, we’ve created a comprehensive guide on Sentry Mode for your convenience.
2) PIN to Drive
Another safety feature that can make a huge difference is PIN to Drive. It allows you to set a secure 4-digit verification that must be entered before your Tesla can be driven. This can be activated when in your car by tapping Controls > Safety & Security > PIN to Drive and then you’ll be prompted to create one.
NOTE: If you forget your PIN or want to disable this feature, go back to the settings for it on your touchscreen. You can then tap the link to enter your Tesla login credentials and then follow the on-screen prompts.
This feature adds an extra layer of security that many other cars simply don’t have right now. It’s already difficult enough to get into a Tesla with its Sentry Mode and extremely loud alarm. But even if they do get in and somehow have your Key Card, they would still be required to punch in this PIN.
3) Live Location
Let’s say someone snags your Key Card and runs off with your car. They can go as far as they’d like, but thanks to every Tesla having live location settings you’ll be able to see where they are at any given time. Simply open the Tesla app and take a look at their location.
The Bottom Line
Those are some of the critical reasons why Tesla vehicles are so hard to steal. Features like Sentry Mode, PIN to Drive and Live Location create difficulty at each step when trying to take a car. For example, Sentry Mode makes it harder to get in the car without being detected, and PIN to Drive makes it difficult to run off with the vehicle once you’re inside. All of these come together to make Tesla’s one of the hardest cars to steal, and one that’s often not worth attempting to take for many criminals.
