Enhanced Theft Assistance Features 2024 Only

[PB2021]

I noticed enhancements in the Ford Pass app update this morning around theft notifications and on duty staff to assist with theft cases for the 2024 F150. Hoping this quickly becomes backward compatible for the rest of the 14gens. Can’t see any of them any less a target.

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[antho]

Its the Ford Stolen Vehicle Services. Appears to be a paid subscription deal but like you said, Maybe it will be avail for 21+.

 

[PB2021]

Depending on what the provisions and cost are it’s something I would consider paying for if it becomes available

 

[HammaMan]

While it may end up being available as a paid feature for all sync4 vehicles, there are TCUs with batteries in them (EU) that allows the TCU to remain powered even if the fuse is pulled. Without ford putting batteries into the TCU to remain powered, I don't see this service really doing much for organized thieves. It's just entirely too easy to yank out the TCU fuse, or in the case of the F150, it's easy to physically access the unit itself to preferably cut the cellular antenna coax which renders the TCU worthless for these features by removing its ability to communicate with cell towers.

If a thief is going to go through the trouble of using a relay attack (tools you can't exactly pickup at home depot), they're going to know the weak points of the system. Without some type of no-start / disable vehicle with the TCU going missing, the feature is mostly just a money grab with little utility to the owner.

In one of the latest surveys I did go into more detail on how they can secure the vehicles. One of the features it looks like they're looking to implement is basically remote kill / disable from the app. As in, you go into your app and hit a button that disables the vehicle's ability to start, at all, until you remove the 'lock' from the ford app. This essentially shuts down anything other than a towing theft of the vehicle, which when combined with someone disabling the TCU's ability to announce its location, still ends up with the vehicle falling into a blackhole from the owners POV.

It does however add an additional burden to the theft of the vehicle which may lead to easier targets being selected.

 

[PB2021]

Yes I was thinking something like you describe would be a great option. In the same way you can remotely lock and unlock a credit card from your banking app using the app to remote kill (rather than just lock) your truck would be perfect. There has to be a firmware update that could enable such a feature. Fingers crossed.

 

[UncleFester]

Something else I wont be spending money on.

 

[Big Dog Daddy]

This is new for 2024 F-150's you'll need the newly released Fordpass version 4.33 0

 

[Highway 11]

I'm skeptical that this will actually do anything to make the F150 more theft proof. Any criminal with two brain cells (or being directed by someone with two brain cells) is going to go after the hardware rather than the software.

Ford seems to think that locking out the head unit will do something. It very well might, but security is only as strong as its weakest link. Unless Ford is planning on securing the TCU and making its power supply and antenna redundant, any decent criminal will just go after it. OnStar hasn't exactly made GM products theftproof.

A mass market solution also invites an exploit as time passes. If every F150 has the same anti-theft measures, then eventually someone will break it with a universal solution. Randomized, individual measures make it much more difficult. OBD port locks, dummy OBD ports, immobilizer, and third party alarms and trackers will do much more.

If Ford was serious about making their vehicles trackable they'd take a page from Tag tracking. Multiple tracking devices concealed in hard to reach areas with redundant power supply.

Just my two cents.

 

[HammaMan]

If the ford pass app can "lock" the vehicle from being started and it can only be unlocked from the app, that does provide a foolproof way to secure the vehicle from ALL key/fobs leaving only a tow truck as a means of taking it. For redundancy the kill/unlock function should be able to be acted upon through the website vehicle dashboard with 2fA enabled.

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