HOUSTON, TX - Authorities with the Houston Police Department (HPD) are warning drivers about the high-tech sophisticated ways in which criminals are stealing cars.
According to KHOU11, criminals are stealing cars by using something every single car has. Sgt. Tracy Hicks with HPD's Auto Theft Crimes Task Force said that some thieves are utilizing the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port, which is located somewhere under the steering wheel in most vehicles. Sgt. Hicks said, "The way they're doing that is getting access to your vehicle by the door lock or smashing a window.
What they're doing, is they're plugging into what's called the OBD port. They're talking to the brain of the computer, the actual brain of the computer of the truck that makes it run, and with access to that, the device they're using, they're not real cheap, they're expensive, so there are not a lot of them out there, but the crooks that have them, they work on all cars."
He said that the reason the device works on all types of vehicles is because every car, truck, van, SUV, etc. has an OBD port. Sgt. Hicks said, "Everyone has one. They're all the same, so they're universal." That basically means all drivers are vulnerable. To try and protect your vehicle from this type of theft, Sgt. Hicks recommended purchasing an OBD port lock.
With this, in a matter of seconds, you can cover your OBD port, tighten the lock and prevent anyone from getting access to it. He said, "Once it's on there, it's practically impossible to pull off. This is actually going to save you a lot."
Driver can purchase OBD port locks at a variety of price points on Amazon. Sgt. Hicks said, "They range anywhere from $50 dollars to maybe $150 dollars, and they all lock a certain way, and they have a special key. It's a really inexpensive device for a really nice piece of mind." Ahmad Badawi, manager at Danny's Auto Service, said OBD ports have a direct connection to a vehicle's Engine Control Module, or ECM, which manages the ignition.
He said, "The ECM is like the brain of the car. Most of the car's function is like controlled by the ECM in the engine." Sgt. Hicks said it is unclear how many vehicles in Houston are stolen this way, but he said HPD has confiscated several devices that criminals have used to link up to OBD ports to steal vehicles.
Hicks said, "We catch people with them." He said that most thieves are looking for quick access, so if they see an OBD port lock in your vehicle, it serves as an immediate deterrent. He added, "They get in here, and they're like, you know what, slam the door and they're gone." HPD said you can add another layer of protection to your vehicle by purchasing a steering wheel lock, so even if a criminal manages to use the OBD port to start your car, they still will not be able to drive it away.
According to reports, Texas leads the country in highest rate of thefts from motor vehicles. A study done by tinting-laws.com analyzed data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which shows that Texas reports an average of 42.01 thefts per 100,000 people each month in 2023. That translates to about 12,245 offenses monthly.
Michelle Rosenblum, a spokesperson for tinting-laws.com offered some advice, saying, "It's all about being vigilant. Make sure your valuables aren't in plain sight, lock your doors, and try to park in secure areas." Washington State and Colorado follow closely behind.
According to KHOU11, criminals are stealing cars by using something every single car has. Sgt. Tracy Hicks with HPD's Auto Theft Crimes Task Force said that some thieves are utilizing the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port, which is located somewhere under the steering wheel in most vehicles. Sgt. Hicks said, "The way they're doing that is getting access to your vehicle by the door lock or smashing a window.
What they're doing, is they're plugging into what's called the OBD port. They're talking to the brain of the computer, the actual brain of the computer of the truck that makes it run, and with access to that, the device they're using, they're not real cheap, they're expensive, so there are not a lot of them out there, but the crooks that have them, they work on all cars."
He said that the reason the device works on all types of vehicles is because every car, truck, van, SUV, etc. has an OBD port. Sgt. Hicks said, "Everyone has one. They're all the same, so they're universal." That basically means all drivers are vulnerable. To try and protect your vehicle from this type of theft, Sgt. Hicks recommended purchasing an OBD port lock.
With this, in a matter of seconds, you can cover your OBD port, tighten the lock and prevent anyone from getting access to it. He said, "Once it's on there, it's practically impossible to pull off. This is actually going to save you a lot."
Driver can purchase OBD port locks at a variety of price points on Amazon. Sgt. Hicks said, "They range anywhere from $50 dollars to maybe $150 dollars, and they all lock a certain way, and they have a special key. It's a really inexpensive device for a really nice piece of mind." Ahmad Badawi, manager at Danny's Auto Service, said OBD ports have a direct connection to a vehicle's Engine Control Module, or ECM, which manages the ignition.
He said, "The ECM is like the brain of the car. Most of the car's function is like controlled by the ECM in the engine." Sgt. Hicks said it is unclear how many vehicles in Houston are stolen this way, but he said HPD has confiscated several devices that criminals have used to link up to OBD ports to steal vehicles.
Hicks said, "We catch people with them." He said that most thieves are looking for quick access, so if they see an OBD port lock in your vehicle, it serves as an immediate deterrent. He added, "They get in here, and they're like, you know what, slam the door and they're gone." HPD said you can add another layer of protection to your vehicle by purchasing a steering wheel lock, so even if a criminal manages to use the OBD port to start your car, they still will not be able to drive it away.
According to reports, Texas leads the country in highest rate of thefts from motor vehicles. A study done by tinting-laws.com analyzed data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which shows that Texas reports an average of 42.01 thefts per 100,000 people each month in 2023. That translates to about 12,245 offenses monthly.
Michelle Rosenblum, a spokesperson for tinting-laws.com offered some advice, saying, "It's all about being vigilant. Make sure your valuables aren't in plain sight, lock your doors, and try to park in secure areas." Washington State and Colorado follow closely behind.
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Comments
44 days ago | Comment by: Paul
Since the article doesn't tell you. Not all cars/trucks on the road today have the OBD ports and there's two different OBD systems (1 and 2) that are different from each other. Depends on the year of the vehicle. Newer cars- yeah all have the same port. Older cars (pre 1996)- not so much. Pre 1988 good luck finding any port at all.
43 days ago | Comment by: Jan
I agree wholeheartedly that Texas is a Democrat-run/ruined state, but what does that have to do with car theft, other than we have more crime than we would if conservatives ran the state?