Bollard vs Ghost immobiliser vs Faraday pouch: what stops keyless car theft?

Each one stops a different kind of theft. A Faraday pouch stops relay attacks. A Ghost immobiliser stops the engine starting without your PIN. A driveway bollard stops the car leaving the drive, however the thief got it going. If your car sits on a drive overnight, the bollard covers the most ways in.

How keyless cars are stolen

Relay attacks. A keyless car unlocks when its key answers a radio signal. Thatcham Research describes how thieves work in pairs: one stands by the car, the other near your front door, and their devices pass the signal between the car and your key inside the house. The car thinks you're standing next to it. Secured by Design says it can take around a minute.

CAN injection. Thieves pull back a bumper or headlight and connect a device to the car's wiring. In one documented case from 2022, a Toyota RAV4 was stolen this way using a tool hidden in a fake Bluetooth speaker. It sends fake "key is valid" messages, so it needs neither your key nor its signal.

Key programming. Once inside, thieves plug a device into the diagnostic port and program a blank key.

Stolen keys. Some thefts start with a burglary or keys fished through the letterbox.

Electronic theft is now the main route. In the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year to March 2024, 58% of vehicle thefts involved manipulating the car's remote locking signal.

What each one stops

"Designed to" means the Ghost's installers say it targets these methods. We haven't found independent test results, so treat those as maker's claims.

Faraday pouches

A signal-blocking pouch or box stops your key answering the car, which defeats a relay attack. Thatcham Research and Hampshire police both recommend one, with the same warning: test it. Put the key in the pouch, stand by the car and try the door. If it opens, the pouch doesn't work. Hampshire police suggest testing every few months, because pouches wear out.

In What Car?'s 2026 test, all eight pouches blocked a keyless key, even after wear tests. But a pouch does nothing against CAN injection or key programming, because neither needs your key. Some keys also have a sleep mode or can be switched off overnight. Check your car's manual.

Ghost immobilisers

The Autowatch Ghost is an aftermarket immobiliser that connects to the car's own wiring. The car won't start until you enter a PIN using its buttons: steering wheel controls, window switches or the dashboard. Installers say it has no radio signal to scan, and that it targets relay theft, key cloning, CAN attacks and key programming.

Fitted prices we found ranged from £449.99 to £599 in October 2026, with no subscription. Installers describe it as approved by TASSA, the tracker and aftermarket security trade body. We couldn't confirm a Thatcham approval. It doesn't suit every car, and at least one installer's guarantee excludes cars taken by towing or lifting.

Trackers and steering locks

A tracker helps get the car back after it's gone. A Thatcham S5 tracker is monitored around the clock and uses a driver ID tag. Tracker reported a 95% recovery rate for 2025. It's a recovery tool, not a way to stop the theft.

A steering lock is a visible deterrent that slows a thief once they're inside. Our guide on whether steering locks work covers the test results.

Driveway bollards

A telescopic bollard, locked upright in front of the car, works at the edge of the drive. It doesn't matter whether the thief used a relay, a CAN device or a programmed key. The car still can't be driven off. Secured by Design suggests a bollard as a visible deterrent on drives without gates, and Cheshire police suggest collapsible bollards for keyless and high-value cars.

Its limits are physical. It only blocks the exit it stands in, so a second way off the drive, such as over a lawn or a low wall, needs its own post. It's no use if it's left down. Keep the bollard key away from your car keys, or a burglar gets both. And Hampshire police warn about thieves who take cars on tow trucks, which no bollard stops.

Which should you choose?

Police advice is to use more than one layer. For most people with a drive:

1. A Faraday pouch or sleep-mode key for every key, including spares. It costs very little.
2. A telescopic bollard if the car sits on a drive overnight. It's the one layer that works whatever method the thief uses.
3. A Ghost or a tracker if the car is high value, a common target, or often parked away from home, where a bollard can't help.

Possessing or supplying devices for electronic vehicle theft is becoming a criminal offence under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, but that won't stop every thief. The car on your drive still needs its own protection.

Questions people ask

Does a Faraday pouch stop all keyless theft? No. It stops relay attacks. CAN injection and key programming don't need your key's signal, so a pouch doesn't help against them.

Is a Ghost immobiliser Thatcham approved? We couldn't confirm that. Installers describe it as TASSA approved. Ask your installer and your insurer what they recognise.

Can a bollard stop a car being lifted onto a truck? No. A bollard stops the car being driven off the drive. Nothing on this list stops a car being lifted or towed.

Sources

• Thatcham Research: keyless car theft explained, 2023
• Thatcham Research: how to increase your car security
• Secured by Design: keyless car theft leaflet
• Hampshire Constabulary: preventing vehicle theft
• Ken Tindell: CAN injection, 2023
• Secured by Design: key programming
• RAC: car hacking and key hacking
• What Car?: keyless car crime and pouch test
• iFit Auto: Ghost immobiliser
• Car Sound Security: Ghost II installation
• Autowatch Ghost: installer site
• Thatcham: vehicle security product definitions
• SecurityBrief UK: Tracker recoveries 2025
• Secured by Design: car security
• Cheshire police advice via Frodsham Town Council
• UK Parliament written answer, Nov 2025
• Home Office: Crime and Policing Act 2026 factsheet