Model Y broken into

[Broken Hero]

Morning all. I went out to the car today to find it open.

The console in front of the arm rest was open and some sunglasses were missing as well as a buggy from the boot.

Nothing showing on the ring doorbell. Sentry mode was not on - I do not typically leave it on at home (that will change) but it is pin to start.

I've seen on my phone that I had a notification around 4am to say the car is unlocked (I was asleep at the time so would've missed it)

Question is, any idea how they could've got in the car? Keycards are kept well away from the front of the house.

[Broken Hero]

Hi I'll try the first idea (leave the phone where it was last night)

The car was last used on Sunday, I walk past it every day and the wing mirrors are always 'tucked in'- 4am this morning is the first notification I had for it being unlocked.

I noticed instantly this morning that the wing mirrors were out before seeing the notification and checked boot etc

[Broken Hero]

Thanks 👍 yes I'll call Tesla. I've looked at the keys and it's just mine and OHs phones. This really is a mystery.

I believe someone somehow unlocked the car stole the items and then left it unlocked - hence the notification.

I also have walk away locking so not sure why it would've just stayed unlocked if the car 'recognised' a key.

[Broken Hero]

Looking at my ring doorbell footage -;the wing mirrors were in at 3.36 - but out at 4.36 - which would be around when the 'car unlocked' notification was received. So the car was locked and they found some way in without setting off the alarm. Any help with this would be appreciated 👍

[Broken Hero]

BBYeah said:

Is your ring device on wifi? Could they have used something to disrupt the wifi connection, if so, seems worryingly organised. Or could the car be reached without the motion detection being triggered?

Sorry for the delay in responding - yes ring is on WiFi so can be jammed. It's possible to walk to the back and drivers side without disrupting it

[Broken Hero]

I believe either they have somehow been able to boost my/OH's Bluetooth signal or something is still in or on the car that is boosting the signal. Tonight I tested it with sentry mode on and my phone in the house on the dining table with Bluetooth on. My car is parked on the street the phone around 30 lft away. I walked up to the car and opened the door. Worked every time. I could walk up to the car and open the door without my phone or key card - in calling Tesla to inspect the vehicle.

If you are reading this and use the phone key - I strongly recommend turning Bluetooth on your phone off.

[Broken Hero]

Windows are set to close on lock

[Broken Hero]

Broken Hero said:

I believe either they have somehow been able to boost my/OH's Bluetooth signal or something is still in or on the car that is boosting the signal. Tonight I tested it with sentry mode on and my phone in the house on the dining table with Bluetooth on. My car is parked on the street the phone around 30 lft away. I walked up to the car and opened the door. Worked every time. I could walk up to the car and open the door without my phone or key card - in calling Tesla to inspect the vehicle.

If you are reading this and use the phone key - I strongly recommend turning Bluetooth on your phone off.

Tried it again - turned Bluetooth on - put phone on dining table - walked up to car - and I was able to enter as if I had the phone on me. I tried it multiple times - and it worked every time


Tried again with bluetooth off, and (as expected) the door wouldnt unlock. Oddly though rather than showing the sentry mode screen, it just asks me to present the key card. Sentry mode is activated

[Broken Hero]

I've contacted Tesla via the app will see what they say. This is a serious security flaw imo which we have found out about the hard way

[Broken Hero]

jeremyc said:

Bluetooth range can be 10m up to 100m or more (depending upon the devices each end and radio propogation conditions).

If the car is relying on a Bluetooth signal to the app on a mobile phone, then it almost certainly can be unlocked if the phone is 30ft away (with Bluetooth enabled).

Thanks Jeremy - One would expect the 'receiver' on the vehicle to only work when close to the phone for security purposes? Typically when out and about with my 7 year old, she will run up to the passenger side and press the handle to open the door - the car will not open until I've caught up and I'm a couple of feet away (with my phone in my pocket)

I believe this is the standard operation of the car and how it works for most people.

I don't think what is happening here is right - I now believe an opportunist was probably trying handles and got lucky as at the moment, you only have to walk up to the car, try the handle and it will open (when bluetooth on my phone is enabled)

[Broken Hero]

LivLL said:

What phones do you have OP? Just wonder if it's a weird Android phone with a stronger than normal bluetooth signal strength?

I have a pixel 7a OH has a pixel 6 I believe. Tesla are investigating. They've advised us to turn the phone key off in the meantime.

They have confirmed this is not the way the phonekey should work

[Broken Hero]

Luckily I found out the issue when I did, turned on Sentry and turned off bluetooth and phone keys. Just reviewed the Sentry recordings and someone wearing a rucksack and plastic gloves tried our door again at 4.30 the following morning... I believe the screen warning must've alarmed him as he quickly walked away without trying my neighbours car

[Broken Hero]

Agreed. I think its about convenience rather than improved security - however I'm quite comfortable with taking a key out and locking/unlocking my front door - so I can do it with my car also.

Needless to say, all my 'convenience' features have been turned off - the fact that you can leave the car and do everything correctly, and to all intents and purposes you have left the car locked and secured but then anyone can get into your car by simply trying the handle is completely baffling.

[Broken Hero]

LivLL said:

Any more news from Tesla yet? I'd expect them to at least take the car in and check it as something doesn't seem right. You can always set pin to drive in the meantime to stop it disappearing off your driveway.

Hi - yes pin to drive is set. Not heard anything since Wednesday - I'll chase them tomorrow. They said their remote techs will investigate first

[Broken Hero]

NDA said:

Please do keep this updated - as a Tesla owner, I'm very interested to see what the issue could be.

Thanks.

Will do - their mobile team is still investigating. In the meantime, I've kept phone key disabled and typically have bluetooth turned off.

If you use the phone key, personally I would recommend checking the range from time to time, setting PIN to drive (and glovebox) and disabling it over night when the car isnt going to be used

[Broken Hero]

Gullwings said:

Any updates?

I've spent the best part of 20 minutes testing the range on the car, and as others have said, it won't open at all unless my phone is less than 1-2m from it

Just for good measure I've emptied the car, and it will remain devoid of valuables for the foreseeable future

Yes - just got received from the 'area supervisor' I have been back and forth with their technician for the past few weeks supplying more and more evidence.

I must say I am utterly disgusted with their response. They are closing the case . The car was 'in range' of the phone and therefore operating as it should. I have asked them to put this in writing - so this position can be tested publicly.

So, although I locked the car, as a reasonable and vigilant person would do, the 'convenience' feature (the phone key) can actually undo the action of locking the car and someone can walk up to your car and unlock it as if they had the phone key on them.

To clarify - typically the phone key will only work when I'm standing next to the car - there are dozens of Sentry mode videos on the car's HD of my 8 year old running up to the car to get in and activating Sentry (she always runs ahead up to the car). This is the normal activation and what you would expect for a keyless system - that the system will only recognise the key when close to the car. If this wasn't the case, then there would be no such thing as relay theft - anyone could just walk up to any keyless car and 'break in' without using any force.

The idea that the car can be in range of the 'key' when its upstairs in the house by the side of the owners bed , rendering ANY security measure completely void is laudable at best . I'm beyond furious.

[Broken Hero]

MaxFromage said:

The OP's car isn't working right.

Tesla will only allow a vehicle to open using the phone if it within a metre or so of the car. On an almost daily basis my daughter tries to open the car whilst I am a few metres away and it doesn't let her. This is after I have woken the car 5 minutes earlier, from say 10 metres away and am connected to it due to heating the car etc.

This is exactly the case with me. According to Tesla - who apparently have carried out in depth testing and have escalated this to area level - the car IS working right.

Worryingly, there is no way of knowing when the car starts working 'wrong'.

Thieves who routinely walk around testing handles for unlocked cars could be in for a field day when it comes to model ys. I suspect the model 3s are similar.

I'm not going to let this one go. If the system should operate the way mine did, then it should be WELL publicised so that owners can take mitigating action. I'm sure insurers would want to know this too.

[Broken Hero]

Hans_Gruber said:

In your original post you say there was a buggy in the boot. Is it possible the boot was not closed properly?

Has happened to me once that because of tools in the boot it was not closed. The doors were locked but the boot was ajar. The only warning I had was that the picture of the car on the app showed the boot open, although no notification sent to my phone to say it was not locked.

Possible the thieves hit the illuminated “close boot” button as they made away with your buggy…

Edited by Hans_Gruber on Thursday 7th December 23:23

Hi the boot was closed and the car locked - ring footage shows the wing mirrors tucked in at 3.30 AM and out at 4.30. The boot/car being unlocked is not in question - Tesla doesn't dispute the car was locked
What they say is the key was in range for the thief the open the boot and rifle though the items in the centre console. As I said, a few days later I tested what would happen if I tried the doors with the phone on my dining room table - and the car opened every time. All of this is.withim normal operation according to Tesla.

As I said earlier - I would disable the phone key if the car is not going to be parked there is absolutely no way of knowing when the "standard operation" of the car will make your accessable to anyone who tries the handle.

[Broken Hero]

jeremyc said:

Do you have the latest Android updates for your phone, and the latest version of the Tesla app installed?

It sounds as if the phone/app is using conventional Bluetooth for the communication/unlocking, rather than Bluetooth LE which allows for the signal strength to be measured and therefore the distance between devices to be estimated (and hence only unlock if close to the car).

Check in your phone's settings that the Bluetooth set up is as required.

Latest version of android and the latest version of the app - it's a Pixel 7a. All the settings in the phone are as I'd expect

[Broken Hero]

andburg said:

You’re missing a key option here….the car was fine but the phone had the fault

Possible - what would the fault be? I've not had any issues with Bluetooth on any of the devices connected to it