Despite all the security features that cars today come with, thieves always catch up to the latest hack to steal cars, it’s an ever changing game of cat and mouse.
Despite the modern anti-theft measures in Honda Civics, you can’t completely rely on factory-fitted security system to protect yours from being stolen.
Sadly the Honda Civic is the most stolen car in the country, so with that in mind here’s how you can secure your Honda Civic and ways to prevent it being stolen.
How to prevent Honda Civic from being stolen
These tips explain how you can keep your Honda Civic from being stolen with a mix of preventative measures, but also tools and gadgets to stop thieves.
1. Clamp your Civic and use locking wheel nuts
This might sound extreme but it’s probably one of, if not the best way to stop your Honda Civic from being stolen.
You can fix a wheel clamp / boot onto the car’s wheel and then walk away without any worries of it being stolen. A clamp like this one on Amazon is a cheap option, and acts more as a deterrent.
You could also consider using a clamping boot (view on Amazon) that covers the wheel bolts and means thieves won’t even consider stealing your Civic.
It’s way more secure and robust than the simple clamp shown above and will give you more security to guard against the Civic being stolen by determined thieves.
There’s no way a thief will even attempt to saw a boot off due to the time and energy involved – as well as the attention it would attract!
I also recommend that you prevent your Civic’s alloy wheels from being stolen by using locking wheel nuts.
2. Think carefully about where you park your Civic
You can help protect your Honda Civic from theft by parking in a well-lit space that is in public view. If you’re parking in a car park, check that it is manned and has CCTV. If the car park is not very busy, park closer to other cars so it’s a busier area.
If you are parking in a place regularly you could even check the local crime rate. Do cars get stolen quite easily in that area? Is it a crowded or a secluded space? Is there a multi-story pay and park building around where there are more chances of your car being safer?
The bottom line is, thieves are opportunist and are more likely to target your Civic if they think they won’t get seen. Safer parking strategies will reduce the chances of your car being stolen.
3. Don’t trust your Honda key fob and check the doors
Newer Civics come with the key fob allowing for keyless entry and locking. However, this actually opens owners up to more risks, as it can be easier to not lock the vehicle when you leave it parked up.
Whilst your Civic might start beeping at you when you walk off without locking it, not all of them do. It could also be that the battery in your key fob has died, so the lock won’t activate when you press the button.
You can secure your Honda Civic from theft by double-checking the doors are actually locked by pulling the handle.
One of the tricks that car thieves use to steal Honda Civics is to use key fob jammers. This lets them intercept the signal between your key fob and the car’s lock, meaning even if yu think you’ve locked it with the fob, it might not have worked.
These key fob signal jammers can be hidden in car parks in trees, next to kerbs, or in a thieves pocket – so look out for anything suspicious when you park – and double check your Civic is locked.
Handy Hint: Here’s how to start your Civic if the battery in the key fob has died.
4. Fit a GPS tracker to your Civic
Whilst this won’t prevent your Honda Civic from being stolen, it will tell you when your Civic starts moving so you and the police can track it down.
You can buy a GPS tracking device on Amazon which displays the current location of the car on your smartphone.
Most GPS devices connect to the car battery or the ignition but they are easy targets for clever thieves who simply cut off the power supply to the GPS device.
Make sure you fit a device that is compact, runs on its own power, and charges quickly. The advantage of such a ‘wireless’ tracker is that you can hide it anywhere inside your car so the thief won’t have a clue of its location.
5. Use a kill switch
What better way to protect your Honda Civic from theft that stopping it being started in the first place?
A kill switch gives you control of the ignition and is routed directly to the ECU and the fuel pump. You might have seen one on a modern motorcycle that won’t switch on despite turning the key unless the kill switch is engaged.
The best part is that you can add a kill switch inside your Honda Civic and hide. That way, only you know how to start the car.
Without the ECU and fuel pump turning on, there’s no way a thief is going to be able to start the car. Figuring out the location of the kill switch will buy more time, a risky proposition to consider for a thief.
6. Don’t leave any valuables on display
Your Honda Civic will be a target for opportunistic thieves if they see something in the car they think they can quickly get at.
Even some loose change can be appealing enough to make some thieves smash a window and make a grab for it. And once they are in the car, there’s an opportunity for them to drive it off.
Keep your Honda Civic safe from thieves by taking your belongings with you and not leaving anything on view.
Similarly you should always removes a stereo and GPS if they not permanently fixed into the dash. Portable ones are always a magnet for thieves.
7. Fit a car alarm and immobiliser
Modern Honda Civics already come with a factory fitted immobiliser as standard, but not all with have a decent alarm system.
By fitting a Thatcham-approved alarm to your Civic you can reduce the chances of it being stolen… you might even get cheaper car insurance too!
Handy Hint: Some after market alarms will go off randomly if not fitted correctly. Here’s a primer on those pesky random alarms.
8. Create a secondary alarm connection
Car thieves are experts at shutting off certain car alarms once they are in the Civic. But they’d have a surprise if the alarm doesn’t switch off despite cutting the wire that powers it.
You can add this extra layer of security by giving the alarm a secondary battery connection.
The battery can be hidden anywhere in the car where the thief wouldn’t bother looking. This trick might cause the thief to panic if they can’t find the source of the loudly ringing burglar alarm, forcing them to abandon the theft attempt.
While I’ve told you the best possible ways to protect your Honda Civic from theft, there might be a few doubts and questions that still linger on your mind. I will now answer them.
9. Don’t fall victim of a ‘relay attack’
A relay attack is when two car thieves work in a pair. Thief one will stand by your Honda Civic, whilst thief two other stands close the victim’s house with a device that can wirelessly connect to the key fob.
Thief two’s device will relay the key fob’s signal to the Civic so Thief one can open the door and drive the car away.
Thieve can buy the relay attack technology for as little as a hundred dollars online.
So, how do you protect your Honda Civic from theft when this time of tech is around?
It’s probably easier than you think… the signals cannot pass through metal so once you get into your home, place your keys in a metal box to secure your Honda Civic. You can also use a signal blocking wallet (view on Amazon) or safe to achieve the same result.
10. Keep safe in slow traffic
There’s also a tiny risk of your Honda Civic being stolen when you’re in it. To reduce the risk of your Civic being stolen in a car-jacking, always lock you car when you slow into a traffic jam.
11. Never leave your car running
On cold winter mornings it’s tempting to leave your Civic running to warm up the engine before driving out onto the snow and ice.
Don’t leave your car with the engine running though as it’s an open invitation to a passing thief to steal it.
Related questions
Can a 2020 Honda Civic be stolen?
Yes, despite this being one of the newer Honda Civics with improved security, even the 2020 model is prone to being stolen. Car thieves are constantly adapting their criminal skills to let them hack into cars.
Is a Honda Civic easy to steal?
Not really, no, but the high figures for Civics being stolen is somewhat skewed with them being one of the most popular cars in the country.
The Honda Civic comes with the same amount of safety and security as many other cars do. There is another reason why it is one of the most stolen cars.
Why is the Honda Civic one of the most stolen cars?
Cars that are sold widely and preferred by the masses are the ones that thieves target. The Honda Civic is one such car that sold in huge numbers.
In addition, the Civic shares many parts with other Honda cars. Consequently, a lot of the Civics get stolen just for the parts.
What else can I do to protect my Honda Civic from being stolen?
I’ve covered almost all the points that would help protect your Civic. Apart from those, being alert and aware helps the most.
Be wary about where you park your Civic. Even if you have to pay a bit more to park it safely, you must do it.
Conclusion
In the USA, a report from the 2016 National Insurance Crime Bureau showed how the top two of the ten most stolen cars in the US were Hondas! The Honda Accord topped the list to be the most stolen vehicle, followed by the Civic at number two.
Despite knowing that the thieves outsmart almost every security feature out there, what is important to understand is that you can still secure your Honda Civic in a way to make it a less desirable target.
