Rother Police said it has had “several reports” of thefts involving RAV4 models across Hastings and Rother.
According to Toyota, thieves disconnect part of the headlamp and use a malicious device to send signals to the control “CAN bus” of the car, which allows the doors to open and the car to start without the key or remote control.
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A spokesman for Toyota said in March: “We take the issue of Toyota and Lexus vehicle theft very seriously. We are continuously developing technical solutions to make our vehicles more secure, to help reduce the risk of theft.
“An enhanced security hardware system was introduced in October 2021 (Lexus) and October 2022 (Toyota) on the latest models targeted by criminals. Since which, we have seen a significant drop in thefts of those models.
“For older models, we endeavour to create solutions that can offer enhanced protection to our customers.”
The car manufacturer has developed new security hardware components that will soon be available to fit on cars registered before October 2021.
Owners can contact their local dealership about getting these fitted.
Toyota also said that customers can get a protective plate fitted which blocks access to the vehicle’s electronics.
This is available on Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX and Lexus NX models.
A spokesman for Toyota said: “As a vehicle manufacturer, we can never completely eliminate the risk of vehicle theft. This is an industry-wide issue, concerning all vehicle manufacturers and affecting the most popular models first.
“In order to further reduce the theft risk, we regularly collaborate and share information with insurance associations, police and law enforcement authorities, theft prevention experts and other key stakeholders around the world.
“This enables us to understand new threats and techniques used by thieves and develop more secured systems.”
Police have asked people to remain vigilant and keep their keys in a safe place.
People have also been urged to turn off keyless ignition and double check their vehicles are locked.
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