Your Car Can Let You Know If It’s Being Broken Into – Via Your Smartphone

We have made our smartphone-connected security system, SecuriAlert, available to car owners for the first time.

People across Europe have been staying at home, yet vehicle crime remains a problem, and is even on the increase in some countries. ¹ While car alarms can help to deter thieves, in cities where vehicles may be parked on the street overnight, owners might ignore the alarm, not realise it is from their car, or fail to hear it altogether. ²

SecuriAlert sends a notification to the vehicle owner’s smartphone if it identifies unauthorised vehicle activity, providing peace of mind to customers when their cars are out of sight – or out of earshot.

How it works

Owners activate SecuriAlert when they are away from their vehicle. The feature is quickly and easily switched on or off – “armed” or “disarmed” – using the FordPass smartphone app. ³ Once active, the vehicle’s existing sensors identify if an attempt is made to enter or start the vehicle, sending a push notification to the owner’s smartphone via the car’s FordPass Connect modem. The FordPass app displays the time and reason for any SecuriAlert alarms as well as the vehicle’s last known location.

If an attempt is made to open a door using a key – an action that would not trigger a conventional vehicle alarm – SecuriAlert will still send an alert. This can be useful in identifying attempts to access to a car using a cloned or stolen key.

When the owner returns to their vehicle, they simply disarm SecuriAlert via the FordPass app and continue on their journey.

“Whether left on the street overnight or in a car park on a shopping trip, SecuriAlert empowers owners with the knowledge that if something happens with their vehicle when they aren’t driving it, they will be the first to know.”

— Richard Bunn, Director of Retail Connectivity Solutions,
Ford Mobility, Ford of Europe 

¹ Car thefts grew by one third in the U.K. during 2020, with 205 vehicles stolen on average each day

² U.K. Department for Transport, National Transport Survey: one in three vehicles in cities is parked on streets overnight (2018, most recent data available)

³ FordPass app, compatible with selected smartphone platforms, is available via download. Message and data rates apply. FordPass Connect, the FordPass app and complimentary Connected Service are required for remote features (see FordPass terms for details). Connected Service and features depend on Vodafone or Vodafone partner mobile network availability. Evolving technology/mobile networks/vehicle capability may limit functionality and prevent operation of connected features. Connected Service excludes Wi-Fi hotspot.

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