The Best 2025 Car Anti-Theft Devices

What is the best Car Anti-Theft Device?

Car theft never sleeps, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Just imagine. Day like any other, you just finished your morning coffee, on your way to your car only to find out it’s not there anymore. It’s gone. A gut-punch feeling that most people pray they will never have to experience. Yet it happens every day. And it could happen to you. In this article we’re diving into car theft statistics and analyzing what we believe to be the most effective car anti-theft devices that you can use to stack the odds in your favor.

Car Theft Statistics in the USA

National Insurance Crime Bureau Statistics

According to NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) there were 850 708 car thefts in the USA in 2024.

Though the NICB points out that there’s been a decrease in car thefts that’s still nearly million cars stolen last year.

The trend in car thefts in recent years is also most concerning, in between 2019 and 2023 the number of incidents increased by 28%, from 199.4 to 283.5 per 100,000 citizens. And in 2023 it stably kept rising by another 1.2% to 305 from 283.5 per 100,000 citizens.

Put into perspective

305 people per 100 000 might not sound that bad. But that’s 3 people out of every 1000. So in a high-school with 1,200 students at least 3 to 4 of them are affected by car theft.

In a stadium of 60,000 that’s over 1,600 people. If you were to picture a small city, say 100,000 residents, roughly the size of Burbank in California or South Bend in Indiana.

That’s 305 people in only that one city. Which would mean 14 people in your street. Not some kind of distant number but actual people like your neighbors, coworkers or family. If you were to take a look at your local gym, your church or your favorite bar when it’s crowded on a Friday night, someone there is most likely affected by car theft.

The states where the factor is most severe is California (463), Colorado (430) and Nevada (394) per 100,000 people.

The most stolen vehicles are Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Sonata followed by Chevrolet Silverado, Honda Accord and Kia Optima. Among the most popular there are models such as Toyota Camry, Dodge Charger, RAM 3500, Ford F-150, Ford F-250 and Ford F-350. (Full list below the article)

How to tackle this issue? Well there are many methods of dealing with car theft, in this post we will present you the best Car Anti-Theft Devices in 2025 so that you can protect yourself and your loved ones from car theft.

Best Car Anti-Theft Devices in 2025

We conducted thorough research and came up with a complete list of the best Car Anti-Theft Devices in 2025. Below we’ll be breaking the most popular types of Anti-Theft Devices for Cars and choose the one that’s in our opinion the best.

Steering Wheel Locks

Autoexpress performed many tests and compiled a list of best steering wheel locks currently available for sale. We chose the best value for money, the most handy and the one that offer best overall protection.

Streetwize Full Steering Wheel Lock – Best Value for Money

Full Steering Wheel Lock offered by Streetwize for the price of around 74 USD is in our opinion the best value for money car anti-theft steering wheel lock. It covers the entire steering wheel offering very good protection for reasonable money.

The bright orange/yellowish color will stand out and make your car a less desirable target. It is however quite large and and heavy so if you’re looking for a steering wheel lock that’s more handy have a look at our second proposal.

Steering Wheel Lock from Topfree – Most Handy Wheel Lock

The price of 14 USD for a Steering Wheel Lock that might make a difference between having your car stolen or not seems to be a no-brainer. Is it though?

While you can’t deny the price and usage convenience offered by belts in Topfree’s Wheel Lock seem very attractive at a 14 USD price the evident fault is the security level it provides. While it might deter some thieves from stealing your vehicle it can also be easily broken with a set of strong pliers or some other basic tools.

If you’re not willing to settle on anything other than the best then our next proposition of is what you’re looking for.

Diamond Edition Disklok – Best Overall Protection

The total package of assured protection and finest security, the Rolls-Royce of Steering Wheel Locks – The Diamond Edition Disklok.

This is the flagship model of the UK based company Disklok. It grants unparalleled level of security even against strongest power tools. It was designed specifically to pass Sold Secures most severe cutting test. It packs the strongest protection against angle grinders on the market and is definitely the best choice and top steering wheel lock on the market.

Diamond edition Disklok consists of an advanced blend of composite materials called Diamonite. It is a blend of metal designed to resist angle grinders. The quality behind ultimate steering wheel lock must come with a price. Currently you can get The Diamond Edition Disklok for

You can see the Anti-Angle Grind material offered by Disklok in action in the video below:

Steering Wheel Locks Summary

Steering Wheel Locks can serve as a quite efficient Car Anti-Theft Device. Both as a deterrent and as a physical lock that won’t allow the thief to get away with your vehicle. It does in theory protect the car from Relay-Attack in the way that won’t allow the thief to drive away with your vehicle.

However, the Keyless-Entry system will still allow for the thief to get into your car and steal anything valuable. Furthermore, the Steering Wheel Lock does not protect your car from getting towed away so while the system might sometimes come in cheap and easy to use form it does not offer the best possible protection.

Battery Kill Switches

Remote Battery Kill Switch is another type of Car Anti-Theft Device. As most of them it has some advantages and some flaws as well. Below we’ll break down the two most popular categorizing them again as Best Value For Money and Best Functionality. We will also explain if this type of car anti-theft device is a good fit for your vehicle.

Feiton – Best Value for Money

Feiton Remote Battery Disconnect Switch is nothing more than a Kill Switch with the function of remote access in the form of two control fobs that come with the Battery Kill Switch.

The big advantage of the Feiton Remote Battery Disconnect Switch is its size. It can be easily fitted by the battery without the need for making any considerable modifications. After connecting the device to the battery, you can switch on and off the battery in your car with the remote fob that comes with the kit.

Feiton offers a wide range of Remote Battery Kill Switches. Mostly in the 30 USD to 35 USD range.
Feiton 200A basic which offer a simple remote with on and off functions.
Feiton 200A with LED display also equipped with on and off remote.
Feiton 200A or up to 500A also with remote switch (larger battery ameant mostly for RV’s and Trucks)

The installation process is straightforward and easy, however this means that locating and disarming it will also be straightforward and easy… It is not a perfect solution, however the lack of power might discourage the thief long enough for him to give up on your car and switch to a different target.

Traditional kill switches required splicing into the factory wiring and installation of a switch that would be hidden inside the car. This kind of solution might be attractive especially to “old timers” as the installation principle is very similar. However, more modern.

It connects directly to the battery, eliminating the need to alter the vehicle’s wiring harness which makes it completely non-invasive. It is operated with a remote control fob and not a manual switch inside the vehicle and restoring the car back to stock post installation is simple and it only requires removing the relay, without any permanent modifications left behind.

GMURA/IMAYCC 240A/Peachloft – Kill Switch of Many Names

The next proposition is most likely manufactured by a Chinese based company IMAYCC. The thing is it’s not 100% certain as a device, looking identical and with the exact same specs as IMAYCC can be spotted online on many auctions and guides that tackle the topic of car anti-theft devices.

It can be seen branded as CZC Auto,Peachloft or GMURA though they look the same with device parameters declared the same as well. From what we understand IMAYCC is the Chinese manufacturer of the device while CZC Auto and GMURA are third-party rebranders or drop shippers that resell the device outside of China. On some auctions you can see the device even branded as… Feiton. But for the purposes of this article let’s consider them two separate manufactures with different devices.

The device itself is kind of similar to Feiton, they’re both battery-mounted remote disconnect switches with wireless fob control, they both allow installation without splicing into vehicle’s original harness and they both enable remote control access with the use of the remote fob.

However there are some differences, Imaycc has a function of Voltage Protection that will auto-cutoff power once it gets below the threshold of 11.8V while Feiton does not offer any auto-cutoff functionality at all. Extra functionality comes with higher cost. The price of IMAYCC 80 USD.

IMAYCC also offers Battery Protection Features in form of an alarm or siren that will signal the user when the battery is about to die as well as an auto disconnect feature. Feiton Kill Switch can offer information regarding the battery only in the versions with display, should you choose the version with no display then no such feature exists.

What are the disavtanages of IMAYCC/CZC Auto/Peachloft Battery Kill Switch?

Well, compared to Feiton it is much larger which means that you most likely will have to make some modifications under your hood to accommodate it. So should you go with either of them, make sure to check how much room you have by your car batterdy to verify if it’ll fit.

Kill Switch Dimensions:
IMAYCC: 4.4 x 4.1 x 2.4 in // 11.1 × 10.5 × 6.2 cm
Feiton: 3.3 x 2.4 x 1.4 in // 8.4 × 6.1 × 3.6 cm

What Are The Downsides of Battery Kill Switch?

• Reliability concerns: Many users report that the device fails after just few weeks of use. In the Amazon reviews section you can find a lot of users pointing out that the remote disconnect simply stops working after a while.
• Compatibility Issues: Kill Switches are not universal and won’t be suitable for all types of engines. According to user reviews and even some vendors advice against using the device with large displacement engines.
• Risks For Modern Cars: Most specialists agree it is ill-advised to cut full-battery power in modern vehicles. It might lead to issues and cause problems such as:
  – Corrupting ECU memory or immobilizer data,
  – Triggering error codes that will require reprogramming,
  – Disabling alarm systems or telematics,
  – Potentially voiding the warranty.

Remote Battery Disconnect Switch – Summary

Battery Kill Switch as car anti-theft device is a cheap and non-invasive solution that might serve its purpose as a deterrent but comes with too many potential dangers to modern day vehicles.

Our recommendation? Good Car Anti-Theft Device For Classics

Keyless Protector Team recommendation is to go with Remote Battery Disconnect Switch only in case of classic, vintage cars. Classic cars have simpler wiring and minimal electronics so the chance for something to go bad is also minimal. There is no ECU to corrupt, no keyless entry to break so battery cut-off can effectively immobilize the vehicle without any undesirable side effects. And even in case anything does go wrong, older car will still be easier to reset and troubleshoot.

Car Alarms & Immobilizers

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Car alarms and immobilizers are seen by security enthusiasts as the holy grail of car anti-theft devices. They usually are complicated, well thought out systems that are supposed to protect your car from many different theft methods in various situations and environments.

Car Alarms share most functionalities but some features like subscription, phone app availability and specific security systems vary depending on the price and manufacturer. We will once more share with you with best value for money choice followed by the ultimate protection one and an additional bonus choice that combines smart with comfortable.

Best Value For Money Car Alarm – Avital 5305L

Our Best Value For Money Car Alarm goes to Avital with their 5305L model. It comes with an LED display equipped remote that has up to 1,500 feet range. 5305L has built-in shock sensors meant to detect minor and major impacts. It is equipped with a carjacker prevention mode also called “starter kill system” that can disable the engine for added safety.

To install it you need to mount the control module under the car dashboard and then connect the alarm to the car’s electrical system using the wiring harness from the kit. You will also find hood and trunk sensors which are optional inputs but still available should you opt for that extra layer of security. Post installation you need to program the device using the LED display as per the manual, test it and secure it in place.

The installation itself might still prove to be too difficult for most users but any tech savvy person can treat 5305L as a device with DIY installation process. Furthermore Avital 5305L does not require paid subscription to use, but that also means it has no smartphone integration so you can’t check the device status via phone app. It also offers no GPS tracking and has less range than competition.

While Avital 5305L can not offer the functionality that the most high-end car alarms do it still offers good protection for the best price, which makes it our choice for best value for money car anti-theft device in the category of car alarms. The price? In between 120 USD to 140 USD

Best Ultimate Protection Car Alarm – Viper 5305V / DS4

Our choice for the best car alarm system goes to Viper with their 5305V model along with DS4 digital system. Viper 5305V is also a two-way car alarm equipped with LCD remote but with an encrypted remote communication which offer better security. It also offers starter kill immobilizer same as Avital 5305L.

Viper 5305V is also available with DS4 communication version. What is the DS4? Well it’s the same alarm with a more modern communication system. The DS4 version offers a digital system instead of the older analog harness. With the DS4 you get Bluetooth programming and SmartStart smartphone control along with simplified installation and digital interface.

Basically with 5305V you get a traditional analog wiring harness that requires a separate SmartStart module to implement Bluetooth features, more wiring and older generation will save you a few bucks but with the DS4 digital platform version you have fewer wires and SmartStart compatibility built-in without any extra modules needing installation.

Viper offers prolonged range of 1 mile which is approximately 5 times more than the range offer by Avital 5305L. It also offers GPS tracking (with an extra monthly subscription), encrypted remote signals, smartphone control and all the sensors that come with 5305L Avital and more like the tilt sensor, glass-break sensor and vehicle diagnostics.

So what’s the cost? Of course, more functionality and premium, high quality hardware comes with higher cost. The price of Viper 5305V is roughly 180 USD to 250 USD depending on what additions to the kit you choose. Then again there’s the installation price. while Avital offers DIY installation the Viper is more complex and advanced and will set you back even a couple of hundred dollars more for the installation.

So the total cost? Depending on the installation cost the Viper 5305V car alarm system will set you back in between 300 USD up to even 500 USD.

ComfyLock – Comfortable and Smart Choice

As a bonus choice we decided to offer something clever and simple. The middle ground for those that want security without any invasive car harness modification.

Comfylock is a phone app controlled car immobilizer. It is installed with the use of original plugs which means it does not require cutting wires and soldering like modern car alarm system does. It locks the transmission and can be controlled either via Bluetooth phone app, the wireless key dongle or emergency sequence that can be set in the phone app.

The biggest advantage of this solution is that it’s easily controlled with many methods of authorization making it comfortable to use (hence the name) all while not making any sort of modification to the car’s wire harness making this solution completely non-invasive.

The price of the device depends on the car, we contacted the manufacturer via form on their website and the price we got with installation was much smaller in comparison to advanced car alarms systems making this solution the best car anti-theft device for people that do not want to interfere with their car wiring harness and still protect their car from getting stolen.

Relay Attack Protection

What about protection strictly from relay attack? What good is a steering wheel lock in stopping someone from opening your car and stealing anything of value that’s in there?

Or what if you don’t want to put any eye catching yellow pieces of metal on your steering wheel or modify the wiring harness of your brand new car? Well, here comes our breakdown of best relay attack car anti-theft devices.

Faraday Cage/Faraday Bag

What is a Faraday Cage?

The Faraday Cage is a conductive enclosure which is used to block electromagnetic fields. To create it, it is necessary to form a tight covering of conductive material or materials. It is named after Michael Faraday an English chemist and physicist who was the first to create such shield.

Basically the Faraday Cage external electrical field distributes the electric charges of external field in such manner that cancels out the effect inside the cage. This can be used to shield sensitive electronic equipment from external interference.

Or, it can be used to protect the car key’s signal from being intercepted by relay attack.

Faraday Bag – Does It Protect From Relay Attack?

And that’s exactly what faraday cage or faraday bag is. It’s a satchel or a box where you put you car key in order to shield it from relay attack. While it can be effective (to a point) it is not a very handy solution and according to user reviews the wear and tear will cause the faraday bag to let the signal go through.

Also there are users online that point out an exploit where thieves use a tool to amplify the signal from the key fob and can still unlock and start your car.

So is Faraday Bag or Faraday Cage something that can save you from relay attack? To a point, yes. But the Faraday Bag is quite large and not very handy and it can still fail with some wear and tear or if the thief uses a tool to boost key fob signal. So overall, we do not recommend it as a car anti-theft device.

Keyless Protector – The Best Choice Against Relay Attack

Ok, so you want to protect your car from relay attack and you don’t want to carry a faraday bag, install conspicuous steering wheel lock or interfere with your car wiring harness to possibly void warranty?

That’s where we come in.

Keyless Protector is the ultimate non-invasive car anti-theft device that will protect your car from relay attack.

It is a small clip-on that you put on your car-key battery that will intelligently manage the battery power and power it off when unused. So if the battery is off there is no signal, and if there is no signal there can be no relay attack because there is nothing to be intercepted.

And that’s it. There’s no interfering in car systems, no external satchels or bags that you need to carry with you to put your car key in and no need to install any large metal mechanisms on your steering wheel. Simple, elegant and invisible.

You can find more details on Keyless Protector in product description and in our store. It is in our opinion the best car anti-theft device to protect against relay attack.

Best 2025 Car Anti-Theft Devices – Conclusion

Best Car Anti-Theft Device for Steering Wheel

If you’re working on a budget go with Streetwize Full Steering Wheel Lock. It will provide best protection and serve as a visible deterrent for reasonable amount of money.

But if what you’re looking for is the Ultimate Steering Wheel Lock and you won’t settle for anything else then Diamond Edition Disklok is your best choice for the best Steering Wheel Lock.

Best Battery Kill Switch as Car Anti-Theft Device

So what’s the best Battery Disconnect Switch. Budget option? We suggest Feiton, it will do its job and shut down power to secure your car. However if you’re looking for more functionality like signaling the user when the battery is about to die we suggest IMAYCC/Peachloft/CZC Auto kill switch.

However, it can do some damage to modern cars like reset the ECU settings so we strongly advise to only use the kill switch in case of classic, vintage cars and not as a car anti-theft device for modern vehicles!

Best Car Alarm as Car Anti-Theft Device

The Best Budget Car Alarm System? Our recommendation is Avital 5305L it does not offer phone app connection and GPS tracking and range is only 1500ft but it will immobilize your car, it does not require paid subscription and offers a DIY installation.

Our recommendation of Best Overall Protection Car Alarm System is Viper 5305V DS4. Bluetooth connectivity, phone app data monitoring, encrypted connection and much better functionality than Avital will come with a more hefty price along with paid subscription for GPS tracking and extra cost involved with setting up device installation.

It is also worth mentioning that installation of car alarm system is involved with modifications to the car electrical system, which includes cutting and soldering wires, it’s good to bear it in mind as making such changes will most likely void the car warranty.

Best Car Alarm Alternative? ComfyLock

If what you’re looking for is an immobilizer that will secure your car without the need for cutting and soldering wires in your car’s wiring harness in comes the smartest solution in the realm of car anti-theft devices. Comfylock.

Installed with use of original plugs it does not require any modification to car electric system. The lock can be managed via Bluetooth Phone App, wireless key dongle or with a use of emergency sequence previously set in phone app.

Best Relay Attack Car Anti-Theft Device

Best temporary solution for Relay Attack? Faraday Bag or Faraday Cage can serve as a temporary fix but we do not advise to choose it as wear and tear will allow signal to get through it or a thief equipped with signal booster tool can still intercept signal from your car key.

Best Relay Attack Car Anti-Theft Device? Keyless Protector. It is the best possible solution for protecting your car against relay attack, without any interference in the car.

Unlike the car alarm it does not require modifying the car electric system. It will not generate any ECU fault codes like the kill switch and is handy and non-conspicuous unlike steering wheel lock or faraday bag.

Easy to use, invisible, completely non-invasive. Elegant and simple, Keyless Protector is our recommendation against relay attack.

What do I choose?

If what you’re looking for the simplest solution you go with Keyless Protector or wheel steering lock. If you don’t mind cutting wires in your car and want to track your car in real time you might want to look at Viper or Avital car alarm system.

If you do not want to void your car warranty by modifying the wire harness but still wish to lock and unlock your transmission via Bluetooth then Comfylock is your best choice. Then again should you only want to add extra layer of security to your classic vintage car you might want to look at Feiton or IMAYCC kill switch. And of course if relay attack, still the most popular car stealing method is what you want to secure yourself against without the need to carry a faraday bag then Keyless Protector is the way to go.

Every Car Anti-Theft Device has its advantages and disadvantages. The question is what are you looking for exactly and what you’re willing to do to your car. Think about what solution fits best your needs and choose the one that will make you sleep easier. And remember, it’s better to invest in car anti-theft device beforehand than to look it up for your next car, after it was too late for the previous one.