Remote start, 2017 Prius.

Technological progress, especially in software-defined radio, has made a wide range of attacks on anti-theft and immobilizer systems increasingly practical. (See the articles linked in my previous posting.) Reverse engineering and prototyping of radio-frequency devices, at levels of sophistication that once demanded the resources of an industrial or university research lab, can now be done by casual hobbyists, some having criminal intentions.

Like all automakers, Toyota faces pressure from customers, insurers, and regulators to mitigate these attacks. They may have determined that the cost of continuing to support a remote starting feature, after making security improvements, was not justified by the number of Prius sales that would be gained. A remote starter was offered as a Genuine Toyota Accessory in previous model years, so Toyota probably has a good idea of how many buyers are interested in this feature.

It’s interesting that a Remote Engine Starter is listed in the December 2015 edition of Toyota’s MY16 Prius Accessory eBrochure, but not in the June 2016 edition of the same brochure.

 

Woman in Manchester UK had her Mercedes hacked by thieves on her door step with a laptop. They interpreted the keys and the car and va, va voom!

 

START+ is available as a dealer installed option in Canada.