Ram Owners Are Suing—Because Our Mopars Are Still Too Easy To Steal
What is up, guys—welcome back to TK’s Garage. You know I’m Mopar to the bone, but I’m not a paid mouthpiece. When Stellantis whiffs, I say it. And on theft protection? They’ve whiffed for years. Now Ram owners are suing, and I’m not shocked—because for roughly 2015+ FCA/Stellantis products (Charger, Challenger, Ram, Jeep, even Maserati siblings), real-world thieves still beat the factory anti-theft with cheap tools and YouTube-level guides.
I’ve shown it on this channel. I’ve started my own cars without the keys—first with a relay/repeater (grabs your fob signal from inside your house), then with a programmed key once the car was away from home. Time from approach to drive-off? Under two minutes. That’s… not a flex. That’s an indictment.
How the real thefts go down (no movie magic required)
- Relay attack: one guy near your house amplifies your fob, the other opens and starts the car. Once it’s away, they shut it off and program a blank in minutes.
- CAN/OBD shenanigans: pop a light, access the harness, spoof messages or hit OBD and teach the car a new fob.
- Uconnect-era weaknesses: location spoofing/jamming beats tracking; immobilizer logic has had holes wide enough to drive a TRX through.
Stellantis did ship software patches—lock down key programming, force new modules when keys are lost, etc.—but that’s like adding a deadbolt to a door with a glass pane. Better than nothing, not good enough.
Why the lawsuit makes sense (and what it will ask)
Owners are basically saying: you sold “security,” but knew these platforms were a soft target and didn’t fix them fast or fully. And the evidence is the insurance carnage: Chargers/Challengers/Rams topping theft lists while cottage industries spring up to protect cars the factory should’ve hardened.
What Stellantis could have done (and still should)
They didn’t need sci-fi money. Years ago I even sold a company that built independent tracking (off the factory bus) and a dual-cut kill module (fuel + starter) tied to a hidden fob action. Unit cost was single-digit dollars at scale. There are also proven plays: encrypted fob rolling codes with proper relay-resistant timing, inertial start interlocks, CAN gateway firewalls, and tamper traps for lamp/bumper harness access. None of that is exotic in 2025.
What you can do right now (because thieves aren’t waiting)
- Layer your defenses: steering lock + hidden hardware kill (fuel/starter or crank signal) + parking policy (nose-in, block-in) + garage when possible.
- Harden the network: a quality CAN/OBD lockout and RF hub protection so a thief can’t just teach a new key in two minutes.
- Beat relay attacks: sleep or shield your fob, or use a relay-resistant fob pouch you actually keep by the door.
- Independent tracking: not app-only and not tied to the factory telematics. You want a unit they can’t kill by yanking one harness.
- Vendor up: companies like destroyer1320.com exist for a reason. If the OEM won’t ship real locks, bolt your own on.
- Update your software: get the latest immobilizer/Uconnect flashes—but don’t confuse patches with protection.
For Ram/Stellantis: this is the moment
If you’re shipping “new Uconnect” and 2026+ dashboards, ship security people can’t buy on Amazon:
- Hardened RF hub with anti-relay timing,
- Encrypted, rate-limited key enrollment with physical proof-of-possession,
- Locked CAN gateway with intrusion detection,
- Tamper triggers on common entry points that disable crank and scream to an off-bus tracker,
- And a real owner-visible security mode that takes 10 seconds to arm.
You fix this properly and insurance rates drop, resale climbs, and owners stop turning to the aftermarket to do your job.
My take
I love these cars. I also love telling the truth: from 2015 on, too many Mopars shipped with “immobilizers” that don’t immobilize. The aftermarket shouldn’t be the first line of defense. Until Stellantis treats security like brakes—non-optional and engineered to a standard—lawsuits will keep coming and thieves will keep eating.
Sound off with what’s worked for you (no doxxing your hidden switch, use your head). If you’ve had success with specific hardware kills or CAN locks, drop the brand/installer. Keep it respectful, keep it useful—and as always, stay petty, my friends.
