Car thefts in Norway rise amid increase in electronic hacking

Car thefts in Norway have increased by five percent between the first half of 2025 and the first half of 2026, according to data from Finans Norge. This rise is noted as a concerning reversal of a downward trend that had been observed since 2023.

Ole Irgens, press chief at Tryg Forsikring, identifies the vehicle key as the primary vulnerability. Common theft methods include the physical theft of keys from unsecured locations like gym lockers or near unlocked home entrances.

Thieves are also utilizing advanced electronic methods, such as relay attacks, where equipment is used to intercept and copy signals from keys located near entryways. Additionally, some vehicle models, specifically certain Toyota models, are susceptible to physical hacking through the headlight wiring to access the internal data network. To mitigate these risks, experts suggest keeping keys in metal boxes or away from front doors to prevent signal interception.