Do I Really Need a Tracker If I Have an Immobiliser?
It is one of the most common questions we hear from customers who have just had a CAN bus immobiliser fitted. The car is protected — the engine will not start without a PIN. So why would you also need a tracker? The honest answer is that they do different things, and for many vehicle owners, doing one without the other leaves a gap in their protection.
What Does an Immobiliser Actually Do?
A CAN bus immobiliser such as the Autowatch Ghost or CAN-IMMO connects to your vehicle's CAN data network and adds a secondary authentication layer. Even if a thief successfully relays your key signal, clones your key, or obtains a replacement key from a dealer, the engine will not start without the correct PIN code or an authorised Bluetooth device.
In practical terms, an immobiliser stops your car from being driven away. It is one of the most cost effective anti-theft devices available for modern keyless vehicles, and it addresses the most common theft method — relay theft — directly.
What Does a GPS Tracker Do?
A GPS tracker does not prevent theft. What it does is track and locate your vehicle if it is moved without authorisation. Thatcham-approved S5 and S7 category trackers provide 24/7 monitoring by a professional control centre. If your vehicle is moved, the monitoring centre is alerted and can relay the live location to police.
Some trackers also offer driver recognition, geofencing alerts, and battery backup in case criminals attempt to block the signal. Higher-category trackers like S5 include additional features such as ADR (Authorised Driver Recognition), which alerts the monitoring centre if the vehicle moves without an authorised driver present.
So What Happens Without a Tracker?
With only an immobiliser fitted, you are well-protected against your car being driven away. However, a determined criminal may still attempt to steal your vehicle in the following ways:
• Loading it onto a flatbed recovery truck and transporting it to another location for later work.
• Towing or pushing away to strip for parts or attempt to bypass the immobiliser
In these scenarios, a GPS tracker provides the critical recovery capability that an immobiliser alone cannot offer. Even if your car is moved without the engine running, the tracker continues to transmit its location.
What Happens Without an Immobiliser?
With only a tracker fitted, your car can still be stolen via modern theft technology’s — and may be gone before the monitoring centre can alert police. Recovery rates for stolen vehicles vary significantly depending on how quickly police can respond. By the time a tracker alert is received and acted on, a vehicle can already be in a compound, a shipping container, or across the county border.
A tracker without an immobiliser is a recovery tool. An immobiliser without a tracker is a prevention tool. Used together, they provide prevention and recovery — the most comprehensive protection available.
Which Should I Prioritise?
If your budget is limited, an immobiliser should be your first investment. Stopping the theft from happening is always preferable to recovering a vehicle that has already been taken — which may have sustained damage during the theft or been stripped of components.
However, if you own a high-value vehicle, a vehicle that is frequently targeted in your area, or a vehicle required by your insurer to have a tracker, adding a GPS tracker alongside your immobiliser provides the most complete protection layer.
What Do Insurers Say?
Some insurers — particularly for high-value vehicles such as Range Rovers, Land Rovers, and prestige German makes — now require or strongly recommend a Thatcham-approved tracker or a TASSA approved immobiliser as a condition of cover. Others offer premium discounts for approved security devices. Fitting both an immobiliser and a tracker often results in the greatest reduction in premiums.
It is worth contacting your insurer directly to understand what devices they recognise and what discounts may be available.
The Short Answer
You do not have to choose. An immobiliser stops your car from being stolen. A tracker helps get it back if the worst happens. For maximum protection, the two work best together — and many of our customers opt for a combined installation for exactly this reason.
Talk to Us About Combined Security Solutions
We install Autowatch Ghost immobilisers, CAN-IMMO devices, and Thatcham S5/S7 GPS trackers across Kent, London, Essex, Surrey, and Sussex. Our mobile installation service means we come to you. Get in touch to find out which combination is right for your vehicle.
View our products at www.idealas.co.uk/products
