Sometimes, your Vauxhall may trigger alarming messages that are misleading. Like the “Theft Attempted” message that any Vauxhall owners ask about. What can trigger this and does it really mean that someone tried to break into your vehicle?
In most cases, the “Theft Attempted” message doesn’t mean that your vehicle went through an attack. It means that the antitheft sensors were triggered by something like a dashcam falling off the mount, very strong wind, very heavy rain, etc.
But with a good scanner, you can usually access more information about the theft warning message and see which sensors gave you the message. This can help you understand if the car was the goal of thieves.
Why do you see the “Theft Attempted” message?
Your modern Vauxhall vehicle is equipped with a more or less modern antitheft system that has a lot of car theft scenarios uploaded in it. Also, the vehicle has dozens of different scanners that react to any minimal changes in the car position or to any knock.
There are different levels of alarm going off. Sometimes, the alarm will just beep a couple of times to warn the potential thief that the vehicle is protected. And you won’t see this in your app or on the remote control. Anyway, this can be registered in the antitheft system and later it will turn into a warning message.
Here’s how it works:
- whenever the vehicle gets a signal from antitheft sensors, the computer registers the case;
- if it gets any approval, it will also save the error code in the control unit that will trigger the message on the dash;
- this message will be only displayed once and you will not see it anymore unless the car is under another theft attempt;
- once you press dismiss, the message is deactivated but the information about it is still in the vehicle’s “brain”.
So, the message doesn’t mean that someone actually got access to your vehicle. In most cases, it means that there was some impact and, according to the programmed scenarios, your vehicle thinks this was an attempt to open the car without the proper key.
What can trigger this message?
There are several possible reasons why you can see the message informing you that someone attempted to steal your car:
1) Something moved inside the car when the antitheft was active
Once you lock the doors, your Vauxhall activates the alarm system which includes the antitheft unit. If your dashcam suddenly falls from its mount on the windshield or on the plastic panel and creates a certain knock, the alarm system may consider that someone is in the car.
Even when the sensors won’t get any verification that someone is trying to steal the vehicle, it will show the “Theft Attempted” message.
2) A pet in the vehicle
This is a very common thing to see such a message when you lock the car for several minutes with your dog or cat inside. Any movement inside your car with the locked doors can be considered an attempt to steal the vehicle as an unauthorized creature is in the vehicle and it doesn’t have any proper key on it.
3) Very strong wind
It’s quite common for a strong gusty wind to shake your car a little. If this happens, the alarm sensors may be fooled into thinking that someone is trying to move the car. This will result in the message on your dash once you get into the vehicle. People who live in windy areas are used to this warning and pay no attention to it at all.
4) Something fell onto the vehicle
When knock sensors are triggered, it usually has an effect on the antitheft system. For example, a branch from a tree may have fallen onto the hood. This would trigger the hood sensor and your antitheft system may believe someone is trying to open the hood.
5) Hail
This is another really common thing that can and will trigger this message. Strong hail may activate several knock sensors in your Vauxhall, so it’s not surprising that you see this message after a stormy night. In this case, you should also inspect the paint on your car to find some possible damage.
6) Broken sensors
As I’ve already said before, your vehicle has a lot of alarm sensors. They are used to protect the car from any unauthorized penetration. At least, the sensors will activate the alarm and there is a chance that the thief will run away.
So, if one of the sensors is broken or disconnected, your alarm system may think that someone is trying to disconnect the antitheft sensors. This may lead to various warning messages and codes including “Theft Attempted”.
7) Other unusual reasons
In the driver’s manual, your Vauxhall says that the alarm may be triggered by vibration and traveling on ferries. It means that if your vehicle is parked near the railway or there are some construction works near it, this can also trigger the message.
How to check which sensor triggered the message?
You can get access to antitheft information in your Vauxhall by accessing this menu with a good scanner. Unfortunately, a simple ELM OBD2 scanner won’t do the trick because it only communicates with the engine control module.
The information you need will be stored in alarm system modules, body control modules, etc. So, if you have a Vauxhall-compatible scanner, there is a high chance you can read this information.
Your Vauxhall saves the data for the last three times the “Theft Attempted” message was triggered. But, as far as I know, these data will be cleared once the power is cut off. So, if you replace the battery, the antitheft information is probably lost.
Also, you can go to the dealership and ask them to get the data if you really need this. Be prepared to pay about a hundred pounds/euros for that though.
Is there anything you should do after you see this message?
No, the message is purely for information. Just dismiss it by pressing the trip computer button to let the dash show the proper information. Otherwise, the message will be automatically dismissed in a minute or so.
I would still check if the vehicle has any signs that someone tried to get into it. For example, scratches on the locks, damaged paint, damaged glass, etc.
Also, you may want to inspect the car outside to see if there are some other issues like the marks on the roof from a fallen tree branch.
By the way, I’ve also written about the Code 16 in Vauxhall vehicles and the annoying “Service ESC” message. You may want to have a look!
Do you want to add anything or share your story? Please write in the comments below!
