This is why you don't leave it running with keys inside

[Silverghost]

That’s generally a big reason why people buy cars like these, the tech, which is usually a facet of “luxury” or “upscale”. If it was solely performance, there are better buys.

Not me! I bought this car for its performance and its looks and price. I doubt care for those gizmos.
If you cannot pay 100% attention while driving, then you shouldn't be on the road

 

[rpoffen]

I recently installed the Accessorides remote start (OEM with takeover) kit. Here is how it works.
1.) To remote start the car, press the lock button three times (not as fast as you can, about 3/4 second between presses). The car will start. Because you use the lock button, the doors are locked.
2.) You unlock the car (either via the fob unlock, or pressing the button on the door handle with the fob in your possession. The takeover model keeps the car running.
3.) Enter the car with the fob in your possession, and press the brake pedal. The vehicle is fully on and drivable.

If you do any of the following, the car will shutoff.
1.) Press the lock button three times again.
2.) Unlock the car, but do not fully start it (step 3 above) within 45 seconds.
3.) Enter the car without the fob and press on the brake pedal.

The only thing I haven't figured out, and is not mentioned in their instructions, is if I remote start the car, but never unlock it, does it eventually shutoff. I tried to test this, but it did not shut off after 10 minutes in my test. I did not try for a longer time.

So, overall, I think it is pretty safe. Once you remote start the car, you need to have the fob in your possession inside the vehicle for someone to take off with it.

 

[Ecobust]

I'm all for remote start, I live in MN, it can get to -30 regularly in the winter. The problem I have is if the car has been remote started, it should have some type of disabling feature that won't let just hop in there and be able to drive it away without the key fob. That's completely stupid. If you worked where I worked and literally saw 15-20 cars a shift stolen (3 shifts a day) so 45-50 cars stolen without any real effort you'd thing it's stupid too. Yes, people have ALWAYS stolen cars but they at least had to put forth a bit more effort. Now, you get in the car, it's already running and it'll stay running and it's clear sailing.

That is absolutely not how remote start systems works. Modern remote start still requires a key fob to be present to unlock the door. Once unlocked, you also need the fob for the start button to respond and to be able to shift out of park to even drive the thing.

Carmakers may be do some dumb sht but no company is stupid enough to make a remote start system with no protection from theft.

 

[Transmetal]

That is absolutely not how remote start systems works. Modern remote start still requires a key fob to be present to unlock the door. Once unlocked, you also need the fob for the start button to respond and to be able to shift out of park to even drive the thing.

Carmakers may be do some dumb sht but no company is stupid enough to make a remote start system with no protection from theft.

Huh? Don't think you're understanding what I'm saying. We had a stolen SRT Grand Cherokee come in. Vehicle was stolen while it was running via the remote start. Somebody busted out the window, crawled through, put the car in drive and drove it away. They eventually dumped the car, left it running and it was towed by the police. The person who stole the car, didn't have a fob at all. No fob was recovered and the car said key fob not detected, yet the thief was still able to drive it away.

 

[RM7]

I'm all for remote start, I live in MN, it can get to -30 regularly in the winter. The problem I have is if the car has been remote started, it should have some type of disabling feature that won't let just hop in there and be able to drive it away without the key fob. That's completely stupid. If you worked where I worked and literally saw 15-20 cars a shift stolen (3 shifts a day) so 45-50 cars stolen without any real effort you'd thing it's stupid too. Yes, people have ALWAYS stolen cars but they at least had to put forth a bit more effort. Now, you get in the car, it's already running and it'll stay running and it's clear sailing.

Most aftermarket and OEM auto-starts will kill the engine if you try to put the car in drive without dis-arming or having the key-fob, or they will lock out D.

 

[moinmoin]

Yes, most aftermarket auto-starts will kill the engine if you try to put the car in drive without dis-arming.

And that's exactly how KIA's UVO works: The system requires the car to fully locked before it can be started remotely. My bet is, ALL OEM remote start system require this for security/safety reasons.
Aftermarket systems are a completely different animal, as owners or installers can get creative here. BTW, in the case the OP reported, the owner left the key fob in the car, he might have just as well handed the fob to the perp.

 

[Aloneinthefog1]

I appreciate this thread, right after I got my car my daughter decided she was gonna buy me a remote start for father's day, my car doesn't have it (I'm good with that) so she got one from "My key premium" which is a take over system that uses the factory fob, and you can set it up to lock the doors when you get out of it while it's running and it does some other stuff but I never checked that far into it. I did however hook it up (only took 5 minutes) and it seemed like it worked as advertised but I just got a gut feeling not to leave it hooked up until I found out more about it. So all that being said are any of you familiar with this system? What are the plus and minuses? Personally I couldn't care less about it but as I said it was a gift from my daughter. If you've read this all the way down thank you for your time and have a great day/night/whatever