A new Honda anti-theft accessory is expected to cost eligible customers several hundred dollars.
The protection is designed to stop thieves from programming replacement keys and driving away in owners' vehicles, WPVI reported.
Here's what to know
The accessory targets a theft method involving a vehicle's onboard diagnostic connection.
Matthew Beatty, who oversees fixed operations at JL Freed Honda in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, said thieves can use that connection to create a working key.
"There's a port on the car, what they call an OBD-II. We would plug our computers in to program a car," he explained, per WPVI. "They've been able to steal the software, or make the software that they can plug their own device into it."
Beatty said that the result is a Honda key that lets a thief start the car and drive away.
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Thieves create it after breaking into the vehicle, programming it as if they were the owner.
More background
The Honda Accord and CR-V are among the country's 10 most frequently stolen vehicles, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Philadelphia police told WPVI that more than 12,000 vehicles have been stolen citywide in 2026, with Hondas accounting for just over a quarter.
An alarm prompted James Nusky, a resident of Philadelphia's Holmesburg neighborhood, to go and open his front door.
He told the station that three men were trying to steal his 2021 Honda Accord from his driveway at around 3:30 a.m. on March 23.
"I'm standing in the doorway just watching them, and they're running for their car. And the one guy is pointing the pistol at me as he's running to his car, and when he got to the car, he fired at me," Nusky recalled.
Nusky called police, who were still investigating when WPVI reported the incident.
He chose to swap his Honda Accord for another vehicle.
What's being done?
Thieves need information from the port to program another key — the accessory cuts off that electronic access by disabling the port, Beatty noted.
Honda calls it a "reprogram deterrent kit."
However, the kit is available only for Accords, CR-Vs, and Pilots built for model year 2023 or later, which Beatty said had been reported stolen most often.
That would leave Nusky's 2021 Accord ineligible for the new anti-theft kit.
The accessory is intended to help eligible owners feel secure about their vehicles, Beatty told WPVI. His dealership had received reports from several customers about thefts of their new vehicles.
"[Thieves] will not be able to get the data that they need to reprogram the key, so it will stop them from taking the car," he explained.
Where can I learn more?
Honda's anti-theft kit could be yet another expense for owners simply trying to protect their vehicles. These stories cover charger and generator theft concerns and repair disputes.
• In the U.K., electric vehicle chargers are being stripped for scrap, leaving drivers with fewer working plugs.
• In Texas, a smart generator owner feared theft during outages and questioned outdoor storage.
• A Honda Accord owner's claims were repeatedly denied, and then the dealership issued a $5,000 head-gasket quote.
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