Ford’s 700 UK dealers are pioneering a new registration system to help secure portable satellite navigation systems (sat-nav) against theft.

Identifying each sat-nav unit with a security code is a valuable theft deterrent, since it becomes riskier to sell and easier to trace to its original owner.  In partnership with security specialist company, Retainagroup, Ford's UK dealers are now marketing a simple DIY kit which includes a unique code and 24-hour telephone access to the International Security Register (ISR) – Retainagroup’s secure database on which details will be recorded with owner information.  The discounted price of the kit is £10 through Ford dealers – normal price £11.75.

This system has been used to protect over nine million vehicles and is a proven deterrent to theft - a marked and registered vehicle is 55 per cent less likely to be stolen than an unmarked one.  Unique code marking is a powerful tool in detecting vehicle ‘cloning,’ acting as an independent crosscheck against other vehicle details. The chances of recovery are also 50 per cent higher if a stolen vehicle is marked and registered.