Leaving your keys at the car is never ideal, but with these 10 hiding places your car won't be going anywhere. Before we get started, these tips won't do much good if you have a proximity key. It would be unfortunate if you go through the trouble of finding the perfect hiding spot for your keys when all a thief has to do is pull your door handle, triggering your key and opening your door. Not only do you have someone poking around inside your car, they know the key is close too.
Behind Your Tires
Hiding your keys behind your tires is a simple and easy way to keep your keys out of sight, if a little inelegant. However every car has tires and unless you are looking for them, nobody will accidently find your keys nestled against your tires. A big downside to this method is how visible you are in the act of hiding them. Any onlookers will see you crouching by one of your tires, so watch how many people are paying attention.
In Your Wheels
Depending on your wheels' design, you may be able to sneak your keys behind them. Those of you with spoked rims may want to skip over this spot. But if you have wheels with more metal than open space there is probably a space for your keys to hide. This is a step up from just stowing them behind your tires as it's a similar location, just more well-hidden and.
Behind Your License Plate
This is pretty brilliant, but takes some work. Unscrew your license plate and if your key is narrow enough, it should get held in place quite well when you screw the license plate back on. If you don't have a screwdriver make good use of your loose change to get the job done. Unless someone actively watches you do this, nobody will find your keys.
In Your Exhaust
Another easy and effective place for your keys to stay hidden. It's a little less conspicuous compared to hiding it behind your tires or your license plate, but the tradeoff is that your tailpipe is dirty and your keys will follow suit if placed there. But it's easy to bend over and shove them in, just make sure to not throw them in too far! Unless you have an extendable magnet it'll be a pain to get them out.
In Your Bumpers
This won't work for every car, but it's an excellent spot if you can make it happen. There should be some space on the lip on the underside of your bumpers for a key to fit. If there's room you have a lot space to work with completely out of eyeshot. It's also easy to place your keys there, so you can stealthily hide them in plain sight. Even if you know where you placed your keys they can be hard to find poking around in the dark.
Under Your Hood
Before you put your keys here, ensure you can open your hood from the outside of your car. If you close the hood and realize you need to be inside the car to open it you're out of luck. If you're going forward with this method try and place your keys in a nook where they won't get crushed when you close up. The last thing you want is to open your hood and see a crushed key fob!
Inside The Gas Cap
This spot follows a similar protocol to hiding keys under your hood. Make sure you can open the gas cap from the outside of the car as many vehicles have a button on a the driver's side to open the cap. If you're good to go this is an easy-to-access spot well out of sight.
By Your Windshield Wipers
Some vehicles will have deep recesses where the windshield wiper hinges are located. Wedging your keys in an empty spot there is a sure way to keep them away from prying eyes. Just don't wedge them in too far. The last thing you want to hear is the jingle of your keys falling into your engine bay somewhere as you walk away.
In The Grille
Take advantage of the modern design trend of throwing a large grille on the front of cars. If your car was made in the past 10 years there's a good chance you can find a gap large enough to fit a set of keys somewhere. Be careful though, you don't want to scratch your paint while you're stowing your keys.
In Your Tow Hitch
This is a popular one, and for good reason. It's easily accessible, you can stow your keys stealthily and it's well hidden at shin height. That popularity can work against you as it's a likely spot a thief would check if they suspect you left your keys on your vehicle. You can get a tow hitch storage lock to make hiding your keys as simple and safe as possible.
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