Is the Mongoose M60 the most outdated car alarm in New Zealand?
Here is my updated Mongoose M60G review for 2025. It’s been around for a long time now and has not aged well. How Mongoose are still able to sell these after 24 years is insane. This review covers the whole Mongoose M60 Series. The alarms are all the same, just with different sirens and sensors which I’ll get into later.
Mongoose M60G review 2025
Out of dated technology – even back in 2001
To the best if my knowledge the Mongoose M60G first appeared in 2001. I have an original installation manual saved as a PDF which I believe is the first version,
Even back in 2001 there were some basic alarm requirements for a good alarm that the Mongoose M60G was lacking.
- No Digital Battery Back-up siren – Mongoose Siren has an over-ride key
- No Attack Proof Security Housing – Weakness for the immobiliser
- No PIN-Code protection against remote cloning – Big vulnerability
Self awarded 5 Star rating that means nothing
Mongoose list the M60G as being a 5-Star alarm while still quoting expired AS/NZS Standards that were deleted years ago. The lack of respect this shows towards their customers is staggering.
And it’s not just Mongoose misleading the public about these standards – AVS are guilty of it too. Both brands are sold by the same Auckland company, so the connection is hardly a coincidence.
Ironically, Mongoose once claimed to be “a name you can trust.”
Annoying “features”
Moving on to the alar. The M60 can be a pain to live with. It has an anti-hot-wire feature: if the vehicle is immobilised and you try to start it, the alarm triggers the siren. No matter how careful you are, sooner or later you’ll end up cursing because the immobiliser only takes 30 seconds to arm. Do that once or twice and you’ll piss off the neighbours and make them completely immune to the alarm, which is half the reason car alarms have such a bad reputation.
What Security does the Mongoose M60 offer?
The M60 alarm module is bulky. This makes it hard for an installer to hide, once found the unit is easy to open and then by-pass. As an immobiliser, it is far to easy to defeat.
Poor Battery Back-up Siren
The Battery backup siren found on the M60G comes with an override key which means that the installer must make it accessible. This really defeats the purpose of having a battery back-up siren!
To make matters worse the M60G siren can be turned off in seconds without the key as it is easy to pick! There are also bullet connectors so it’s super quick to unplug and throw away.
24 year has past, and they are still selling this shit.
Mongoose M60 Remotes - The Messy History
In 2009 Mongoose updated the M60 Series. The new remote was called the MRC63B, it worked on 303Mhz and was not compatible with older M60 alarms. The MRC63B had an extra 3rd button and a Blue LED. This generation only lasted for 2 years and there were issues with the remote receiver board in the alarm where the range was really poor.
In 2011 there was another update, and another remote. Now the remote worked on 433Mhz and had a Green LED. This was called the MRC63G.
Much to my amusement at the time Mongoose had an MRC63R listed on their website. The red LED 3 button version of the remote never actually existed. If you’re confused then you’d be forgiven as Mongoose didn’t actually know which remotes they had at the time!
The current Mongoose website list 2 different MRC60-901-B remotes, the one above is listed as being the replacement for the MRC60-901-G. It is 433Mhz and has a green LED.
Link here: https://www.mongoose.co.nz/mrc60-901-b
Forgive the confusion but I thought that B meant Blue LED?
Some abbreviations which seem logical broken down:
- MRC = Mongoose Remote Control
- 60/63 = Alarm model number or number or 3 buttons on the remote?
- B/G = LED colour on the remote?
The image below is the other MRC60-901-B which is also 433Mhz and has a green LED (I think the Green LED should be called the MRC-901-G but I could be wrong, but it just seems logical).
Link to the other MRC60-901-B here: https://www.mongoose.co.nz/mrc63b-m60-series
It is claimed to replace the MRC63G & MRC63G2. If you’re confused about this, you’re not alone. Mongoose don’t have any other reference to the MRC63G2 on their website!
I probably should have dedicated the whole post to the Mongoose MRC60 remote history. Honestly, it’s a complete mess. You’d think that after the none existent MRC63R remote got removed from their website, someone at Mongoose would have discovered the concept of proofreading!
Why all the changes? I don’t know, but if I had to speculate I’d guess that they keep finding cheaper suppliers from China.
If you want to know more about the remote issues and the attitude they take, the comments section is worth a read: here is an old blog post about remote issues you can find on waybackmachine
Mongoose M6o Series Models Explained
M60i (Mongoose 3 Star) Immobiliser
M60B (Mongoose 4 Star) Alarm/Immobiliser with Shock Sensor
M6oS (Mongoose 4 Star) Alarm/Immobiliser with Glass Break Sensor
M60GNZ (Mongoose 5 Star) Alarm/Immobiliser with Glass Break Sensor
M60G (Mongoose 5 Star) Alarm/Immobiliser, Glass Break/Shock Sensor
Features:
- Dual Immobiliser
- Basic Battery Back-Up Siren (M60G/M60GNZ only)
- Two 3 Button Remotes
- Blue LED
- Door Open Warning Tones *Not available with the M60i
- Built-in CDL Relays
- Anti Hot Wire (More of a flaw than a feature!!!)
Obsessive Rating
Was outdated technology in 2001. Apart from some new remotes which are not back-wards compatible, and a lack of support from Mongoose, not much has changed.
The Mongoose M60G was shit in 2001, and it’s still shit now
