Browse
Log in / Register
Share
April 26, 2026 – Push-to-start vehicles have become a primary target for car thieves across the U.S. Using relay boxes, laptops and OBD programmers, criminals can unlock, reprogram and start a keyless vehicle in less than a minute. Police departments and insurance investigators now say that models with push-to-start ignitions are stolen at a disproportionate rate compared with traditional keyed cars.
Push-to-start technology is now standard on nearly every new car, pickup and SUV. The system is designed to feel automatic: as long as the key fob is inside the vehicle, the engine can be started with a brake pedal press and a reset of the ignition button. That experience has been sold as a safety and convenience feature, but it also removes many physical barriers that once made theft difficult. There is no steering column to smash and no ignition lock to pick.
Instead, thieves look for an electronic signal. In a process called a relay attack, two small radio devices are placed within range of the owner’s key fob and the car. The first device captures the fob’s code; the second device conducts that code to the vehicle’s antenna. The car then believes the key is beside the door, even if the real owner is sleeping twenty feet away. Many owners only discover the theft when they look out the window and see a car driving off without any broken glass or visible damage.
Police in states like Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota have noticed a clear shift in stolen-vehicle records. Older cars with regular keys used to dominate rural theft reports. Now newer push-to-start trucks and compact SUVs are showing up more frequently in crime summaries. The National Insurance Crime Bureau has pointed to keyless vehicles as a growing area of concern, and individual city auto-theft task forces have distributed leaflets warning owners about the use of relay devices.
The relay attack is only one of several tools in play. Another common method involves the OBD-II port, a diagnostic outlet usually located under the dashboard. An inexpensive, plug-in tool can communicate with the car’s engine computer, identify security settings and program a blank key in less than a couple of minutes. The engine then starts normally, giving the criminal total control of the vehicle.
The monetary appeal is obvious. A used compact crossover with low mileage can bring tens of thousands of dollars at an overseas market or as source parts for a chop shop. That value explains why organized crews concentrate on residential neighborhoods at night, scanning for unlocked cars, uncovered fobs and vehicles that stay parked for long periods. A single high-end pickup can be worth more than the combined earnings of several small theft crews, so the effort is focused and fast.
Security researchers have warned about keyless car theft for years. AAA demonstrated that a group of popular push-to-start vehicles could be entered and started in a matter of seconds with relay equipment. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has also kept keyless vulnerabilities high on its research list.
The strongest response is now reaching the market. Automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Lincoln have begun using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. Unlike older radio-frequency keys, UWB sends time-stamped pulses that allow the vehicle to measure the exact distance to the fob. A relayed signal from another room will be ignored because the timing is off. That closes the main window used by relay attackers.
This year, state lawmakers in several jurisdictions have introduced proposals that would require all future vehicles to include passive relay protection or an audible warning when a keyless vehicle is left running without the owner. Most of those bills are still pending. In the meantime, automakers are issuing software patches that reduce signal strength when the car is parked, and some have added a “sleep mode” to the fob that the owner can trigger through a dedicated app.
For the millions of push-to-start vehicles already on the road, simple steps can lower the risk. The most effective is to keep the key fob in a radio-frequency shielding pouch, even when at home. Inside a metal container, such as an old cookie tin, the signal is blocked the same way. Parking in a locked garage also makes relay attacks harder, but not impossible.
A bright mechanical steering wheel lock remains a very visible deterrence. Thieves often avoid vehicles that require an additional tool and extra time. Owners can also check with their dealership for the latest security updates. Locking the OBD-II port with an inexpensive cover is another quick fix that prevents the programming attack. And installing a GPS unit that includes engine cutoff gives owners a way to track and stop a stolen vehicle remotely. Insurance companies increasingly offer premium discounts for such systems.
If a vehicle disappears, the owner should immediately report the theft to the police and file a claim with the insurer. The vehicle’s GPS signal, if connected to a mobile app, can be shared with law enforcement. Avoid trying to challenge a suspect directly; the theft of a keyless car often happens in seconds and many crews carry weapons. After the incident, it is wise to have the car’s software checked for any hidden tracker or altered serial number, so it does not become a magnet for repeat thieves.
Push-to-start vehicles are not going to disappear from driveways tomorrow. The adoption of UWB will gradually make new cars harder to steal, but the growing number of keyless models already in circulation means education and prevention still matter. A layered approach – shielded fobs, old-school steering locks, updated software and GPS tracking – remains the most effective defense against modern thieves. As one auto-theft detective put it, “We can’t change the car design overnight, but we can change how owners protect their vehicles.”
