DC police warn of uptick in theft of cars with keyless entry, push-to-start ignition

WASHINGTON - Car thieves are going hi-tech, leading to a spike in car thefts in D.C., and police are issuing a warning for drivers, especially those with ‘push to start' ignition in their cars.

If your car key is a remote, police say it could make your vehicle a target. In the last seven days there were 101 car thefts and police say many of them were keyless cars.

"2023 was definitely the highest year," said Sylvan Altieri, the Assistant Chief of Patrol Services with MPD. "And that was based on the Hyundai Kia challenge."

For car thefts, during a four-year period in the nation's capital. The numbers dipped in 2024 but they are back up.

"Right now, we have a six percent increase here to date, compared to 2024," Altieri says. And many of these recent car thefts are connected to remote car keys.

What They're Doing:

Assistant Chief Sylvan Altieri with Metropolitan Police Department says there are two ways theives are stealing push-to-start cars.

The first is through the ‘on-board data port’ or ‘OBD’ that’s usually underneath the dash, below the steering wheel.

"We’ve noticed that thieves have a way now where they’ve created a device, they get into your vehicle and once they gain access they plug into that, they’re able to gain data, reprogram a cloned key and steal your car," Altieri said. "That is why when you come back to get the car you can no longer start it because the programming has been switched."

That can be prevented by purchasing a lock that goes over the port. It’s an easy tool that takes seconds to install.

The second way thieves are stealing cars is by making a copy of your car key through your home walls and windows.

"The closer they get to your home the better. They come up to your window and what they are doing is stealing your signal. Once they get that signal, same process — they clone your key and take your car," Altieri says.

Altieri says to block that signal, people should purchase a Faraday box and drop their keys in when they get home.

Be Prepared:

"As technology grows, ways for you to commit crimes kind of goes along with it," said Altieri.

But he says one of the best car deterrents, no matter what kind of car you drive, is a steering wheel lock. 

The wheel lock, bags and boxes Altieri suggested all cost under $50 — an investment that could prevent a thief from getting away with your car.