Keyless car theft case in St. Louis prompts warning for RV owners about tow vehicles
A Missouri car owner suspects a key fob relay attack after her locked car vanished. RVtravel.com says RVers with trucks parked beside their rigs should check their keyless systems.
A car theft in St. Louis, Missouri, has led to a warning for RV owners whose tow vehicles or towed cars sit a few feet from where they sleep, according to RVtravel.com.
RVtravel.com, citing KMOV television, reported that Sherri Brown woke up to find her 2017 Nissan Maxima missing from the parking area beside her house. The doors had been locked and her key fobs were inside the house.
“No signs of forced entry, no broken glass. No signs of forced break-in.”Sherri Brown, speaking to KMOV
Brown suspects thieves used a key fob relay attack. RVtravel.com said this has not been confirmed as the method used to steal her car.
In a relay attack, as the outlet described it, one thief stands near the key while another waits beside the vehicle. Their equipment makes the vehicle believe the key is nearby, even when it is inside a house or RV. If it works, the thieves can open the doors and possibly start the engine without the original key.
The concern centers on passive keyless entry systems, which let drivers open the doors without pressing a button on the fob, RVtravel.com reported. Having a remote fob or push-button ignition does not by itself make a vehicle vulnerable. Some newer vehicles use ultra-wideband technology to help tell whether the key is truly nearby.
The outlet said Germany's ADAC automobile club has tested more than 850 vehicles over the past decade, and that its August 2026 findings show relay attacks remain possible against many tested vehicles, although manufacturers have made substantial improvements.
For RVers, the outlet said, keys hung by the door or left on a counter are often only a short distance from a parked truck. RVtravel.com stressed that the St. Louis case provides no evidence that such thieves are targeting campgrounds.
Suggested precautions include a signal-blocking Faraday pouch, tested regularly by trying the passive entry feature with the key inside, as well as protecting spare keys, disabling passive entry where possible, and using a steering-wheel lock.
Brown also told KMOV she had dropped comprehensive coverage on her older car and carried liability only, according to RVtravel.com. The outlet noted that liability insurance generally does not pay to replace your own stolen vehicle.
Much is still unknown. The report does not say whether police have identified a suspect, whether the car has been recovered, or how the theft was actually carried out. It also does not say whether Brown's model uses the kind of passive keyless system the outlet describes.
