Two days ago, my truck was stolen. I have a black 93, 4 banger with zero options. I KNOW the doors were locked, as one of my children walked away from the car for the third time that day and I pitched the mother of all fits. The doors got locked. We walked into the store, got some shoes and then I sat and day dreamed about the garden I want to plant. I came back out and the truck is gone. It showed up last night. I was expecting a jacked up steering wheel, and an ignition that's destroyed, or at the least some wires exposed underneath. It's in PERFECT condition. The steering wheel still locks. There are no tool marks on the door from a slim jim. There ignition has no tool marks either. It looks all the world like someone used a key and just followed me to the store and then drove off with it. I really would like this not to be true, as it makes it a very personal situation. It's not like that was my first stop after leaving my house. I'd been shopping for 2 hours, 4 stores, and that was the last one. So either there's another way to steal a car that I'm missing or someone followed me around until there was no camera in a parking lot to record them. Thoughts?
Wht the fuck. Two of my friends have toyotas. Both there keys work on eachothers cars which is weird. They used to play jokes on eachother and take eachothers car. It's funny but I could see how it's not funny. I bet it was a friend though.
alarms are your friend!!!!! keys can be shaved to be universal, meaning a regular toyota key(without a chip) can be shaved down a curtain way and made so that it can open other toyotas and start them. Sorry to be so blunt but everyone should know this. VERY POPULAR WITH HONDA, TOYOTA, NISSAN. theres a reason why newer cars come with chipped keys. they also sell a remote similar to the smart key, for cars without a chip that you can still use your regular key but the ignition will not start if the smart key isnt in the car. i had it in my civic and in my 94 accord. no matter what you do the car will no start without that remote in the car.. (no push start, no hot wire)
sounds like someone with one of these keys just wanted a lil joy ride.
alarms are your friend!!!!! keys can be shaved to be universal, meaning a regular toyota key(without a chip) can be shaved down a curtain way and made so that it can open other toyotas and start them. Sorry to be so blunt but everyone should know this. VERY POPULAR WITH HONDA, TOYOTA, NISSAN. theres a reason why newer cars come with chipped keys. they also sell a remote similar to the smart key, for cars without a chip that you can still use your regular key but the ignition will not start if the smart key isnt in the car. i had it in my civic and in my 94 accord. no matter what you do the car will no start without that remote in the car.. (no push start, no hot wire)
sounds like someone with one of these keys just wanted a lil joy ride.
very true my dad locked his keys in his nissan hardbody pick-up and my cousin had a 90' nissan 240sx key weared down and opened my dads truck and started it with a 240 key.
Here is another way to defeat this problem:
I have hidden under my dash on my Camry and Highlander a switch in the ignition circuit that opens the circuit between the switch and ignition relay to use as a safety device. It's not a normal looking switch but something from the aircraft industry that would be unrecognizable as a switch if somebody saw it. Can't crank cars with my key if this circuit is open.
Here is another way to defeat this problem:
I have hidden under my dash on my Camry and Highlander a switch in the ignition circuit that opens the circuit between the switch and ignition relay to use as a safety device. It's not a normal looking switch but something from the aircraft industry that would be unrecognizable as a switch if somebody saw it. Can't crank cars with my key if this circuit is open.
Did you install that yourself or have it professionally done?
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2008 Highlander Base 4WD
2002 Avalon XL
1987 Suzuki Samurai 4X4 - Treading where no Jeep can follow....
I installed this myself in both vehicles. I went to the local dealer and talked them into showing me a wiring diagram for the ignition and cut the wire they said and put the device in . If you're not comfortable with working with the wiring I wouldn't try this. I worked as a mech and inspector for over 40 years on large aircraft or I probably would not have tried it. (Can't find the info on which wire it was.)
Off the top of my head I can think of two things that might have happened. I believe there was a time in Toyota's history where keys where "universal" so to speak. So if I own, say, a '93 4 Runner like you, and I try my keys on your car, it might work and start the car. I'm willing to bet that's what happened.
Another possibility is that the thief wrote your VIN, went to the dealership who skipped asking the guy for a copy of the title of the car or insurance, and gave the thief a copy of the key. I don't see that happening in this case, since if the guy went thru that much trouble to get the key, why did he return the car?
Nice to see you got it back though, and time to start putting in an alarm and an ignition killer
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1995 Toyota Camry V6 LE-6M1 250K Miles, Fun Car
1997 Acura RL-Gone
2007 Acura RL SH-AWD, Technology Package, Opulent Blue Pearl- Fun Car/Daily Driver
Old Toyota locks are comically easy to open with other Toyota keys as they wear out. I can open the doors and start my friends 1990 Camry with my Cressida keys and my other friend with a '90 Camry after a little bit of work unlocked my Cressida's door with her key after I locked them in my car one time. The keys wear out over time and the lock cylinders wear allowing different keys to work.
The locks starting in the mid-90s or so are harder to cheat and are more durable.
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1994 Toyota Pickup Xtra cab 4x2 22R-E 44,000 mi
1998 Toyota Avalon 1MZ-FE 137,000 mi
2005 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 49,000 mi
2006 BMW 330i Sedan 85,000 mi
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid 2AZ-FXE 62,000 mi
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1984 Toyota Cressida
1994 Toyota Pickup
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