Hey guys. Last Sunday one of our vehicles were stolen off the driveway. It was a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE. I left at 7PM and it was sitting in my driveway, and was back at 10PM and it was gone. I have all the keys for it and there was no glass on the driveway where the car was. It believe it had an electronic immobilizer/chipped keys, and it had a stock security system (alarm upon forced entry). I filed a police report and everything, haven't heard anything yet, but I'm just curious. With those security features, how is it possible that my car was stolen? I thought it was impossible to steal without those chipped keys? And none of my neighbours saw anything. Does anyone have any experience with having a vehicle stolen? How long does it usually take to show up? Is it usually alright or totalled or does it dissappear forever? Anyway, thanks for your help guys.
zanderch
With the right tow truck, a thief can haul your car away in less than a minute.
Take a look at these videos.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=528403465394611724#
Couple of possibilities.
- thief took it for a joyride/geaway car, it will be abandoned somewhere after its use. Condition can vary.
- thief took it to strip it and sell for parts. It will be abandoned after the thief takes off what they want. Condition can vary
- thief took it to ship it overseas and sell it. Once the car leaves port, you'll never see it again. There has been a rash of RAV4's stolen in Montreal (a port city) and that's what happened to them. They steal it, put it in a shipping container on a ship.
Take a look at these videos.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=528403465394611724#
Couple of possibilities.
- thief took it for a joyride/geaway car, it will be abandoned somewhere after its use. Condition can vary.
- thief took it to strip it and sell for parts. It will be abandoned after the thief takes off what they want. Condition can vary
- thief took it to ship it overseas and sell it. Once the car leaves port, you'll never see it again. There has been a rash of RAV4's stolen in Montreal (a port city) and that's what happened to them. They steal it, put it in a shipping container on a ship.
im pretty sure the XLE's came with chipped keys so that, combined with no glass on the driveway makes me think that it was hauled away by a tow truck like tom 2000 said.
goodluck getting it back.
a stolen car end up in the impound lot, who pay for it? the owner or the insurance to get the car out?
a stolen car end up in the impound lot, who pay for it? the owner or the insurance to get the car out?
hate to say it, but they'll eventually find it thru VIN... it will most likely be stripped since there was no breaking in. and they may burn it just for fun
Interesting since I had almost a close call.
I have a Camry XLE 2002 that I bought it in December 2001. Just after one month I bought, someone got into my car. He didn't break any glass or took any property from the glove boxes, but things are all misplaced. I had some money and a cell phone and some tools. He didn't touch it. The only reason he couldn't drive my car away is because of the Engine im-mobilizer. I think he has the key to that car. I didn't change all the lock cylinders since I have to spend few hundred dollars and it is not possible to get the chip code for him to duplicate.
I took my car to the Toyota dealership and they actually questioned me about all other keys. Finally, the mechanic explained how they get the duplicate keys. Some of the crooked guys work in any dealership who can help these guys. Just like when we lose keys, we can make a key if we go to the dealership with the VIN of our cars. SO he might have written down the VIN of my car and made a key with his friends at any Toyota dealership. However, nobody can duplicate the chip since the code is unknown. If you lose an electronic key, they have to reprogram the code for the car all over again. That is why he can get into my car but no way he can drive the car away. Also, he may be looking for any second key that usually people keep in the car.
Almost after one year he came again, but didn't take anything at all. After five years he got into it again, that time he took all the 6 CDs in the CD changer, money and all tools and trashed everything inside. The first two times he didn’t take anything. I think he didn’t want to alert me at all, so that I don’t change the lock cylinders or looking for a probability of leaving a second key in the car. Third time he got irritated and got what he can get out of it.
I think this guy may be a prisoner and might have been in jail. Whenever he gets out of the jail, he does it again wherever he can. Probably he is in jail now, and I didn't see any break in for the last few years.
So, from this experience, I wonder, you have all the THREE chipped keys with you.
There is no way anyone can drive away without that chipped key. Even if he hot wired it, the alarm will come off when he cut the wire, or disconnect the battery.
Or pulled away with a tow truck as the above post, but I doubt that because it is from your home driveway and a residence area, not a public parking place.
I have a Camry XLE 2002 that I bought it in December 2001. Just after one month I bought, someone got into my car. He didn't break any glass or took any property from the glove boxes, but things are all misplaced. I had some money and a cell phone and some tools. He didn't touch it. The only reason he couldn't drive my car away is because of the Engine im-mobilizer. I think he has the key to that car. I didn't change all the lock cylinders since I have to spend few hundred dollars and it is not possible to get the chip code for him to duplicate.
I took my car to the Toyota dealership and they actually questioned me about all other keys. Finally, the mechanic explained how they get the duplicate keys. Some of the crooked guys work in any dealership who can help these guys. Just like when we lose keys, we can make a key if we go to the dealership with the VIN of our cars. SO he might have written down the VIN of my car and made a key with his friends at any Toyota dealership. However, nobody can duplicate the chip since the code is unknown. If you lose an electronic key, they have to reprogram the code for the car all over again. That is why he can get into my car but no way he can drive the car away. Also, he may be looking for any second key that usually people keep in the car.
Almost after one year he came again, but didn't take anything at all. After five years he got into it again, that time he took all the 6 CDs in the CD changer, money and all tools and trashed everything inside. The first two times he didn’t take anything. I think he didn’t want to alert me at all, so that I don’t change the lock cylinders or looking for a probability of leaving a second key in the car. Third time he got irritated and got what he can get out of it.
I think this guy may be a prisoner and might have been in jail. Whenever he gets out of the jail, he does it again wherever he can. Probably he is in jail now, and I didn't see any break in for the last few years.
So, from this experience, I wonder, you have all the THREE chipped keys with you.
There is no way anyone can drive away without that chipped key. Even if he hot wired it, the alarm will come off when he cut the wire, or disconnect the battery.
Or pulled away with a tow truck as the above post, but I doubt that because it is from your home driveway and a residence area, not a public parking place.
My friend has a 06 Camry XLE and about 2 years ago he locked his key in the car with the car running. He called me panicking and told me he was going to smash out the back window, I told him "you dumb ass call a tow truck to jimmy it" he was like no this car is jimmy proof he wont be able to do it. Finally he called them, it took the driver literally 5 seconds to pop the lock. I was amazed I mean he put in the bar and click thats it. So the car is easily slim jimmied. The bypass is great but nothing is theft proof. I've read on the Ravs that they simply swap out the ecu with there own and using there chip vroom! How accurate that is no idea but I've also heard of ppl hacking the system with a laptop so its a help but not a lock to keep your car safe.
Hey guys. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. The car was found about 10 blocks away from my place. It had minimal damage and some stuff was stolen from inside it (not the stereo) but I don't think it had been towed. It was parked nicely at the side of the road and was even locked. It smelled like smoke, and none of us smoke, and so someone had been driving it. There were no wires hanging out of the steering column or underneath, and I started it and everything. The engine is making some funny noises so they must have bagged it but other than that it doesn't look like anything was dismantled. SO I'm super confused, because if it wasn't towed, the glass wasn't broken, and I have the keys, how did they take it? I'm not actually sure where my valet key is, but if the car is locked with the remote, doesn't the valet key not manually open the doors? The car was just serviced at a Toyota dealer a few weeks ago, is it possible a crook that works there got my address and VIN off the invoice and made a key and stole it?
Anti-Theft
Hi My name is Will. I am a new member and this will be my first posting!
I live in San Diego, East Side San Diego! Not the best place to live!
I own a Camry 2005. I am so paranoid of it being stolen hence it is the top 5 car stolen in the US.
I have an alarm that came with the car! the dealership talked me into it! they said it is what they use to keep people from stealing the car off the lot! it was an extra $500 Keyless entry + kill switch that blinks green! it has a button on it so you can change the setting to normal or valet mode! really sensitive alarm! if you try to use a key to open driver door while alarm is on, THE ALARM WILL SOUND! found that out the hard way!
My Friend down the street just installed a kill switch! ripped out his fuel pump and made himself a switch! Only problem I see is what i believe happened to you with your camry, TOW TRUCK!
My sister husband is a REPO MAN! I went on ride alongs with him once or twice! IT'S NO JOKE!
Hence, the only solution I believe is 99.0% full proof is an "GPS that plugs into your power With an option of alternate Power up to 72 hour after the car battery has been disconnnected or main power has been cut that can easily been hidden any where!"
Wake up, car is gone, you have an X (x=72hrs) amount of time to get to a computer terminal to locate your car, call emergency services, and direct them to your car over the phone!
when you car is gone who do you want looking for it someone else or yourself! Never rely on someone else to recover your car!
"If you want something done right do it yourself"
Good Luck, search google for car GPS Systems!
I believe it does not matter if they have the key or not! if you look in the grill of you car (GEN 6) you see two black wires, if you clips those the horn wont sound then they have all day!
either way if they got the hook up from the homie or not from the dealership, or know how to make key, or know how to hack your alarm via computer or whatever!
"locks only keep honest people out"
I am going to start investing money into my car, performance, body kits, you name it but the first things i am going to do is install a GPS system i just might install 2. One that stays in the car and one that i switch out from a hiding places every three days and replaces it with a charge one... IDK! What do you think!
-William
Hi My name is Will. I am a new member and this will be my first posting!
I live in San Diego, East Side San Diego! Not the best place to live!
I own a Camry 2005. I am so paranoid of it being stolen hence it is the top 5 car stolen in the US.
I have an alarm that came with the car! the dealership talked me into it! they said it is what they use to keep people from stealing the car off the lot! it was an extra $500 Keyless entry + kill switch that blinks green! it has a button on it so you can change the setting to normal or valet mode! really sensitive alarm! if you try to use a key to open driver door while alarm is on, THE ALARM WILL SOUND! found that out the hard way!
My Friend down the street just installed a kill switch! ripped out his fuel pump and made himself a switch! Only problem I see is what i believe happened to you with your camry, TOW TRUCK!
My sister husband is a REPO MAN! I went on ride alongs with him once or twice! IT'S NO JOKE!
Hence, the only solution I believe is 99.0% full proof is an "GPS that plugs into your power With an option of alternate Power up to 72 hour after the car battery has been disconnnected or main power has been cut that can easily been hidden any where!"
Wake up, car is gone, you have an X (x=72hrs) amount of time to get to a computer terminal to locate your car, call emergency services, and direct them to your car over the phone!
when you car is gone who do you want looking for it someone else or yourself! Never rely on someone else to recover your car!
"If you want something done right do it yourself"
Good Luck, search google for car GPS Systems!
I believe it does not matter if they have the key or not! if you look in the grill of you car (GEN 6) you see two black wires, if you clips those the horn wont sound then they have all day!
either way if they got the hook up from the homie or not from the dealership, or know how to make key, or know how to hack your alarm via computer or whatever!
"locks only keep honest people out"
I am going to start investing money into my car, performance, body kits, you name it but the first things i am going to do is install a GPS system i just might install 2. One that stays in the car and one that i switch out from a hiding places every three days and replaces it with a charge one... IDK! What do you think!
-William
Y go through all that trouble?
Get a cheap prepaid phone.. record it's IMEI # and some other info for the tracking. Get the phone online and Plug the phone in than hide it somewhere in the car. It seems to be the cheapest way. $180 for the first year and about $25 every year after.
Get a cheap prepaid phone.. record it's IMEI # and some other info for the tracking. Get the phone online and Plug the phone in than hide it somewhere in the car. It seems to be the cheapest way. $180 for the first year and about $25 every year after.
I always keep at least one pit bull chained around my Camry. Yes he is chained but I adjusted the chain just long enough so he can attack anyone messing inside or outside the car. By the way this car has never been stolen!
+1 on the camrys being very easy to jimmy. I had an encounter last winter with a kid that was periodically breaking into my camry.
One night, my wife forgot her purse in my car after we went out for dinner. In the morning, it was gone. I live in a great neighborhood so I just chalked it up to teenage brats and thought I forgot to lock the door. Over the next week or so I noticed change started to go missing from my change tray, and later noticed a scratch on my door that wasn't there before. We talked to our neighbor and he said that money kept going missing from his car as well, and that one night he looked out of his window and saw someone messing with his car. He banged on his window and yelled and the guy took off.
My wife usually leaves for work at 5:30am. One morning it was cold and she asked me to go start her car for her to warm it up. When I stepped out of the door in my slippers and pyjamas, lo and behold, this 19 year old kid hunched over the passenger side door of my camry in the darkness. I screamed and the kid took off running through our backyard, so I took off after him. My wife heard the commotion and went screaming and running after me in her bare feet in the snow, thinking the guy had a weapon or something.
When I caught up to him he was trying to climb the wood picket fence in our back yard. I dragged him down and put him in a guillotine chokehold, just tight enough so that he couldn't get away. The kid's breath reeeked of alcohol. He didn't even put up a fight at all, just begged me to let him go and promised he would never come to our street again. I honestly felt bad for the kid, but at the same time I felt violated and was seeing red. By that time my wife had called the police. They came and arrested him, apparently he was already on probation for some other crap. My wife was paranoid and traumatized for months after. She yelled at me for half an hour telling me how I'm an idiot and the guy could have had a knife or gun. She even called the police and freaked out when they told her that the kid got released from jail after 3 weeks because the prison was apparently overcrowded.
but sorry... i digress. so yeah, the camrys are pretty easy to jimmy apparently.
One night, my wife forgot her purse in my car after we went out for dinner. In the morning, it was gone. I live in a great neighborhood so I just chalked it up to teenage brats and thought I forgot to lock the door. Over the next week or so I noticed change started to go missing from my change tray, and later noticed a scratch on my door that wasn't there before. We talked to our neighbor and he said that money kept going missing from his car as well, and that one night he looked out of his window and saw someone messing with his car. He banged on his window and yelled and the guy took off.
My wife usually leaves for work at 5:30am. One morning it was cold and she asked me to go start her car for her to warm it up. When I stepped out of the door in my slippers and pyjamas, lo and behold, this 19 year old kid hunched over the passenger side door of my camry in the darkness. I screamed and the kid took off running through our backyard, so I took off after him. My wife heard the commotion and went screaming and running after me in her bare feet in the snow, thinking the guy had a weapon or something.
When I caught up to him he was trying to climb the wood picket fence in our back yard. I dragged him down and put him in a guillotine chokehold, just tight enough so that he couldn't get away. The kid's breath reeeked of alcohol. He didn't even put up a fight at all, just begged me to let him go and promised he would never come to our street again. I honestly felt bad for the kid, but at the same time I felt violated and was seeing red. By that time my wife had called the police. They came and arrested him, apparently he was already on probation for some other crap. My wife was paranoid and traumatized for months after. She yelled at me for half an hour telling me how I'm an idiot and the guy could have had a knife or gun. She even called the police and freaked out when they told her that the kid got released from jail after 3 weeks because the prison was apparently overcrowded.
but sorry... i digress. so yeah, the camrys are pretty easy to jimmy apparently.
Wow that kid is lucky that your a nice guy, honestly I would of beat his ass black and blue I might not have even called the cops just thrown his ass off of my property after I was done.
Cool, at least you got it recovered!!
Here is some advice on car theft taken from a local forum:
http://www.xceedspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53003
Here is some advice on car theft taken from a local forum:
http://www.xceedspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53003
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