What an interesting post with a sad ending. I should really install a kill switch in my 2000 . Thanks for sharing.

 

Where in CA is this?

 

Our little Corolla was stolen in Castro Valley California... a small town in the San Francisco East Bay not known for crime.

Mom had a eye appointment for a checkup on Lake Chabot Road near the all new Eden Hospital...

From what I understand... Hospitals and Medical Centers are proving to be hotspots for auto thefts... lots of strangers coming and going at all hours of the day and many are preoccupied...

Mom's granddaughter who was also born in 2001 loved that car and it was planned to keep it in the family... with only 60k miles and looking like new, we thought it would be around for many years.

Can't say enough good things about the NUMMI experience... down to every last person we met that day... the workers had tremendous pride in what they were doing and it showed in everyone we met...

The new to us 2011 has some big shoes to fill and luckily shares enough of the original S pedigree to make the transition easier...

The seats are taking a little getting use to... can't quite put my finger on the subtle difference...

 

I know it is probably to late cause it is probably chopped by now. That said, how about posting the License Plate number, so we can all be on the lookout. It shouldn't be hard to miss as sweet as it must be, if someone is actually driving it around.


I was on my way back from Phoenix Friday (in my flat bed tow truck) and we do a lot of "high end" car hauling. A 2014 Mercedes passed me and was a beautiful car. It was being driven by some "stragley" (SP?) looking people, so I called my Highway Patrol partner, and sure enough it was on the hot list out of Dallas Texas.


Hope they had nice ride from Texas, cause their ride came to an end 7 miles down the road, and now they are in this situation :jail:


Rick

 

Confirmed our Corolla is in the National Data Base

California License 4RYJ646

Holding off on settlement...

Insurance said if it is recovered after settlement, we will not be getting the car back... which is why the decision was made to wait.

I would post a picture as soon as I can figure out how.

Thanks everyone!

 

are our cars easy to steal and are they sought out by thieves? I've always thought at least where I live Honda's are easier to steal are more sought out by thieves. Although the last few trips I've made to the junkyard the few 8th gen Corolla's I've see the engine and transmission have been taken already, so perhaps there is a demand for them?

 

Yes they are easy to steal. Every day on I-10 here in Arizona there are hundreds of all kinds of Toyotas headed East bound. The Mexicans steal them in the Los Angelas area, drive one pulling another with a real flimsy tow bar. They cross the Border at Nogalas headed for Guatamala. Any Corolla will bring $5,000 - $10,000, and a pickup (hilux) will bring anywhere from $20,000 - 30,000, depending on if it runs or not !


Sounds crazy I know, but we go out every day on accidents where an 18 wheeler has run right over the top of them because they only go 35-45 mph.

 

omg I on the west side of Louisiana, should I be worried? I can tell these cars are easy to steal, there isnt even a basic alarm. Mine is in rather poor shape though, but from what it sounds like, people actually want to steal these cheap cars ?

 

Nothing can kill a hilux. All toyota engines take abuse very well thats why people steal them.

 

Local law enforcement said older Toyota and Honda are the top stolen vehicles in my area of California...

It will be 3 weeks tomorrow and still have not managed to get past it...

and... I'm taking Mom to the same Doctor's office today where her car was stolen and will be driving her 2011 White Corolla S... maybe, I will just watch over it making sure the new one isn't taken.

All the years of pampered care and top notch maintenance just so some thug that preys on 80 year old widows can part it out for a few bucks.

I hope there is a special place in you know where for these rats.

 

Sorry to hear about your mom's 01 Corolla. I myself have an 02 "S" in Impulse Red. I will have to look into doing something to keep mine from getting taken. If it's any consolation, the 2011 Corolla's have an engine immobilizer system. It would be a lot harder to steal the 2011.

 

engine immobilzer



What year did this start with? Is chip in the key part of this system?

 

These neat tips would really work well I think http://www.yotatech.com/f122/tools-tips-tricks-278208/