This will probably get locked up but....

[maxxx]

A friend of mine went out for dinner with friends. When they came home the wife's 2005 Corolla was gone. Now I know about spare transponder keys, and cloning the code but all keys were accounted for and none were loaned out.

Sure the dealer had a key, but how did that happen?

[Squelchtone]

A friend of mine went out for dinner with friends. When they came home the wife's 2005 Corolla was gone. Now I know about spare transponder keys, and cloning the code but all keys were accounted for and none were loaned out.

Sure the dealer had a key, but how did that happen?

It could have been snatched up by a repo man with a tow truck that just hooked the car and drove off, or sometimes the bank where they have a loan can give the key with transponder to the repo man, who will walk up start the car and drive off in case they missed a payment on the loan.

Squelchtone

[raimundo]

A friend of mine, had an old volvo that was no longer running, he finally did some work on it, but still had not gotten it running, then it was stolen. this had to be a tow truck, and likely someone in the neighborhood who was watching it and saw him working on it.
Thieves use tow trucks also.

[hydruh]

That car probably uses KeeLoq, which is just 64 bit security. I have seen people crack them in 15 seconds. Here is a link:


S

[m4m750]

If you think your car is worth something, install a vehicle tracking device.

[dougfarre]

If you think your car is worth something, install a vehicle tracking device.

Haha, thats some great advice. Find your stolen car, and install a vehicle tracking device. Then you wont have any trouble finding it!

[m4m750]

Please note that I live in Australia where everything is done in reverse.

[dougfarre]

Hahaha, good come back!

[test]

A friend of mine went out for dinner with friends. When they came home the wife's 2005 Corolla was gone. Now I know about spare transponder keys, and cloning the code but all keys were accounted for and none were loaned out.

Sure the dealer had a key, but how did that happen?

Sounds like a Riddle.

Lets see...

1) A reference to 'the wife' which generally means your wife.
2) You say the dealer had a key
3) you know that none of the keys were missing.

Therefor you are the Dealer and you've played a horrible trick on your wife!


Seriously tho'. Cars are so easy to open its almost criminal. Transponder keys can be programmed by the car itself in a couple minutes if you know the tricks ( read the service manual ...).

bla bla bla. Still I dont think a 2005 car would be a big target...


Sorry about the loss. Having something stolen can really put one in a bad mood. Try to find some way to think positive ( Insurance payout? New car stereo?)

[maxxx]

Hate to burst your bubble, but my friend is indeed a friend, his wife is certainly his wife. He is 50ish and has a high level county accounting job. Nice house, paid for. Two offspring in college. He spends more on his hobby that I make a year.

I referenced that dealer had a key because it would be easy for them to make one. There was no debt on the car. Knowing I knew a little bit about locks he inquired.

My wife drives a Ford and she wishes it would be stolen. Thanks for the tow truck theory. That may have a ring of truth. A 2005 Corolla seems like it wouldnt be worth the effort to clone a transponder key. The equipment would cost more than the little pos car.

[slojewski]

Sounds like an inside job... you know those corolla types.

however, it could be just a well funded thief that was out to dinner too and needed a ride home... but honestly... who steals a corolla? im just glad my car is a piece of bunk, hopefully nobody wants to take it

[test]

Hate to burst your bubble, but my friend is indeed a friend, his wife is certainly his wife.

Sorry Maxxxxx I was just trying to inject some humour in a sad subject. You never know how much you miss something until someone steals it from you.

Best of luck to your friend tracking down the car. I hope nothing too important was in it.

[raimundo]

Did this dinner you were out to involve valet parking?

[prag]

Here in S Africa the crime rate is very high. The cost of vehicles and the lax border control makes this activity very lucrative.

The criminals definitly have a solution for the transponder and tracking challenge.

What and how you ask?

Easy, all they do is hijack the car. And if you ask how the criminals deactivate the tracking system? Well I don't think I can disclose that info but it is violent.

While we are on the subject of tracking devices, I read an article about this and it will prove how clever these guys are

A vehicle security company got a disstress signal of a stolen car. Their gps indicated that the stolen car was right infront of them. But the vehicle infront of them and description of the car did not match. Infact the vehicle in front of them was a horse and trailer. Eventually they pulled over the truck and guess what.

They discovered the stolen car was in the truck and the criminals were busy stripping the car. What a shock for the guys in the back of the truck.

Other ways of consealing stollen cars is to dig huge holes in the ground, park the cars and conseal the area with natural vegitation. Another way is making these "dug outs" near power station etc with thought that the signal will get scrambled.

The mind of a criminal is amazing

[Mutzy]

Here in Australia, the Department of Transport for each state is connected with the others in the country. Through the databases, it means anything that goes missing in one state and surfaces in another is instantly picked up when re-registered.

Bummer about the friends car. I'd say tow truck job, though surprising that they'd take a 05 Corolla in the first place.