Corolla owners

Every modern car I've known the steering locks without the key in the ignition, this is the case on a new Corolla manual right?

Late last night got woke up by my dog barking at someone out in my driveway. Went outside to see what was going on as several of my neighbors were out there. Long story short, my neighbors brand new Corolla apparently either left in neutral or jumped out of gear rolled out of their garage turned as it backed down the driveway sharp enough to make a complete U turn and backed into my yard running over the phone box then went forward across the street to the left and rolled down into the back yard of the house across the street and smacked a tree right square in the middle of the front bumper. It was a steep incline and hit pretty hard. Didn't think to get any pics as I was half asleep. Police, fire and emt's came out, the whole nine. No one was hurt or apparently nobody was in the car and supposedly the keys were laying in the seat. So tell me how could this car turn one direction then the other? They said it was a freak accident, but I have my doubt's. Not a big deal, the only damage was to the car and the tree that was already dead. The phone box was fixed when I got home today. But I just still feel like maybe their son was playing around and nobody saw him in the aftermath. So manual Corolla's do lock the steering without the key right?

 

Seems like the steering wheel lock is more an American car kinda thing.

When lifting vehicles at work, I never worry about if I need to leave a toyota in N or the key in the on position so that it can be shaken down properly...GM is another story and so are a good amount of Fords.

 

My wife has 2010 corolla. the steering locks on it. but its also a automatic.

 

I think it would be worth a trip to the dealer to take a peek at a manual one.

 

I'm willing to bet someone was in that car. Every car I have ever driven the steering wheel is locked when the key is not in the ignition. Manuals, autos, etc.. we have two newer Matrix's for work, and they're the same as corollas. Also, once the car hit the phone box, wouldn't it have stopped rolling?

 

Well once it hit the phone box it had rolled back up hill slightly, although I can't see it having been enough to give it enough momentum to roll across the street and jump the curbing since the curbing in our sub-division is pretty steep. So much so that I hate it, the edge of my drive way is a pita. I have never seen a sub-division have such rough entry to the drive ways. It's so bad several of my neighbors have paved theirs over which I have considered doing but it is illegal because of the drainage.

 

ours locks only when the steering wheel is point straight ahead. 2006 model.