Stolen Taco Recovered!Now What?

Hey everyone.
Well the nightmare continues!
Back on January 25 this year my 2019 TRD Pro was stolen,3 weeks later to the day it was recovered by the police from a concerned person who read my post on Facebook and saw the photo,thanks again for the call.
Well the police took it to a compound,did the investigation and then the detective went on holiday without releasing it.
So 1.5 weeks go by and the insurance company messed up getting it towed to the local Toyota dealer,very close to where I live.
So March 9 it arrives at the dealership.
The insurance adjuster showed up and I was there with the mechanic trying to figure out what was going on since my fobs (2) of them were erased, and the truck couldn’t get started so they couldn’t plug in the computer to see what’s going on.
Well the previous owner had a Toyota long range remote starter installed and I had the remote.
The mechanic said that it worked in conjunction with the fobs and since they were erased it would not work.
Well I said let’s see what happens and it worked and now the computer could access the main ECU,sure enough the VIN was altered on the system as well as on the dashboard and the white door sticker showing build location etc.
The dealership said they would not be able to reprogram the VIN back in on the main ECU with the legal Toyota software but I contacted the detective a couple of days later and he was surprised at what I was saying and said he would call the dealership and see what’s going on and Surprise they were able to do it.
So now I have to wait for a couple of other modules to come in from Kentucky,by March 20 the new fobs and steering ecu had been replaced and the truck is now fully functional.
They did oil change and alignment and washed it.
Turns out the thieves also removed the windshield and riveted the VIN number from a written off Taco,same year and colour as mine.”Ready for Sale”
BUT now Toyota Canada legal department requires a written police report showing that it was recovered from theft since it was ReVINed and apparently that is a term??
Toyota will Not release the truck and re issue VIN plate or sticker.

Well you can’t just go into the police station and get a report printed,emailed.No,you Have to go to an online portal and apply for the report and of course pay a fee.
Well it’s not my job to apply for it,it’s the insurance company’s job.
So now I notified the insurance company of what they have to do and they tell me that it can take up to 6 to 10 weeks to get it.
WOW are you kidding me?
Well the insurance company waited from March 20 to April 24 to apply and it’s done by a third party company that they use and nobody is able to get me any information on what is going on.
Well I don’t have a rental as well since my policy only covers a 3 week or $900 maximum.
The police service portal that we were able to actually get through and speak with a live person who actually felt sorry for us,said that they had a 2 to 3 week turnaround and that there was Not a request for a report filed.
So on May 18 the insurance company requested a report
“again “.
I’m not very happy with this whole situation and I also applied for the report myself on May 26.
Total 18 weeks and counting since ground zero and still no truck.
If it was not recovered I would have something else by now.
Sorry for the long story but WTH…
This is absolutely absurd in 2023…
To be continued….

 

Wow this sounds like a TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!! sorry all that happened to you

 

Sorry you have to go through this. Hopefully you can stay positive, cut your losses and get into another vehicle that you like.

 

Holy shit, what an incompetent system you're dealing with... hope you get some relief from this situation soon.

 

It’s like I have visitation rights and I can go and see it…and I do a few times a week.
I started it Friday and drove it around the lot so it doesn’t mess up the tires too much.

 

Just think of all the people this keeps employed.

 

How fun.

People suck.

 

No kidding and to all of them it is only a case number on the pile that is in front of them..

 

Well I have only owned it since beginning of October last year and it has only 60,500 kms 37592 miles.
Not easy to get another one like it,so it’s like ordering a new one at this time..

 

That sucks!!! What a stupid system. At least healthcare is free, so if you have a heart attack from all the stress you’re ok I guess. . But for real I hope you get it figured out. Good luck.

 

Get a lawyer and sue your insurance company. They should be covering a rental car for the duration, the reasonable cost of transportation, or lost wages due to the inability to get to work. Your policy limit assumes you are doing everything in a timely fashion, it does not cover them dropping the ball repeatedly.

I would also request the interior be professionally remediated for hazardous waste (drugs). There is no guarantee the thieves were clean, and many drugs (fentynal, specifically) can be especially dangerous ... especially if the dealership can document any white powdery substances found in the vehicle.

If it were me, i would push to have it totaled and get one that doesnt have these headaches ... jesus, just thinking about the vin issues when you go to sell gives me anxiety.

Cut bait and run, sue your insurance.

 

Sounds like a pain. Dealing with government hoops and ladders is always a a real disaster. (At least over here) Assuming the thieves didn’t mess up the truck it’ll all be worth it when you get it back. Glad someone called in your truck. Did they catch the guys?

 

Yes,the Toyota mechanic that was working on it,his brother is the officer that processed the case and it’s privileged information since they are dealing with organized crime..
The only damage was from the police that physically pushed the vehicle from the underground garage out to the flat bed truck on dollies,there were a couple of small dents above the front fender flares and no paint damage and the dents were professionally removed.
Also the console area in front of the shifter where the small access panel is located to release the transmission was scratched but the whole console surround was replaced with a new one.
Someone else mentioned about getting it cleaned,the dealership said they will detail once everything gets done.
The whole idea was to do a resale from what I’ve been told.
When they part out or ship overseas the VIN is not a concern.
The VIN will be reissued with the same due to future sales and service requirements.
It’s a vehicle identity theft and will be restored.
Thanks for the reply..

 

You are absolutely right, I have experienced new feelings that I have never felt before.. If I take a stress test I will be off the chart..but at least the test will be free..

 

Just "steal" it back. If none of the beurocrats can prove who it belongs to, how could you even get in trouble.

 

ah, the lovely world of insurance.

everything you said sounds like it went exactly like it ought to have.

if you need things to go fast, don't go through insurance. you needed to just pay for the police report and then have your insurance reimburse you.

i've seen small 1-room house fires take up to 2-3 years to get people moved back in just because the insurance doesn't pay the contractors and the contractors put a lien on the final inspections, which means they can't get occupancy...