FOUND: My truck was stolen last night- Fxck!

On the news -


Thieves Using Apple AirTags to Track and Steal Luxury Vehicles: Police (businessinsider.com)

 

My it’s so good to be driving my Tacoma again. I’ve got to take it back and have them realign it because while it tracks fine the steering wheel is about 2 deg of center and that will drive me nuts. They had to realign it and my suspicion is when it was dragged onto the flatbed it got knocked out. And my remote start isn’t working. The guy in charge of the repairs told me to inspect it and if anything at all was off to bring it back.

But after having that f150 rental and now being back in my Tacoma I definitely bought the right truck.

 

Good morning Mr. Phelps. A stealth tag is reported to an iPhone that’s moving with it. If your vehicle is tagged you’ll know it if you have an iPhone. Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it, is to find that tag. And dump it at the nearest cop shop.

 

This is what I would do as well with the full understanding that it is 100% guaranteed to get my truck torched by the thieves though.

 

And then you get a NEW TRUCK! THANKS THIEVES!

 

Sorry for your loss, did you forget to blur your license plate or Vin#...

 

Vehicles are often stolen for a short period of time as transportation for criminals. They drop them off in a large parking lot, likely before it is even reported stolen. This allows them to commit a crime and not leave photos of their license plate around on security cameras. Or it may just be their transportation.

Auto theft is a bit above average in the middle class neighborhood I live in. A few miles one direction is a more affluent area, drugs leave that area in larger quantity sales. A few miles in the opposite direction from this neighborhood is a poor area where street level drug sales and plenty of drug use happen. Separating the seedy neighborhood from the nicer areas is Interstate 5. The stolen vehicles are mostly for transportation and drug movement and often found nearby in shopping center parking lots with minimal damage (often just the theft related damage.) I know one persons pickup was stolen and then used for a smash and grab robbery of a nearby store. That one was declared totaled when found, but all the shop security cameras didn't help much, as it was 2 masked men in a stolen pickup.

 

I’ve done a few simple things to minimize my risk. Truck is garaged at home, vin is not visible, turn off the fob at the mall or other unfamiliar location, tracking with silent airtag. And, if all else fails, it’s insured.

 

I like this airtag business -

 

What bothers me most is so many people are keen on tracking movement.

 

I wouldn’t say I was “keen” on tracking the movement of my truck without me in it, but I’d rather have the opportunity to potentially find out where it’s going, without my permission, than not. Hope I never get to experience a truck theft, you either.

 

Here in BC. the chop shops are in rural areas far from the local police detachment and well outside cellular coverage. Vehicles go there for parting out or modification before export. There is a reason why some folks live in villages at the end of paved roads. Tracking won't do a bit of good as they all rely on cellular networks.

I'm quite happy to keep location services turned off until I need to use a gps in the bush for work.

Due to a hill, I only have cell reception in part of my house and where I work there is none. A block north of me there is no reception.

It's a game of whack-a-mole and at the end of the day, a replacement through insurance may be the best option.

 

i did

 

Ordered a set of Airtags, thanks for the idea.

…wonder where I can get a set of some alarm activated mini shear rams for the brake lines if anyone tries to drive Mulita away without my permission.

 

An excerpt from the Toronto Star

“If you drive certain cars and trucks in Canada — particularly Toyota/Lexus and Honda products — there is a high chance you will walk out your door in the morning and find it stolen.

“Lexus and a few of the other brands are in high demand overseas and they are pretty easy to take,” says one veteran police detective.

If it happens to you, your car will likely be opened and started using cheap technology to reprogram the car to accept a new smart key. It will leave your driveway or a parking lot between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m., and be driven somewhere to cool off — thieves want breathing room to make sure you have not installed a secret tracking device. Then it will be loaded onto a container and shipped across the Atlantic.”

 

So... First, park inside if possible. What isn't seen is isn't stolen.

Next, install a club on the steering wheel. Easy to cut the wheel but if this is an export job they then will have to replace the steering wheel and swap the air bag in it. Hopefully someone else's similar model is a softer target.

Finally, Lo-Jack or some other tracking system. It will cost you, so weigh that and insurance costs, and make your choices. None are right or wrong, it is all a risk/cost balance and what you are comfortable with.

I have also used ignition immobilization with old aircooled Bugs, another option that likely rates about the same place as a steering wheel club above. My recommendation if you go that route is to make the kill switch a shunt to ground after the fuse. That way when they power up the car without knowing about it they have 2 problems. Find the switch and turn it off, then identify the fuse and replace it.

If your special Tacoma is really wanted they will get it. Remember though, these are later model trucks produced in the millions -- most theft can be prevented by making someone else's Tacoma an easier target!

 

Curious, what does hiding the Vin# do to deter thieves ?

 

It won’t deter a car thief but there’s no good reason why anyone would need to know my vin so I covered it. (anal retentive privacy thing )

 

Like covering the license plate with your thump when taking a picture...

 

Dealerships can cut keys from a vin#.