Stolen from my driveway!

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bythehour

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2015 4Runner Limited in Blizzard Pearl...right out of our driveway two days before Christmas. :(

Read the "theft deterrent" thread with some amusement. Someone said thefts were rare for our SUVs? Not in Canada, at least. 4runners were the top targets in 2016. The cops said that mine was likely a professional job and the car was probably headed for Africa where it is upon high demand as a rugged and reliable SUV.

Toyota 4Runner most-stolen vehicle in Ontario - Windsor - CBC News

Now, as I wait for the clock to run out so my insurance cuts a cheque, I'm wrestling with the age old decision another 4Runner or a GX or LX???
 
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bythehour said:
The cops said that mine was likely a professional job and the car was probably headed for Africa where it is upon high demand as a rugged and reliable SUV.
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I saw a bunch of NY/NJ/Canadian 4x4s when I was overseas. Most of them even had the state inspection stickers on the windshield still. For a while in the mid-00's there were a few LX 450's and (oddly) Chevy Trailblazers rolling around the major city I was in that still had "my child is an honor student" bumper stickers on them (and one still had New Jersey plates). So yes, this is a very common thing.

I'm wrestling with the age old decision another 4Runner or a GX or LX???
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I love my 5th gen, but if you can swing it, I'd go with an LX or a 200 series Land Cruiser... and a better security system. Perhaps even one with its own 3g/4g cell connection and power supply.
 
Oh snap! was that my thread btw? Man I feel really bad now. See this is why I was looking for something.

Probably getting lowjack with my tax refund.
 
how'd they make off with it? keys inside?

i only ask because mine was broken into, but my wife's keys were inside, so her car got stolen, rather than my 4runner.
 
mckennar said:
I saw a bunch of NY/NJ/Canadian 4x4s when I was overseas. Most of them even had the state inspection stickers on the windshield still. For a while in the mid-00's there were a few LX 450's and (oddly) Chevy Trailblazers rolling around the major city I was in that still had "my child is an honor student" bumper stickers on them (and one still had New Jersey plates). So yes, this is a very common thing.
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When I was in Djibouti I no shit saw a T4R with Hawaii State inspection sticker on it. This was in 2011 and the T4R was a 5th gen, so it was fresh.

That T4R had been places lol
 
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When I bought my first T4R my credit wasn't so great so as a result the Stealership had a third party installer come to my vehicle days after the purchase to install a GPS tracking unit underneath the steering column.

I since sold that T4R and have no idea if that unit still remains. This was YEARS ago but I wonder if by some chance the dealer did something like this to yours?


Good luck man I'd be sad right up until insurance did what insurance is supposed to do. Sorry to hear of your loss.

T4R thieving bastards!:sniper: I too am curious how they got access without you aware.
 
bythehour - Wow, does that ever suck.

Last year i was checking Ontario Kijiji, for 17" Highlander rims / for wifes v6 RAV4.
- bought a set of 2013 alloys, out of Ottawa / only 800 Km, on the rims

Guy bought a brand new 2013 Highlander.
- after 3 weeks / took the original rims & tires off, and stored them in his garage
- he installed new winter tires, on black steel rims
- with SUV sitting in driveway / couple flew South, for a weeks vacation
- returned to missing vehicle, in driveway
Next - he took delivery of a 2014 Highlander, that came with 19" rims / the 17's wouldn't clear the brake calipers.
- so up on Kijiji the almost new alloys went
Thieves stole the new Highlander, with the ugly steelies.
 

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mckennar said:
I saw a bunch of NY/NJ/Canadian 4x4s when I was overseas. Most of them even had the state inspection stickers on the windshield still.
Click to expand...

way back when, I used to help running an automotive shop..
the owner would buy water totaled vehicles from all over the US, and ship them to Africa/Europe/Asia by crates as a "used vehicle".
many still had stickers, and, sometime, even personal items..
 
Both keys are still in our possession. I suspect they tried and fail to steal the truck a day earlier. When I tried to start the car on Thursday morning, I had to hold my key to the ignition button... I think that's required in the event of a low battery or an ignition reset?

I'll update with insurance info when available. There's a 30 day wait. The cops said that there are several professional car theft rings in Toronto. The lack of signs of forced entry and the model lead them to suspect the worst.

I'd love a LX but that's a big nut to crack. I'd be happy with a GX but for some reason, they're a huge premium over the Runner up here in Canada (about 30%?!) Not sure it's worth it?

This was my first Yota and first 4Runner. I had really grown to appreciate it. It wasn't fancy or flashy, but it just worked, really well. It sucks to lose it, but what bothers me more are the things inside it that can't be replaced...like the hand built toboggan that I bought when our first son was born.
 
bythehour said:
2015 4Runner Limited in Blizzard Pearl...right out of our driveway two days before Christmas. :(

Read the "theft deterrent" thread with some amusement. Someone said thefts were rare for our SUVs? Not in Canada, at least. 4runners were the top targets in 2016. The cops said that mine was likely a professional job and the car was probably headed for Africa where it is upon high demand as a rugged and reliable SUV.

Toyota 4Runner most-stolen vehicle in Ontario - Windsor - CBC News

Now, as I wait for the clock to run out so my insurance cuts a cheque, I'm wrestling with the age old decision another 4Runner or a GX or LX???
Click to expand...

Sorry about your loss. When someone wants something bad enough no alarm will help.

About those stats though: You guys must not have hardly any car thefts. There are only about 3600 4Runners sold in all of Canada every year. Break that down per geographic area and that's way less than 1000 per year for your area. Not many.
 
1engineer said:
Sorry about your loss. When someone wants something bad enough no alarm will help.

About those stats though: You guys must not have hardly any car thefts. There are only about 3600 4Runners sold in all of Canada every year. Break that down per geographic area and that's way less than 1000 per year for your area. Not many.
Click to expand...

I feel better, sort of...thanks. :p
 
Wait did you have a push button start? We bought my fiancé a brand new civic in January and in august it was stolen. Both keys in our possession also. It was taken from her office. No forced entry no skid marks nothing. We got her a used Lexus and when the guy came to our house to program new chip it was amazing how easy it was. He took the vin poped it into Honda website and it spit out the program code for the key fobe. He said they probably took her vin sent it overseas and they sent the key and bam gone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
TK-422 said:
Sucks but time for a NVR and cameras before the next one is stolen.

mpx-security-camera-system-MPX86-L1.png
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What good is that going to do when a professional car theft ring takes your ride in the middle of the night? The OP would be no further ahead than he is now.

You could drink coffee with the cops and watch the video the next day I guess.
 
I hope the insurance pays for it.
I wonder which kid of thief prevention I should install in an 1988 T4R...
 
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