Why don't they steal 4Runners?

[TeryT]

Here's a very interesting & informative article on car theft. Ever wonder why you see one list with Camrys & Accords being at the top, and another list showing Chrysler's minivan as most frequent? This article goes into the reasons, and gives links to full lists.

Explanation of differing stolen car lists

Basically there are different criteria for making each of these lists. Some exclude the model years. For instance, Toyota & Honda cried foul when they consistantly hit the top of one list, and they have a solid reason to complain. This list doesn't say that the Camrys & Accords that are being swiped are, for instance, mostly from the 1993-97 range. This is before these manufacturers starting putting anti-theft devices on.

And our beloved 4Runner is way down on all these lists - like at least 50 or more! Why? Could be there's not as big a chop shop market for them, as their numbers aren't nearly as high as the Camrys, Accords & minivans. Could be that the models changed too fast to get commonality (but I don't think that is the case here). Could just be they know us 4Runna owners are a crazy bunch who would shoot their ass if they came near our baby! :gun:
:goinposta
I do wonder how effective the new antitheft devices will be. Has anyone heard of a vehicle being stolen, without the key, that has the new transponder system like is on the 4th gens?

Oh, and Happy Resurection day!

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Alot of the more stolen cars are big targets cause they're parts are interchangeable with other models of the same brands and theifs go after more common cars since those are the parts that are in demand.
I'm glad Runners are low on the list.

 

[Gryphon]

A friend of mine owns an RV sales lot. The only vehicle he has ever had stolen was a 1990 4Runner.

(Yes, mine was bought from his lot, but it was a different one that was sneefed, not mine!)
:bouncy2:

 

[Hank]

I remember someone made a post a few months ago that had a link to a website (I think it was msn) with an article stating that there's a way to cheat the factory ignition immobilizer chip that's in the key. It's been said that some car thieves have a handheld device the size of an ipod that can send a signal to any transponder chip in the key (within a certain range) & receives a code in return (possibly an unencrypted or encrypted code which the device cracks?). Therefore, it can be done. Nothing is bulletproof in the hi-tech world

 

[Koz]

I think it has to do with how popular and how many were sold. Unfortunately this is also why there is very little aftermarket parts.

Koz

 

[TeryT]

I think it has to do with how popular and how many were sold. Unfortunately this is also why there is very little aftermarket parts.

Koz

I seem to see a fair number of 4Runners around. Is that just because I'm noticing them more now?

 

[Offroader]

They don't steal (4th gen) 4Runners because of the chip on the key.
Without the key, it's very difficult (not impossible) to steal.

 

[atomic punk]

Strange.... 'cuz my insurance agent told me that the Toyota 4Runner IS on the high-theft list here in Mass. I had to pay extra for that fact, of course... the list included seemingly EVERY car and truck ever made since the invention of the wheel - I think it was like 4 fahkin typed pages of autos!!!! Geez.

 

[TeryT]

They don't steal (4th gen) 4Runners because of the chip on the key.
Without the key, it's very difficult (not impossible) to steal.

I wonder how difficult it would be to hot wire around that transponder chip? More than likely, unless a theif had one of those decoder devices like mentioned above, I would think they'd just move on to something else a little easier.

BTW - Do you guys believe in putting alarm stickers on your Runners - with or without an actual alarm?

 

[sharp4runr]

Whatever it takes to deter a thief is a plus in my book. If they see an alarm sticker and a blinking light and move on to the next truck, that $.50 sticker paid for its self a thousand fold

 

[chillwihll]

You should probably put the sticker for a different alarm brand on your car, cuz the sticker tells the thief what kind of alarm you have, thus allowing them to prepare themselves to disable it. The guy that installed my alarm suggested that I not put the stickers on.

 

[Kmvreter]

Strange.... 'cuz my insurance agent told me that the Toyota 4Runner IS on the high-theft list here in Mass. I had to pay extra for that fact, of course... the list included seemingly EVERY car and truck ever made since the invention of the wheel - I think it was like 4 fahkin typed pages of autos!!!! Geez.

Find another agent or shop around for quotes. You're getting hosed with another sideline of rate hiking BS.

 

[broncosi]

haha intresting story, one night apparently some "gangstas" came down our street bashing windows, my 4runner was even parked on the street. They hit 9 cars leaving 2 untouched, one being mine and the other was a new bmw. the police said it was gang related viloence.(if you live in the raleigh durham area check it out on WRAL 5 o'clock news sometime around this friday) anyways i think they skipped our cars cause they figured they had alarms and would wake the entire street. The humor in it all is that our street is a dead end street and there are about 15 more houses down from ours, everyone is at least over the age of 65. Thus concluding(hopefully) it is not gang related cause there aint no gangs on our street. None of the cars hit had alarms, maybe that was their plan or maybe they figured theyd just keep going til they hit an alarm.

 

[MicaBlue03]

TeryT, I heard of one 4th generation being stolen, from a dealer lot. The vehicle was parked adjacent to a busy street (acutally a multi-lane state highway), facing nose out. It appears that the thieves hooked it up to some sort of tow truck and hauled it away somehow.

It was probably a messy operation, since it was a V8 where the front wheels are always in gear. I'm assuming they dragged it out of its parking spot (skidding all the way, I assume) and then perhaps lifted all 4 wheels up and took it away. IIRC, it was found a few miles away, and the bad guys were not able to start it.

 

[TeryT]

TeryT, I heard of one 4th generation being stolen, from a dealer lot. The vehicle was parked adjacent to a busy street (acutally a multi-lane state highway), facing nose out. It appears that the thieves hooked it up to some sort of tow truck and hauled it away somehow.

It was probably a messy operation, since it was a V8 where the front wheels are always in gear. I'm assuming they dragged it out of its parking spot (skidding all the way, I assume) and then perhaps lifted all 4 wheels up and took it away. IIRC, it was found a few miles away, and the bad guys were not able to start it.

Great story! Guess that sort of qualifies for "being stolen." Think of all the trouble they went thru to steal it, then couldn't start it. I don't know whether to laugh or have symapthy. :violin: :twak: :tongue: (need a 3 Stooges smiley)