Local police called me about 3:00pm on Friday and said they had found my truck and if I can come down now, I can drive it home. It was found with 2 other stolen cars about 3 miles from my house in an apt/townhouse complex. This area would be considered "across the tracks", if you know what I'm talking about. They took a few things that they could carry away and they took my lience tag. They didn't try to take that nice stock Dodge radio out of the dash and they left some tools I had in the tool box. Looks like they just drove it to thier 'crib and left it. The radio was set on a station that was very, shall I say "young and urban".

Sometimes I leave the driver's window lowered about an inch with the door locked. And it looks like I did this the night it was stolen. There are marks on the lock and inside the window at the lock there is a Dodge decal with scratches all over it, so they used something to pull the lock up.

Once they got inside they took the key that I leave in the air bag lock out of the dash and started the truck. Yes, you read that right, I leave a key in the dash. I've got a 9 year old that is too small to ride with the air bag on, so I turn it off when she in the pass. seat. But when they pulled the key out, they broke the a/b lock in the dash. Now I don't know if the a/b is on or off. So I need to get that fixed.

The key was not in the truck when it was found. So do I get it re-keyed?

Anyway, that's the story from here....

Paul

At least it wasn't royally F'ed up. Would really suck to have it be trashed and then the insurance want to fix it instead of totalling it out.

Yep,

I'd re key it or it could disapear again.

Good news. I know that feeling. Glad you have it back, sad you don't get a new one. Mad at the bad luck of it getting stolen in the first place, happy to have it returned mostly in one piece (and returned on Friday the 13th of all days). Thinking that it is a badluck set of wheels, mad at your friends/family for not having your car actually featured on one of TLC or MTVs car makeover programs. Either re-key it and never leave anything of value in it again or bite the bullet and go get a new ride like you've been thinking about.


Don't forget to check under the seat for loose joints.

i wonder if ins. would have covered it anyways had they known it had the key in it. I knew a girl who had her 3000gt stolen while it was running in a store parking lot and they wouldnt cover it because she had left the keys in it. Glad you got your truck back though. A friend of mine was driving to work one day in our other buds car- cus his was apart at the time- and this guy waves him down to stop. Hes a nice guy so he stops and gives the guy a ride to the bus stop or somewhere, then the guy says ok now get out and give me your wallet! They found the truck on the "other side of the tracks" w/ a 13yo kid driving it. He said he had bought the car from a guy for $300 and it was all banged up. Idiots!

Don't change the locks, then they can't steal it again and hopefully total it this time.

If you re-key, make sure it runs for awhile before the locksmith leaves--newer cars have a chip that will keep it lit> joe blows locksmith shop may NOT have the right OE style key blank, and the car will shut off in 3 minutes or so.
If you really want it for keeps, get a Lojack installed--sleep better at night.

Sorry man... better truck next time.


M

Did they get my door handles???