Toyota Hilux Thefts - Warning To All

[UpNorthMI]

Well I just had my low mileage 2022 Toyota Hilux stolen at 5:30am this morning, the vehicle was parked in front of a home in a rural Staffordshire village. I have super quality CCTV, an 8 minute long video clip of 2 guys showing up in hoodies and masks. They smashed a side window, bypassed the alarm, entered the vehicle and were gone with it in 8 minutes. It went a mile down the road where they disabled the Toyota tracking system. After doing a quick bit of Googling it now appears that late model Hilux are claimed to be one of the most stolen vehicles in the UK. Apparently professional gangs are travelling the country stealing them for shipment on to the Far East or Africa.

Just wanted to share this for all similar owners who don't think very often that their shooting wagon is at the top of the list for thieves. Apparently thieves can reprogram the vehicle through the OBD port, just as if a dealer would if you lost both keys. They also swap out the ECU to achieve the same. I went on to read that these thieves carry sophisticated signal jammers to make primary and secondary tracker systems useless.

At least it is insured, but now I have to deal with a lot of crap and sort out a replacement. If you have not realised that your pick up is a key theft target, maybe it's time to consider extra security, unfortunately these people are very skilled in their car theft careers! Yet again it is the rural issue that we continue to face many challenges from bad people.

 

[Freeforester]

Sorry for your loss and aggravation. Too bad the authorities don’t seem to place any emphasis on dealing with these sort of crimes these days, really - too bad. Seems that CCTV is no deterrent to determined criminals.

 

[long_range_rob]

A mate had his stolen earlier this year. My lads firm had two new ones stolen. Pedal boxes and steering wheel locks are the only way. The police need to do more as do Toyota as their security is clearly a joke.

 

[miffy]

I was in Whitchurch last Saturday ( mc Donald's coffee only honestly)
Came out to be almost blocked by a 25 plate ford pickup. Gypsy guy distracting me talking a load of s****.. luckily I got back to it just in time.
I did get a number plate and reported it.
What good it'll do .
Hopefully you'll not loose to much.
Many thanks for the heads up.
Miffy

 

[chriswjx]

Mind seeing something about Hiluxes and Isuzus being on the menu at the British Shooting Show?

People saying the security on them (and the current crop of Land Rovers) are pants and easily bypassed you unfortunately found out...

 

[long_range_rob]

Just to say my lads firm now have to fit steering locks and pedal boxes every time they stop for more than five minutes with photos taken of them in place. This is a requirement from their insurers.

 

[vmaxphil]

After all the advancement in technology we're now going back to 1970s steering lock security !!

 

[finnbear270]

After all the advancement in technology we're now going back to 1970s steering lock security !!

I have always fitted a Krooklok type bar through the steering wheel, it will slow them up a tad, but if they want a vehicle they will take it.

 

[Tazz]

The problem with all digital based security is that however clever the team was that developed it their is an equally clever team always looking to break/circumnavigate it, the rise of the geek

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Border farce and the harbour boards not up to checking every container leaving the UK then?

 

[zambezi]

advancement in technology we're now going back to 1970s steering lock security

"Electronic security" seems to be an oxymoron in the modern vehicle industry.

If access to a vehicle's control can be achieved by wireless/OBD apart from the [hardware] keys held by the owner, then clearly we need to augment security.

Back in the 80s, when cars could be opened with coat-hangers and ignition locks rotated with stout T-bar screwdrivers, I used to wire an earth lead to the far side of the condenser. The switch that toggled that off/on was hidden under the dashboard. Because it was not a factory solution, no criminal would know where to look for the switch. In the engine bay I hid the wiring behind the coil.

The fact that the car did not fire up would probably suggest to the would-be thief that car was not a reliable runner anyway. On the one occasion my Morris 1100 was targetted for theft , they gave up and settled for nicking the battery!

Not sure what version of this would best suit modern ECUs. Ideas? There must be a logic rail voltage that is essential to ignition. Perhaps have a switch that leaves that open circuit? I.e. interrupt the relevant feed going through the fuse box.

 

[Mungo]

Reminds me of living in Zambia in the 1980s.

If you were leaving the car for more than 5 minutes, you removed the distributor cap.

We also had a giant slab of concrete laid in the driveway, with a pair of massive steel ring bolts embedded in them. Ever night, all the vehicles were chained to the bolts, with chain going over both axles.

After that, all we lost were the tyres…

 

[zambezi]

If you were leaving the car for more than 5 minutes, you removed the distributor cap

I certainly recall removing the rotor arm. That was pocket-portable.

Sometimes the coil's HT lead too, but removing the distributor cap would have been non-trivial as you would have to re-insert all HTs in correct sequence. And trickier to stow a cap in a pocket.

 

[Mungo]

I certainly recall removing the rotor arm. That was pocket-portable.

Sometimes the coil's HT lead too, but removing the distributor cap would have been non-trivial as you would have to re-insert all HTs in correct sequence. And trickier to stow a cap in a pocket.

Ah. You’re right - rotor arm.

 

[Smellydog]

There's a lot to be said for buying a **** car that most laugh at today!

 

[ndjfb00]

My old man fitted the best theft deterrent I've seen, a hidden fuel tap

 

[bobo]

I always leave the keys in the car; they might get lost if I removed them .

No when going into the larger towns or abroad I remove the key and even lock the car. Same as when leaving the house overnight I usually lock the door.
Just live in an area with low crime.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

What about fitting a hydraulic blocker post so the vehicle cannot be taken off the drive?

 

[hw101]

Keep a ravenous bully xl in the back seat overnight?

 

[Crowstalker]

Well I just had my low mileage 2022 Toyota Hilux stolen at 5:30am this morning, the vehicle was parked in front of a home in a rural Staffordshire village. I have super quality CCTV, an 8 minute long video clip of 2 guys showing up in hoodies and masks. They smashed a side window, bypassed the alarm, entered the vehicle and were gone with it in 8 minutes. It went a mile down the road where they disabled the Toyota tracking system. After doing a quick bit of Googling it now appears that late model Hilux are claimed to be one of the most stolen vehicles in the UK. Apparently professional gangs are travelling the country stealing them for shipment on to the Far East or Africa.

Just wanted to share this for all similar owners who don't think very often that their shooting wagon is at the top of the list for thieves. Apparently thieves can reprogram the vehicle through the OBD port, just as if a dealer would if you lost both keys. They also swap out the ECU to achieve the same. I went on to read that these thieves carry sophisticated signal jammers to make primary and secondary tracker systems useless.

At least it is insured, but now I have to deal with a lot of crap and sort out a replacement. If you have not realised that your pick up is a key theft target, maybe it's time to consider extra security, unfortunately these people are very skilled in their car theft careers! Yet again it is the rural issue that we continue to face many challenges from bad people.

Sorry to hear that, absolute scum, it's sad when you can't have something nice you've worked hard for without others taking it from you.