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My Subaru was stolen...how?!

My 98 Outback Sport was stolen out of my driveway over the holidays. Fortunately it was recovered...unfortunately, the cretins who stole it got into a hit and run, smashed up the front, and abandoned it. It's fixable apparently, but now I'm dealing with insurance people, who are telling me that the ignition is intact. All sets of keys are accounted for and the car was locked. I know Subarus are pretty easy to break into, but how did they drive it off without my keys and without destroying the ignition? They said it does not appear to have been hot wired, so what the hell? I'm getting really frustrated with the insurance company, who are playing dumb and acting as if the only way to steal a car is if someone handed them a key. The police told me that thieves sometimes use master keys or manipulation keys, but the insurance people are acting like this is impossible. I don't know who's a bigger jerk...the car thieves or the insurance company! :(

Reply to
EGSeah
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Usually the insurance companies. Actually, what really is the difference between a thief and an insurance company?

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

Who has keys to your car?

Reply to
Alan

Possible that someone who had access to your key (mechanic, car jockey, maid, friend of family, etc) made a copy, or someone forged the needed docs to get a factory key, or like the police said a master or manipulation key. Not exactly rocket science. Has the insurance co put the BS in writing for you? If not ask them for it for your "lawyer" and see what they do. Also maybe the cop might be willing to put his statement in writing for you as well if he feels you are legit, which would put the insurance companies claim out the window.

F. Plant

Reply to
F. Plant

I'd fight them intensely to pay up and if they don't, sic my lawyer on them. Frank

Reply to
Frank Logullo

A thief never sends you his bill

You dont have to pay the thief every month.

The thief will never raise his rates.

Once they get what they want you dont see the thief again.

A thief will settle for whatever you can give.

A thief will not take stuff you don't have, were never going to have, and will promise not to take what don't have before you get it.

When caught in a lie, a thief may give it up and tell the truth.

The thief will NEVER call you at dinner time.

Reply to
John

... and then get a new insurance company.

- Greg Reed

Reply to
Greg Reed

I'm the only one who has keys to the car...master, submaster and valet. All are accounted for and are always on me. All keys were in the house when the car was stolen. The car was locked, we had come home from the Christmas weekend around 11:30PM, unloaded the car, and did a complete lock check as we always do before going inside. The next morning the car was gone. I still have all my keys.

I really doubt a mechanic or someone would have gone to the trouble to make a copy...the only people who do service on the car are the people at the Subaru dealership.

Reply to
EGSeah

I once lost the only key to my Eagle Talon (I know, I know, I should have had an extra key). I was able to have a dealer cut me a new key by providing the dealer with the make, model, year and VIN #. I was able to collect this info without getting into the car. Perhaps someone did this to steal your car? It's a longshot, but you could contact local dealers and ask whether anyone came in for an extra key with only this info.

Reply to
L. Kreh

Well, that kills my theory that your teenager took the car and cracked it up. Another possibility- have you ever valet parked?

Reply to
Alan

The thief could have bought a set of 'try-out' keys. Most car companies only have about a dozen or so inginition key/lock sets. The same key will work the lock and ignition but the two are keyed differently to give more combinations. You can buy the entire set from places online and such. They're meant to be used by dealers or locksmiths but thieves have found them an easy way to steal cars. Since Subarus don't have an electronic chip or such only the key is needed to start the vehicle. Also given that there's only 12 or so keys there's some likelyhood someone else's key would unlock your door and work in the ignition. I had a honda once and a guy at work had one also, both of our keys would unlock each other's doors but not the ignitions.

Reply to
null

I don't know how often the key pattern repeats nowadays, but back in the

60's, the key from my '47 Pontiac fit the locks of my friend's '55 Chevy. Boy, were we surprised!

Al

Reply to
Al

Scary...I just did a shopping search and all kinds of these car lock picking sets came up. And it looks like just about anyone can buy them. Maybe it will help my case, proving that these things are so readily available. Thanks for the info, disturbing as it is.

I should have tried my car key in the insurance investigator's car...he was driving a 97 Impreza!

Reply to
EGSeah

this is NOT a long shot. there was just a special on one of news shows (dateline or something) about how car theives are able to just look through the windshield and get the vin number, then go to a dealer with a hard luck story about how you need a key made (it seemed to work best when a woman did it and claimed her purse was stolen). they did it repeatedly on camera and were able to take several nice, new cars right from in front of the owners house, or shopping mall. also has been done with someone on the inside at a dealer, providing key codes. they even successfully got one dealer to give the key code over the phone! nice, huh. makes you want to get some duct tape on that vin number.

Reply to
mediancat

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