My Subaru was stolen...how?!

[EGSeah]

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!

 

[Yousuf Khan]

insurance people are acting like this is impossible. I don't know
who's a bigger jerk...the car thieves or the insurance company!

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

Yousuf Khan

 

[Alan]

Who has keys to your car?

 

[F. Plant]

My 98 Outback Sport was stolen out of my driveway snip
telling me that the ignition is intact. All sets of keys are accounted snip
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!

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

 

[Frank Logullo]

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!

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

 

[John]

what really is the difference

between a thief and an insurance company?

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.

<any more?>

 

[Greg Reed]

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

.... and then get a new insurance company.

- Greg Reed

--
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 9-Pass sedan
(FS: http://www.dataspire.com/caddy)
1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro 5-Speed sedan
2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)

 

[EGSeah]

Who has keys to your car?

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.

 

[L. Kreh]

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.

 

[Alan]

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

 

[null]

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.

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.

 

[Al]

... and then get a new insurance company.

- Greg Reed

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

 

[EGSeah]

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.

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!

 

[mediancat]

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.