How did they steal my Expedition?

[TN_Explorer]

OK, so my wife took the kids & some friends roller skating. Parked under the security light & locked the car as always. A couple of hours later it was gone. The police said they had a report of a car on fire 30 miles away.

So we have both keys and the car was locked. How can this happen and how do I and everyone I know avoid it in the future?

Waiting for the police report, but so far we can't officially identify it as ours because we cannot find a VIN number that is readable.

 

[Jimdar]

Wow. Real sorry to hear.

 

[brick]

If theives want your car, they will take it. Sorry.
brick

 

[docraymund]

VIN is etched near the windshield. Sorry for the loss. Do update us on the police report especially how they drove it away.

 

[stamp11127]

Tow truck and hook it from the rear - you don't need to drive it away, just tow it.

 

[ExplorerTom]

VIN is etched near the windshield. Sorry for the loss. Do update us on the police report especially how they drove it away.

You'd have to inspect the pool of molten glass.

 

[Habbibie]

Your car got stolen by a 2 man job and probably a van with them (with locksmith tools in it) One guy goes and uses a pick on the door to identify how to cut a blank and the other starts cutting, get in the cabin and then he identifies the reminder of the key using the pick and the ignition cylinder and the other guy cuts it. Then you hook up a programmer to the OBDII and program the new key and vroom they go. Another way is someone gets the vin and requests the key specs from a dealer. If they're licensed and are willing to pay the dealer then they get the configuration for the key cuts and have one pre made and pre programmed. All they need to do then is find the truck, hop in and go.

Or like stamp said just tow it but thieves don't like to draw attention to themselves and a tow truck draws attention even if it's just a quick cherry pick type of tow truck

 

[Flexpedition]

Where is the rear hatch? Did the fire dept pry the doors like that?
I would have assumed our fuel filler doors were plastic, I guess the are metal.

 

[Grgch95]

Since the rear hatch I believe is fiberglass I am sure it burned. I would also be interested why doors are payed open unless fire dept was checking for people.

 

[Jimdar]

I think the rear hatch is aluminum. But if the fire was hot enough to melt glass, the hatch never had a chance.

 

[RedExpy]

i am really sorry for that... but those rims look hot!!!!


ok..ok... I just had to.

 

[tcmathews]

What about the serial on the engine block if legible? You can take that number and go to Ford Dealer and they can back trace to determine if that serial on the engine block matches the vin for your vehicle. Will take some time but worth the peace of mind.

 

[mrford60]

the hood and hatch are aluminum, there is a vin number stamped in the frame, the police will know where to look to identify it.

 

[TN_Explorer]

The fire was hot enough to melt the hood and rear hatch - both are (or were) aluminum. The doors were pried open by the fire department. I looked over the vehicle at the impound lot and it was so badly burned we initially identified it by a portion of tire tread (new tires) and a partially burned book under the back seat. It's truly amazing how hard it is to burn paper. There were portions of pages left that allowed us to identify it.

Thanks, Habbibie -- I figured it could have been towed, but your explanation makes more sense.

 

[Adieu]

That sucks....

But...Why would THIEVES go to all this trouble, then burn it down?

Too new and complex for a disposable one-time vehicle for committing a crime (heist getaway, driveby, etc)

Did OP have / could be expected to have something extremely valuable inside, making that what they were really after?

Was OP involved in any major disputes, prominent activism, or politics that this could be about, done for sheer intimidation or out of spite?

 

[Walt460]

I guess it is possible to steal your Expedition by one of the ways outlined above, but the real question is "Why?" Why take your Expedition, drive 30 miles, and then burn it? Makes no sense.

 

[Habbibie]

Destroy the evidence (finger prints, hairs, etc.)

 

[powerboatr]

wholly cow
what year was it again?
I was just reading about thieves spoofing the intelligent key fob signal and how they amplified the cars signal to find the key and use the signal form the key to unlock the car
and for some reason the government made the new vehicles with intelligent fobs, and the push to start button on the dash...that the vehicle will not shut off if the key is not in the vehicle...seems dumb. If you get car jacked and they drive off..it will keep running..
nothing beats a Mechanical lock out, like a switch to disable the fuel pump or other critical item. No fancy radio gizmo or fake key can override that ..unless the switch is an easy find.
best security is the one that nobody knows about.

sorry about your loss, that really sucks

 

[DesertFordRat]

The thing with a two man team (if they are good) is they usually strip the truck to the frame (for FOB vehicles). Grab another frame from a junk yard and rebuild the vehicle with that. Then they sell it as a different vehicle. Since it was burned there was either something wrong with it or possibly they used it in a crime. Just a guess.

 

[Adieu]

wholly cow
what year was it again?
I was just reading about thieves spoofing the intelligent key fob signal and how they amplified the cars signal to find the key and use the signal form the key to unlock the car
and for some reason the government made the new vehicles with intelligent fobs, and the push to start button on the dash...that the vehicle will not shut off if the key is not in the vehicle...seems dumb. If you get car jacked and they drive off..it will keep running..
nothing beats a Mechanical lock out, like a switch to disable the fuel pump or other critical item. No fancy radio gizmo or fake key can override that ..unless the switch is an easy find.
best security is the one that nobody knows about.

sorry about your loss, that really sucks

Not dumb per se...

My bimmer fob causes the occasional glitch for no reason, and a missing fob message every time you step out to the trunk...if that made the engine turn off, itd be at the very least a nuisance, and possibly extremely dangerous.

Ever pop a serpentine belt in a moving vehicle? Fun times. Would NOT be amused if that sorta thing happened every time a fob glitches (and might possibly be injured dead and/or shorta vehicle by now)