The Easiest Way to Steal a Toyota Warning

Here’s a recent warning to customers about what they can do to prevent or avoid having their Toyota stolen right in front of them.

It Doesn’t Take a Supervillain

Every now and then I like to go to a Renaissance or Comic-related convention of sorts and join in the fun by arriving in Cosplay attire. And every time I do, it is as the hero of a story rather than the villain. However, as was pointed out to me by a friend(?), playing a supervillain might be more appropriate. I have a Ph.D., worked as a scientist, and have a penchant for character origin stories where the reader discovers the villain is more of a misunderstood dark knight.

Secret identities and a mask are pluses too.

Be that as it may, however, and back to the real world, we learned in an earlier article it does not take a supervillain to steal a car. The article was a warning about how that despite car alarms, locks, and other anti-theft devices, criminals know that the easiest way to steal someone’s car is the brief moment when they are accosted while exiting and entering their car in a dark lot or service station at night.

Toyota Dealer Warning

That was the message and reminder to Toyota (and other vehicle make) owners from a recent Steven Welch YouTube channel episode that explains how your car is at its most vulnerable to theft during the brief time spent at the gas pump while refueling your vehicle.

This problem it turns out, stems in good part from unsafe routines car owners use while refueling their car and not adequately understanding how their key fob works that could prevent---or at least make more difficult---a car theft while refueling.

Follow along with the host as he discusses the seriousness of this car theft problem that goes beyond the loss of your car and what you should be doing to prevent it from happening to you.

A secondary message from the discussion is that car owners really need to understand all of the functions built into their key fobs AND actually test the functions out on their car to gain familiarity as well as see just what the fob signal limits are when it comes to entering your car, starting your car, and preventing it from being started.

That said, here is a video that is well worth watching and a good reminder that awareness is especially important when at a gas station.

Bonus Video

As a bonus video, here is a 2nd video the host alluded to for Toyota owners that offers some useful advice on how to shut off the broadcast function of your key fob in order to stop sending its signal.

For additional articles related to car theft, here are a few for your consideration:

• A Car Thieves Glitter Bomb Christmas Story
• The Toyota Most Likely to be Targeted for Catalytic Converter Theft
• There's a Simple Way to Stop a Thief from Stealing Your Car Says This Mechanic

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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