I just got back from a business trip, flying home to Sacramento, CA tonight. Glad to be home after a few days on the road. I take the bus to the parking lot... can't wait to jump in my 2006 Acura TL Anthracite baby and cruise home.

I walk down the aisle but I don't see my car. I read my parking ticket and confirm the aisle and row that I parked on. I walk up and down the general area for twenty minutes... no TL. I call the parking security. They confirm that my car was there, in the aisle that I wrote down. Unfortunately, they show that it left two days ago. (They have a truck-mounted camera that digitally records license plates.)

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! My baby is gone!

The officers from Sac county sheriff said that there have been 4 break-ins to TLs in the airport parking lot over the last two weeks. Apparently the criminals stepped up their game and boosted my car.

I am dreading the upcoming hassle with insurance companies, rentals, replacement car shopping, etc... All sacramento area TL owners: Beware of the airport parking lot!

Any advice that acurazine owners can give me would be most appreciated. I have never had a car stolen so I could use the help in navigating the waters to make sure I don't get screwed.

FYI my TL was in perfect condition... only had about 11k miles on it... Bastards!

 

Sorry to hear that bro

 

+1

 

OMFG, that's the worst thing ever in the world. I was pissed off about my car being keyed last week but this is like gazillions times worst. I know you feel like you have been violated, anyone would. I just hope they recover it with most of the car intact.

I never had that happen to me but all I can say is play the waiting game...You don't have any tracking device on the car?

sorry to hear this news.. you will be in my prayers..

 

LoJack or its competitors, comprehensive insurance, and use the off airport secured parking lots! You live in/near Sac and dont know there is a crime problem???

You made a police report- call your agent (insurance not talent) and if you made any upgrades to tires or wheels- have those included in the value
It all depends on the contract with your insurer- what does it say?

If it was stolen- you dont want it back- gangs, robberies, drugs- who knows what obscene things were done to your baby~ she will need years of therapy at the least

Interesting they were able to drive it off, dont the newer cars have more advanced key recognition- ignition enable, than the gen2s?

 

wtf do they even have security for??? jeez...why i never park my car at the airport.

hope all things hash out

 

does anybody have the details on what circuit to pull to disable the car?

 

all of them

 

dang thats freakin crazy

 

That sucks big time. i guess it was a matter of time until they went ape shit on Tl's

 

Man, I can only imagine the sudden empty feeling in the pit of your stomach as you searched for your car. With me, that empty feeling would quickly turn to anger. Also, more than likely, these maggots have your home address, too.

What I would (and do ) do in situations such as yours (a flight or some other affair where I have to take my car into a questionable area and leave it) is to either use my Ranger pickup or rent a car. Two years ago, the wife and I attended a family wedding and the reception was held in Old Town Alexandria. Rather than put either one of our TL's in jeopardy, I rented a car for that weekend. Sixty dollars bought us both peace of mind and kept our cars safe and secure in our garage back home.

 

Sorry to hear...

I had a car stolen many years ago. The first thing the cops asked me was "are you up to date on the payments?"... Add insult to injury.

I got mine back, kids taking it for a joy ride, but it still had several thousand in damage. They took it fishing, I know because there were worms in the glovebox!!.. They also raced it beacause they opened up the air filter...

I wish you luck. You will probably have to wait 30 days before the insurance company will pay you. They want to make sure your car doesn't turn up. See if you policy will cover a rental in the meantime. Mine gave me at least some money toward the POS I had to drive.

Best of Luck.

 

that sucks...sorry to hear.

i'm sure you already did, but if you had a garage door opener or the home-link programmed, make sure to clear the codes on your garage. don't want them visiting your house while you're away.

yeah...how do they just drive a TL away? doesn't it take a pretty fancy trick to defeat the immobilizer?

 

damm sorry to hear that bruh.

 

wow I am pretty sure you are going to have it made, drive a rental get a check from the insurance co and a check from the parking lot since they have insurance for such events... you could also get some more cash for like lost wages if you missed work hehehe, on the bright side now you can go out and get yourself an 08 type s (or the 07 type s at a bargain)

just trying to look at the bright side for yah... hope all comes out well

 

The faster you report it, the faster those 30 days start counting down to a Type-S!

Fucking thieves! I'm gonna leave a note in mine if I take it to the airport (who am I kidding - I will NEVER leave my car anywhere in public parking overnight) that says:


HELLO YOU IGNORANT MOFOS - PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR AND AT LEAST KEEP IT 30 DAYS!!

 

Thanks everyone for your responses. A good night's sleep has cheered me up a little bit. Some thoughts:

- I filed the claim with the insurance company's 24hr hotline as soon as I got home. They can't really help me with anything until Monday.

- I am changing the garage security codes today. Thanks for that tip.

- The bastards have my home address from the registration and the home-address program feature on the navi. The cops told me that it is extremely rare anything at my home ever happens. They said that about 100 cars are stolen each weekend in Sac, and the bastards just want my car. Personally, let them come over... I have a few surprises waiting for them!

- I have flown out of Sac for nearly 20 years and have never had a problem nor even heard of a problem from others in the airport parking lots. Other areas of Sac are very dangerous for any newer car, especially a TL. But as this event shows... anything can happen.

- I had the false sense of security with the advanced circuitry stuff... I don't have a lo-jack, etc... The cops suggested a simple club device. While that can be defeated, he said that it takes extra time and a theif will typically move to the next car and avoid the hassle. Similar to the idea of putting home security stickers on your house when you don't have an alarm, he said that unless it's a priceless car the theif will usually move to another target.

- This heist is odd to me. There was no broken glass, pieces of plastic, etc... where the car was parked. Others on azine have posted that their car may have been simply towed away. A tow truck isn't going to get a car out of a secure airport parking lot. I thought the circuitry deal with the key prevented outright heists but I guess not...


Thanks everyone for your thoughts! I appreciate the comments and suggestions.


~Steve

 

Man, thieves are high-tech too! Don't sleep on 'em!When they want shit, they get shit! I never wonder about a thief taking mine, I just don't want it back. Like somebody smashing my gf, then sending her back to me! Ya feel me?

 

THAT FUCING SUCKS!!!!!!

I have to leave my car up there in a couple of weeks..... I will be parking in the daily lot across from the airport though.. hope she will be alright....

DAMN IT... now i'm nervous

Also, WHY IN THE FUCK dont they make you scan your drivers licesnce in and out when you leave..... wouldn't that prevent all of this?

 

You've kindof given me a nudge to pick up a Club as well as a Club Tire Claw

 

I would forget I had the Tire Claw on there and try to drive off LOL

 

+1 ... LOL .... used the club long time ago & didn't think I need it for the TL ... guess I have to rethink about my decision now ...

Hope everything works out for you in the end .... like some of the fellas pointed out, maybe it's a sign to get a type-s ...

 

The overall impression of the club SUCKS when you use it on your steering wheel..... BUT if you use it on the bottom of your steering wheel, and connect the other end to mash down the brake pedal or clutch... then it is supposedly the best countermeasure for theft!!!!

 

Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that man. Good luck to you!

 

Sucks. Most likely the work of professionals or the slim chance that you mistakenly left your door unlocked and a spare key in the glove compartment

Bottom line it was either towed out. That can happen because those people working the gates could either be culpable, don't care, or are stupid enough to fall for what ever lie the person say. One time I lost my ticket when I got back in town. All I had to do was show my driver's license and they let me go. Another scenario is that the immobilized the immobilizer. Smells of a professional gig.

 

Damn. just damn.

Excuse me while I go buy two clubs (one for the steering wheel itself, another to hold the brake...wait, wont that turn on your taillights and burn them out REALLY prematurely?) and four tire claws (I know I only need one, but I'm not leting that happen to me

 

Sorry to hear that man, that's insane

With the club tire claw, I would say 80% that the douche wouldn't see it and try to drive off, mess up the car, and then leave it as your problem.

 

actually i was thinking of the claw to deter wheel thieves. I'm sure they scope out the cars they want to steal...

 

what a nightmare

 

Well coundn't the claw (at least the one in the photo) prevent the thieves from stealing the actual car. Think about it. its mounted on the wheel, and if the thief wants to drive it, he will lodge the claw in the asphalt, or jam it in the fender. I prefer the first option

 

Sorry to hear about it but things will work out. If they really want the car, they can have if they will just disappear forever. I don't want anyone showing up at my house though.

So that they don't get my home address---I make a copy of the registration and insurance without my address showing. The Home button on my navi directs me to a nearby business. I can usually find my house from there.

 

I'm sure thats the primary purpose for it. I think it makes an effective wheel theft deterrent though

 

The first thing we should have asked here

Where was the claim ticket for the car?
In the car, ON the dash or other ~in plain sight~ area?

If it checked out and paid casually- was recorded on camera, the ticket had to be there
If they were claiming lost ticket- security is supposed to run a real check and confirm you and the car belong together
If the ticket was in your pocket the whole time- it was an inside job

So which was it?

 

Sorry to hear this, look on the bright side a NEW car coming soon!!!. What is the purpose of the Imomobilizer if it can be defeated. I use a brake lock that I purchased at Autozone. I have been thinking of an aftermarket alarm system, but have not installed it thinking it will void the warranty. Anyone have the Clifford G5?

 

Sucks to have your car stolen, but lets be realistic.

Nothing is undefeatable, thieves are the most crafty people out there. A rolling code generator (that constantly sends out random signals) could defeat a immobilizer with enough time.

We're talking about a Country that produced a 17 year old kid who figure out how to unlock an iphone.

Got a club? Good for you, I have bolt cutters that will cut through the steering wheel so I can remove the club, thieves don't want the steering wheel, they want the airbag.

Have one of those fancy boots and a nice set of wheel locks? I have a small floor jack to lift up your car and a set of "master wheel lock keys", take off your wheel and leave it for you as a souvenier while I drive off with your car on the donut tire.

Nothing is undefeatable, Lo Jack is your best bet. It has changed the way thieves operate. They used to have you car in a chop shop in under an hour. With the prevalence of Lo Jack, this isn't going to work any more. If you take a stolen car with LoJack back to a chop shop, the police will arrive at you chop shop shortly.

At this point smart thieves (not joyriders) park the car in a parking lot or on a side strret some where and leave it for a few days. If it's still there in a few days, it is now safe to continue stealing the car. If it's gone, it probably had Lo Jack and the thieves dodged a bullet.

BTW, I AM NOT A CAR THIEF, I'm just a car geek who studied criminal psychology in college.

 

yes we know all this. As the OP posted, the cop told him it was the most effective deterrent to direct a thief to another vehicle instead of yours. Sortof like a house with a big dog.

 

i just wanna know how they by-passed the immobilizer....unless they took the time to go to your car...write the VIN down....either work at the dealer...or have a friend who works there...and get the "Brake Code" to bypass the system...i dont see any other way....unless you have a remote start...and used your valet key to bypass the immobilezer.....

 

People are assholes. Look at it this way you actually own a 3G TL and can get another those lowlifes probably cant even afford a new honda. Also your check should be good since the TLs have very good resell value.

 

I'm not sure where you parked but a good lesson learned for others is don't use the Airport long term parking. It's not very secure and people can walk around for hours and not be noticed. It might be $2 a day more but go for the private parking outside the airport that has a shuttle. I park at a protected private lot indoors. A car could still be stolen from their but criminals usually take the path of least resistance.

On a side note; I don't think I would want lo-jack as I really don't want to recover my car if it's stolen.

This is also when you find out how good of insurance you have. Are you paying the extra $1.75 a month for rental insurance that will let you drive a rental car until they declare it a total loss? How high is your deductible? How high is your max coverage? You would be surprised at the amount of people driving a $35,000 car with the minimum coverage of $25,000 of liability (based on your state).

 

i live in sacramento and the thieves around here usually aim for the typical civics/integras. but this sucks either way, time to invest in an alarm. i hope you get you TL back in one piece man!