Forum:
Greetings from Central America. My wife and I are on holiday in Costa Rica and rented a 2011 Terios 4x4 from hertz. We're generally Subaru drivers (Impreza and Forrester) and I'll explain why that's relevant in a bit.
I need your collective help. While out and about we had our belongings and passports stolen out of our Terios with no forced entry. We even watched the grainy CCTV replay show a guy just open the door and take our stuff.
I need to know how the central locking on the doors usually works. I think the car rental agency may be in on the scheme but I'm not sure. Here's what we figured out so far:
When we left the car, I turned the key in the driver's side lock to lock all the doors. It did and usually does. Only this time, unknown to me, my wife closed her door a half second after I locked it and it unlocked all of the doors. We found that feature out when testing the locking mechanism after the theft. Is that a normal feature in the Terios? Unlocking all of the doors after the doors have been locked if one of the doors was open and then closed? On all of our Subarus and any other cars I've driven in the US, it is the opposite. The doors all lock upon closing of the last door.
That's why I'm a tad suspicious, but I'm also ignorant in how Terios' generally lock so I need your help. Any is much appreciated. Thanks so much.
**Also, sorry I'm not a bona fide Terios enthusiast. It has been a ton of fun off road and exploring though. I just figured a post here wouldn't hurt.
First off welcome. Second
First off welcome.
Second off, sorry to have read what has happened to you
Unfortunately Daihatsu Pulled out of the U.K and Europe markets with car imports a couple of years ago, so the 2011 Terios you mention might be yet another version we didn't get imported here.
In relation to the door operation, I am suprised you didnt get a remote key fob to open and close the doors with? Why use the key? As with all Daihatsus there are 2/3 sets of keys with a vehicle (1 being a master key). With the YRV I drive to opearte the central locking with the key in the lock mechanism it only operates from the drivers side (Right hand drive here in the UK).
I do know that when I drive I always keep the car doors locked, and it has been known when I come to unlock the door and a passenger has un-willingly tried to open the passenger side door, all doors apart from that one can unlock. So maybe it is true the other way round. But again why no Remote key fob?
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'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
I'm a bit surprised too
jpor, thanks! We didn't get a fob. We just got a key and were told to lock it from the driver's side door. I think your theory may be correct. I'm going to go speak with another company today that rents Terios' and see if that behaviour is consistent or our car is an anomolay. We're also going to visit the Costa Rican investigative unit today to see what they say. Thank you so much for your help/replies.
personally id doo a bit more
personally id doo a bit more detective viewing of the cctv footage, did the thief go straight to the door in an obvious way knowing it would open....or did they look more suspicious/oppurtunistic like they were randomly trying doors? if he went straight to the car n opened the door....whats the bet he had a keyfob in his hand...
Full of ideas but no time to do them!!
www.bloodredoffroad.com
www.milneroffroad.com
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We are!
I booked another week to stay and camp out. Nothing stupid, but it will probably take us that long to get a temporary passport.
The police here are overloaded and really only good for a call...probably not too much investigating on their part. It probably happens all the time.
But yes, on the CCTV the guy just peeks in the window and goes straight for the passenger side door that my wife got out of. We found out the back doesn't always lock either. We're going to have words with the hertz guy.
The security guard that helped us when we found out we'd been robbed indicated that there are fairly intricate and common webs of theft for ripping off tourists. I'm trying not to be paranoid and too suspicious, but it's hard when you find out you've been way to trusting!
Anyways, I'll keep you guys updated on here if anything interesting happens. Thanks for help from across the pond!
I may be relevant, or may not
I may be relevant, or may not be.
In many countries gangs scan the codes from the key fob when people unlock the doors of rental cars, they then attack them multiple times with many different occupants. They make a good living from the other illegal gangs trafficking people by selling the passports to them, they sell any credit cards to other gangs, and so on.
Many use employees of the hire companies themselves, they get you to use the key and phone the gangs they work with and give them the key fob so they can get in undetected, and many gangs have become so blatent that many hire companies don't even issue the key fob for their vehicles.
Okay, so where does the key
Okay, so where does the key fob get placed? Just wondering after reading about only getting a key when you hire the vehicle. Technically it should still be with the hire company. But as I found out recently, you can get any key fob on the YRV and with a simple procedure you can re-programme the first key fob and also program a second very easily. So wondering if this is an inside job.
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'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
It, not I
It, not I