Is it possible to pop locks from under the hood?

General Discussion
1

I’m posting for my co-worker, because I love CT and I’ve had great advice from you all before.

She has a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. Great car. The other day she left her lights on, and the battery died. AAA came to jump it, and all was well.

Later that day she did some shopping, and wasn’t able to make it inside with all her purchases. Some things stayed in the trunk, and she figured she’d bring them in later. Well, the next morning she got downstairs and noticed that her hood was popped. She got in the car, and noticed that her GPS was missing from its normal hiding spot. They’d taken some change, her phone charger, and the laundry detergent and paper towels she’d bought the day before out of her trunk. Weird. She filed a police report, whole nine yards.It was a little odd that those two things happened back-to-back, and that her hood was open.

Theoretically it’s possible that the AAA guy left it unlatched, but I’ve honestly never been able to NOT latch a hood when closing it.

When she got in her car this morning (the next day), she noticed the person parked behind her had their hood popped, as well.

So… her question is whether it’s theoretically possible for someone who doesn’t have her keys to access her car from a popped hood. Is there a way of tripping the wiring? Reaching something through?

What are your thoughts?

2

It is easier to break into the car and then pull the hood release. They probably pulled all the release handles in haste to get the trunk open.

Inspect the door handles and lock cylinders, some cars can be broken into quite easily by bending the door sheet metal just below the door handle to access the lock linkage.

3

There really isn’t a way to unlock a car under the hood. I think Nevada’s probably on target.

4

Thanks so much for your input! We took a look at her car, and there were some scratches around the handle, but no obvious dents. It’s good to know there’s not a way to access it from under the hood–that would be nerve wracking!

That’s a great thought about pulling all the handles. I’m thinking that you’re right and they were in a rush–they took her GPS from the central console and the things from the trunk, but completely missed a couple nice jackets in the back seat.

Oh well-I guess you leave and learn. Thanks again for your help!

5

It’s usually VERY hard to open a hood without being inside the passenger compartment, so, yes, they popped the hood after they were inside.

6

Drug addiction costs us all a lot of money…With a little practice, almost any car can be opened with a tool called a “Slim Jim”…Motor vehicles are like ATM’s to drug addicts and other petty thieves…A car can be cleaned out of valuables in 30 seconds or less… To these people, an ash-tray full of change is “valuable”…

7

One of the biggest theft deterrents is to make it look like you have nothing to steal.

8

Caddyman is right with a Slim Jim you can get in to most cars in less than 30 seconds. I have a lock out kit that I can open any car with. Most times I can open a car faster than you can with a key.