# Stolen Owners Manual **URL:** \ **Category:** The Show\ **Created:** [November 1, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488 "2008-11-01T14:22:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leejo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@leejo1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/leejo1)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/1 "2008-11-01T14:22:22Z")
Did the same thing Happen to you? ---
**Author:** ![leejo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@leejo1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/leejo1)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/2 "2008-11-01T14:24:55Z")
The same thing happened in my neighborhood over the summer. We also had several people who had their garage door openers switched , put in other peoples cars or driveways. basically they mixed up the neighborhood a bit. The neighborhood buzz was it was a teenage prank/initiation of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![dolorean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@dolorean](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dolorean)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/3 "2008-11-01T14:26:28Z")
Always a listener, I heard the bizarre story of the stolen owner’s manual. The only question I have is does the listener who called live near a University or College? I believe that someone was on a scavenger hunt (it is the hazing season for frats/soroities) and desparately needed a 2007 Ford Focus owner’s manual. This would explain the multiple people involved,the rumaging through, and no valuables stolen. ---
**Author:** ![ilovedmyfiat600d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ilovedmyfiat600d](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ilovedmyfiat600d)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/4 "2008-11-01T14:28:29Z")
Have you considered that it wasn’t specifically your owners manual someone needed, but the pages of a book to use for toilet paper? A homeless person may have used your vehicle as a place to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![musashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@musashi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/musashi)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/5 "2008-11-01T14:31:09Z")
These were obviously semi-professional car thieves in training. They were trying to steal the car and couldn’t figure out how to overcome the security system (steering lock or equivalent). While trying to work it out using the car manual, they were disturbed and took off running. However, they remembered to bring the owners manual so they could do their homework and learn how to steal another 2007 Ford Focus to fulfill the order placed on steal\_me\_a\_car.com. ---
**Author:** ![randymerritt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@randymerritt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/randymerritt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/6 "2008-11-01T14:31:37Z")
I think they took the manual to get the key code for the car, and then come back later with a replacement key and simply drive the car off. I know of a similar situation where the door handle was stolen (only the handle), and the car was later stolen in the middle of the night. ---
**Author:** ![trikeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@trikeman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/trikeman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/7 "2008-11-01T15:21:25Z")
In My opinion, the people who stole the owners manuals and left everything else were on a treasure hunt. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Faraone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Chris\_Faraone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Chris_Faraone)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/8 "2008-11-01T15:28:03Z")
It is a fraternity prank. I had to do the same thing a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![carlrodia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@carlrodia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/carlrodia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/9 "2008-11-01T15:29:45Z")
I agree. I think they took it for a scavenger hunt! ---
**Author:** ![Innocent\_Byproduct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e4f/32.png) [@Innocent\_Byproduct](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Innocent_Byproduct)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/10 "2008-11-01T15:31:14Z")
I think it was a dare and the owner’s manual was proof of the dare. ---
**Author:** ![ruth03](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@ruth03](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ruth03)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/11 "2008-11-01T15:44:50Z")
It was the body shop drumming up business. The owners manuals part was to cause confusion so no one would figure it out - hmmmmm? ---
**Author:** ![pathackbarth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@pathackbarth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pathackbarth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/12 "2008-11-01T15:51:07Z")
I would bet the farm that the people who broke in had a rental vehicle and a problem they couldn’t solve that needed to be solved right away in order to drive the stupid thing. Very few rental vehicles include an owner’s manual in the glove compartment because…people steal it! On a rare occasion when I rented a vehicle that had one, I did need it – immediately – to figure out how to turn the stupid wipers on. (Yes, it was the wipers that were stupid, not me!) These people didn’t take anything because then they would have to think of themselves as thieves, and of course they weren’t (they figured). They decided it was okay to break the window though, justifying it by figuring the insurance would pay for it. It’s amazing how people can justify their actions to themselves. ---
**Author:** ![drebt01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@drebt01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/drebt01)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/13 "2008-11-01T15:53:50Z")
Its a scavenger hunt. Look at [http://njscavengerhunt.com/2005/Completelist.htm](http://njscavengerhunt.com/2005/Completelist.htm) item number 160 for example. ---
**Author:** ![filbertius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4af34b/32.png) [@filbertius](https://community.cartalk.com/u/filbertius)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/14 "2008-11-01T16:24:29Z")
about 12 years ago, we were at a hotel in santa fe, nm, and i unfortuneately left our car unlocked. someone got into the car (a 92 FOCUS), stole our old cellular bag phone and our FORD FOCUS OWNERS MANUAL. our theory at the time was that it looked a little like a check book. we have spent much time wondering just what the little punk said when he saw what he did get… ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/15 "2008-11-01T17:19:14Z")
You could have the owner’s manual translated into Latin and then learn Latin. Then the manual wouldn’t be of much use to anybody but you. Off the subject, but I read where there was a terrible problem of light bulb theft on New York subways. The problem was finally solved by having the supplier of the bulbs make the bulbs with left-hand threads and have the light sockets set up to accept these bulbs. If the thieves did figure out the system, the bulbs wouldn’t be of use anyway. The same would be true of an owner’s manual in Latin. ---
**Author:** ![rcbstuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ba0ec/32.png) [@rcbstuff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rcbstuff)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/16 "2008-11-01T19:23:20Z")
Probably some kids pulling a prank, or an amateur crook looking for something. There are plenty of owners manuals on ebay or the salvage yard ---
**Author:** ![jgskier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@jgskier](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jgskier)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/17 "2008-11-01T19:23:56Z")
I still can’t believe that I’m the only one who has ever heard of someone stealing an owner’s manual to have a duplicate key made. The keys on some new cars can only be duplicated by the dealer. Then again, if I were going to steal a car, I doubt I would do it for a Focus. ---
**Author:** ![randymerritt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@randymerritt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/randymerritt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/18 "2008-11-01T19:26:58Z")
I agree 100%. check out my earlier post ---
**Author:** ![CLEEOO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@CLEEOO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CLEEOO)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/19 "2008-11-01T20:24:19Z")
Sounds like a scavenger hunt to me. ---
**Author:** ![amabiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce73a5/32.png) [@amabiz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/amabiz)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488/20 "2008-11-01T21:52:05Z")
Amy from Chicago here. Nope, I don’t live near a University/College. The only school near me is a Catholic grade school. At this point, I’ve given up determining who and why, and have moved on to counting my blessings that it wasn’t worse. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stolen-owners-manual/21488.md?page=2)