Hey Everyone, last night my 2013 F-250 was broken into in front of my house. I am 100% sure the doors were locked, no doubt about it, they were locked.

I'm new to ford trucks and since day 1 I didn't trust or like the keypad on the outside of the door. I know it's handy and some day when I lock my keys in the truck I'll be glad I have it, but after learning the factory set code cannot be changed I thought, man that's BS. I mean that's like a gun safe company selling you a safe and saying you can't change the combo, or a home alarm company telling you the code and not letting you change it.

So since there was no forced entry I've got to assume that the thief either used a master code of some sorts on the keypad, or scanned my key fob code somewhere/somehow and used an electronic tool to unlock the truck, or by some other unknown means simply defeated the door locks without setting off the alarm.

There were no scratch marks on the windows indicating a slim-jim was used to pop the locks. The door key hole was untouched, and the window seals were all in place and untouched. And the truck was locked this morning when I went outside to get in it. That's when I noticed my trash bag kept in the console was sitting on the seat and I immediately knew it had been broken into overnight and looked to see that the pistol was gone.

Is there a possibility that someone at my purchasing dealership (I just bout this truck 2 weeks ago) had access to the door keypad code and paid me a visit to steal the pistol? Or does Ford have some sort of secret universal code that's someone could have used.

Is there any chance that the onboard computer records or logs when entry is made to the vehicle and how it's done (ie will it record if the fob or keypad was used, I've never actually used the keypad yet)?

Thanks everyone for the help and thoughts!

 

I cant help with the codes. I cant believe you'd leave a pistol in your truck over night. Your lucky he stopped there and didn't decide to gain entry to get your other guns from your home. Is that common practice even for law enforcement? Seems very irresponsible to me. Thanks for giving the crooks another weapon to rob innocent civilians who don't get the benefit of the doubt that law enforcement gets.

For all we know you're not a cop but a crook yourself and here fishing for break in ideas?

Sorry just my $.02

 

1 someone knew you had that gun there. They will be back for the house

2 as an ex cop you of all people should have known there's absolutely NO SUCH THING as vehicular security.

3 you <#}£¥ left a handgun unattended in a vehicle overnight?

4 really?

You sir fail hard at gun ownership.

 

Wow great help guys... Yes I made a mistake, yes I regret it very much. I wasn't coming here to add insult to injury so if there are any folks out here on this forum besides trolls I'd like to just get some help and advice about the core question regarding the keyless entry system.

 

Travis,

This is somebody who knows you clearly. You might not be able to change the factory code, but you can add your own. Also there are very few people who will have your code. Most of the time the dealership doesn't even know the code. Sucks to hear that you got your pistol stolen, but I don't think it's out of the ordinary to leave it in your truck. Try to bait them but get it on video next time. Could be your son or somebody close to you who needs money.

 

Hi Travis, welcome to FTE!

Sorry for the lukewarm welcome by a few here, gun safety is a hot topic for lots of people. Of course that does little to address the reason for starting this thread, so I'd kindly ask everyone to stay on topic. This is a technical forum, not a firearm safety forum.

There is no master code, generally these are considered to be pretty secure. It's possible for someone to enter every possible combination in 15-20 minutes, but I don't think I've ever heard of a thief gaining entry that way. It simply takes too much time, and said scumbag would look far too obvious standing there tampering with your keypad for that long. I really find it unlikely that this is how they got in.

Unfortunately I think it's much more likely that the button on your key fob got pushed in your pocket somehow and unlocked the truck. These trucks are really easy to break in by punching the lock, but of course you would see the telltale evidence if this was how they gained entry.

And lastly you most certainly can program your own code. See below, I took this from the 2013 Owner's Guide.

 

Troll? Most of the users on here have seen my posts before. I've even met a couple in person. Sure, I'm a jerk. Sorry its one of my many talents.

Good luck with the code issues as well as future endeavors. Maybe the door panel can be deactivated somehow?

 

My current truck is too low a trim level to have the electronic keypad, but I had an Explorer years ago that had that feature. One of the first things I did was change it, since I bought it used. And it looks like the ability to change it is still there, based upon Tom's post.

I found it useful for times when I wanted to lock everything (including my keys) in the vehicle. Like at the beach, when I would not want the key fob to go in the water.

The vehicle computer *may* record the opening time. Some of the diesel guys who know AutoEnginutiy really well may know, as they have poked into the deep recesses of the truck's brain.

 

I honestly do not think that someone could enter all the possible codes in any reasonable times. There are 1287 possibilities and if you try 7 incorrect tries it disables for 1 minute. However, I have a friend that is a tow truck driver who does some repo work as well. He can get into a vehicle so fast it makes my head swim. He uses a slim jim and it is some kind of strong plastic that does not leave marks. My bet is on something like that.

We all learn from our mistakes, so I would suggest that if you are going to keep valuables in your truck (this includes guns) check into getting a Console Vault. They are a little on the pricey side, but well worth it.

 

I used to work with a guy at a used car dealer who could open every ford that came on the lot with the keypad on the door. That was in the late 90's. Now I don't know if the security level has changed since then but he new how to program in his own code without knowing the master..

 

Texas.
Everyone should have a gun.
What if I get shot by your gun?
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you on behalf of your girlfriend.
Thank you on behalf of your wife.
Thank you on behalf of your children and their friends and parents.
Yes. Thank you for promoting responsible gun ownership and ....
oh...
wait...
I'll be over shortly to show you the gun I stole.

Thanks.
Yeah, thank you.

Edit; Did you get trashed in a bunch of PM's?
You can't or won't accept PM's?
I would like to send you a "friendly" message...

 

No mater how you look at our trucks are just too easy to get into.

I don't think is was a keypad entry. I have not looked at the newer
trucks but you used to be able to get into the trucks by using a small
rod in the right place on the passenger side door handle and it does not
leave any marks.

Please be sure to report that gun. That really was not a smart move.
You will continue to get some heat for that one. But if you don't report it
and it gets used in some crime guess who they will come looking for.

A gun belongs in one of two places. On you body or in the safe if
not on your body.

Sean

 

Any updates OP?

 

Tom asked everyone to stay on topic here so let's drop the gun safety lectures and stay on the topic of the actual entry of the truck and the keypad in question.

 

I thought it was interesting that even if you add a personal code for the lock, the factory code remains valid and operational as well as the new personal code (or codes, you can enter multiple personal codes). Makes buying a used vehicle a little less secure, but in reality people could always get multiple copies of keys anyway.

Brian