Two years ago, I thoughtfully and purposefully locked my 2003 Camry 4-cyl, LE with the remote and then went out on a date. When I returned home, the car had been enteredand my wallet was stolen. Ick. There was no evidence of the locks being tampered with.

Less than one year ago, I locked my 2003 Camry with the remote and then went in the house and went to bed. When I arose the next morning, my car had been entered and the loose change in the change drawer had been taken and the rest of the car had been seriously rifled through. IT was a mess to clean up.

Two monthsago, I locked my 2003 Camry with the remote and then went to bed. When I arose the next morning, my car had again been ransacked but there was nothing left to take. It was a big mess and I had to put everything back into its proper places.

Yesterday, I stood at my car and locked the doors with the remote, watching the little locks snap shut and snap open and snap shut again. After a visual inspection of the each of the doors, I was satisifed that all four doors were locked. This morning, I went out to the car and the four doors were all unlocked.

The car has 110,000 miles and the ignition switch is badly worn and I have to wiggle the key to get it to fit and use WD-40, etc. I know I need to replace the ignition switch but I'm between fortunes. I'm wondering if there is some glitch in the auto-unlock feature that is unlocking the doors after I use the remote to lock them?

If this had happened once, I would have thought, well, I'm just forgetting to lock the doors, but this has happened time and time again.

Please tell me how to fix this and please tell me I'm not losing my mind!!!!

Thanks in advance.

A Wilting Rose in Norfolk, VA

 

I don't think it is the ignition switch.

Never heard of this situation.

Other then these events you listed are the doors always still locked when you approach the car? How about after a long day at work?

Are you stating the only time the car was messed with is when you parked it at your house (always the same area)? Were there any times the locks were found open at other areas. If not, would be looking for someone with a key, a remote that works with your car, etc. Or someone is messing with you. Any issues with the past car owner, ex spouse, etc.

It is possible you or someone else is pressing the remote accidentally or on purpose.

The system is programable, it might be possible to disable the remote feature all together and only use a key. I don't have the info to program the unit, if you have the owners manual might look there. A dealer would have this info.

One thing that has happened to people is the door open switches (at each door) can go bad or out of adjustment. This can result in strange door lock behavior, although typcially this is the doors locking and unlocking themselves at random as the car is driven.

The other issue is the wiring between the drivers door and frame can become damaged over time, the result can be strange lock behavior.

If this was my car, I would disable the remote lock function so that only a key could be used. I might goes as far as disabling the auto lock feature completely as such there would be no chance the locks would disengage themselves. Remember too someone with a slim jim can open a car door easily enough and leave no traces.

 

Thanks for taking time to reply. I am grateful. I keep the keyfob remote on a bookcase near the back door. I'm wondering if it's getting bumped and unknowingly, opening the doors. I really am at my wit's end.

The cops around here don't care about the car break-ins because they're so prevalent. They seem to think I should be *delighted* that the car wasn't stolen.

As to the Slim-Jims, I've had TWO policemen tell me that our not-too-bright criminals wouldn't go to all that trouble to use them, but I have my doubts. My husband came to save me one day when we were locked out of the car at a grocery store. He used a *coat hanger* and he was into that car within ten seconds. Ever since witnessing that, I have little doubt that a seasoned criminal could breech the door locks with minimal effort.

Thanks again for the reply. I'm very grateful. I'm thinking I'll just spend a couple hundred dollars for a car alarm. And then I'm going to save up some money and move to the country. I lived in Illinois for 10 years and no one disturbed me. In the last 18 months, my car has been broken into three times. If this is "life in the big city" I want to go back to the country.

Rose

 

PS. to the note above. I now live in Norfolk, VA and that's where I've had all this trouble. In Illinois, the cops would come running to your aid for little problems and it was *wonderful*. Here, they won't even come to your house to take a report when things are stolen from your car or yard. It's a very different mindset.

As to your other questions, if this is NOT a random bumping of the key fob, I don't know what it is. I have a habit now of checking door locks before entering the car (after it's been sitting). Uusually, it's locked - but not always.I am at my wit's end. Every time I approach the car, my heart is in my mouth. Three times, I've looked in my beautiful camry and found the unmistakeable evidencethat somelow-life miscreant has been sitting in my car and going through my glove compartment and center console and literally *throwing* my papers all over the car. It no longer feels like my own personal space and I *hate* feeling that way about *****MY*****beautiful red camry.