How door on Isuzu Trooper was forced open

[itrooper]

Attached photos show how the door on the Isuzu Trooper was opened. The area around the door handle assembly was pushed in, allowing some kind of tool to be inserted to operate (rotate?) the lock mechanism.

Is this a common/well known method? Does this method require much skill or strength? How long does it usually take?

What tool or tools are typically used in this method (first to push the door panel in, and then to do whatever needs to be done to the mechanism to unlock the door)?

Do many/most cars have this design where a door handle assembly is set in the door panel, making it vulnerable to this method of attack?

What is the use of all the sophisticated/modern car door locks and key designs of today if all it takes is to push the door panel in?

[kuyabanoy]

Curious ako bro, anong model ito?

[4JGtootsie]

92-2004
Its a good try, but they really have to be masters of the trooper design to do it. Trooper is not as easy to open as Pajero.

[wildthing]

wow!!! napag-aralan na nila ang mechanism ng doors ng trooper.

[4JGtootsie]

iTrooper,

What happened? Nabuksan ba?

[mbeige]

You should also know that posting this kind of information online is like a double edged sword. It could also hurt Trooper owners when the SLC (suspicious looking characters) reads this. This kind of info should be dealt with discretion.

It is easy to access old Trooper junk yards/surplus parts shops and study the mechanisms of the doors. I for one am often at the junkyard in the US, where you can easily study the mechanisms and from there maybe even practice. I have replaced door handles of several cars already, not really that hard as long as you know what you're doing. This is even more true for cars today with body panels so much softer than they were built before.

[OTEP]

I guess it was pushed in to access the lock rod behind it which can be manipulated to unlock the door.

Were they successful? It's kind of hard to blindly manipulate a lock rod. I prefer to do it from the bottom moulding of the side glass where it's easier to see what's going on. Looks like an amateur at work.

Is this a common/well known method? Does this method require much skill or strength? How long does it usually take?

Door locks are pretty easy to open. I have no formal training in being a locksmith but I have been called upon to open locked vehicles (owners left key inside) quite a number of times already. But I'm no pro and I take care not to damage the car so it does take quite a bit of time for me (more than 5mins.)

What tool or tools are typically used in this method (first to push the door panel in, and then to do whatever needs to be done to the mechanism to unlock the door)?

A flat-tipped scredriver can fold that panel in and gain access. For manipulation, alambre is typically used. I'm not sure what they used on the Trooper since the thief was working from a different access point.

Do many/most cars have this design where a door handle assembly is set in the door panel, making it vulnerable to this method of attack?

Not really, but most cars can be opened in one way or another. It's just a matter of finding the weakness of the design.

What is the use of all the sophisticated/modern car door locks and key designs of today if all it takes is to push the door panel in?

Car door locks have not really evolved much. Power locks are for convenience, not security. More advanced security systems like in some BMW's and Opels use a deadbolt type of lock wherein even if you break the window, the lock knob still won't move. If you want to steal the stereo, you'd have to go through the windows to get in and out of the vehicle.

That's why it usually pays to have an alarm with an ignition kill. Even if they can break in to the car, they still can't start it.

[itrooper]

iTrooper,
What happened? Nabuksan ba?

Yes, it was opened. iPod and PDA on seat stolen, but not any of the other loose items lying around or stereo. Security guard of parking lot says he did not see or hear anything.

What I would like to know is --- is this technique specific to Isuzu Trooper (i.e., requires specialized knowledge of Trooper) ... or are many other makes of cars vulnerable to this method, and is this method of bending/pushing in the door panel around the handle assembly in fact quite common?

[4JGtootsie]

Its takes much longer time to open it because of design. The robber will have a hard time kasi hindi niya nakikita ang sinusungit niya. The handle is also different from typical handles that you can insert wires to push the..... The keyhole mechanism is impossible to pop kasi imbedded sa handle assembly. You can just imagine the body language of the robber while he was unlocking it, obvious na wala siyang susi. With all the keyless remote in the market magmumukha talaga siyang criminal.

Those people were not after the trooper or the stereo. talagang ipod and PDA.
Its either this or a broken glass. You are still lucky wala sa loob ang Laptop mo.

[itrooper]

You should also know that posting this kind of information online is like a double edged sword. It could also hurt Trooper owners when the SLC (suspicious looking characters) reads this. This kind of info should be dealt with discretion.

It is easy to access old Trooper junk yards/surplus parts shops and study the mechanisms of the doors. I for one am often at the junkyard in the US, where you can easily study the mechanisms and from there maybe even practice. I have replaced door handles of several cars already, not really that hard as long as you know what you're doing. This is even more true for cars today with body panels so much softer than they were built before.

I decided to come down on the side of 'put the info out'. It won't matter to the competent thieves; they already know it. On the minus side, it may give budding thieves ideas. On the plus side, it may make car owners more aware of how easy it is to open a car -- remove their false sense of security -- remind them not to leave valuable things inside -- maybe even get them to complain to manufacturer and try to get manufacturer to redesign future cars.

I am aghast at the Isuzu Trooper door handle design. I had not realized until now that it was an assembly-set-into-panel type of design, and apparently without much reinforcement around the assembly.

[mbeige]

Your decision is understandable - to warn other Trooper owners. It is actually commendable, I just posted my reply as a reminder not to get too specific lest allow the information to leak out. Better yet if you come up with a solution (perhaps to reinforce that section of metal with something to prevent it from happening again) then by all means post it here.

Possibly part of the "laptop gang"? Always keep your belongings out of sight whenever possible. Or bring them with you if you cannot leave them out of sight. At one time I brought a camera, laptop and some stuff with me in my car. It didn't have a tonneau cover (Jazz) so I hid the laptop under the carpet in the cargo compartment, the camera under the rear seat, the laptop cables in the parcel shelf on the cargo compartment wall, and some stuff I brought with me. At first glance wala ka makita. Some thieves are opportunists too and might chance at the first sign of electronics they see.

[4JGtootsie]

The troopers door handles is not that easy to force open. If i was a thief it would be much easier to brake the glass than thinker with the handles. If you had a motion detector, working on the door would have activated it without entry. Where as if i broke the glass i could have gotten your.... and run while the alarm is sounding.