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The problems with tracing I've run into weren't technical, but motivational. Technically, yes they can track a phone, but other than law enforcement requests they don't have to do it. They don't have a system in place to bill for the service and once they provide it to the public they enter the legal loop of liability. Are you really the telephone's owner and not someone else abusing the system, was the location they provided correct, was the service provided quickly enough, etc. This results in policies that make it very difficult for anyone outside to make use of the capability.
The police work on squeaky wheels. If you had a child in the car that was carjacked then they would likely request location assistance from the cell provider. For what became just a car loss they aren't motivated unless you run into an officer who goes above and beyond. Theft of public property is not one of their high-reward responsibilities.
Not to excuse the fact you couldn't get help. It's incredibly unfortunate and frustrating how we possess these utopian capabilities but are paralyzed by bureaucracy and legal obstacles.
BTW, good to hear you got out okay. That sucks.
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