anti-theft question

[fogg8920]

I am currently researching the idea of buying a Prius and am trying to get my mind around keyless driving. So you push a power button to start the car. So what's to keep a would-be car theif from breaking into the car and pushing the power button? I see there is an "anti-theft" option that one can buy, but it's in a package with a bunch of other expensive bells and whistles that I'm not interested in paying for. How can you protect your Prius from theft without buying a bunch of electronic gizmos?

Fidelma

[TheForce]

To start the Prius you must have the FOB or "Key" in the car when you press the power button. Pressing the power button without the key will result in nothing happening. The only easy way to steal this car is to get a flatbed tow truck.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fidelma @ Dec 31 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]369074[/snapback]</div>

I am currently researching the idea of buying a Prius and am trying to get my mind around keyless driving. So you push a power button to start the car. So what's to keep a would-be car theif from breaking into the car and pushing the power button? I see there is an "anti-theft" option that one can buy, but it's in a package with a bunch of other expensive bells and whistles that I'm not interested in paying for. How can you protect your Prius from theft without buying a bunch of electronic gizmos?

Fidelma
[/b]

As far as I can tell, the Prius is one of the more difficult cars to steal. While there's little to keep a theif from breaking in and pressing the power button, there is plenty to keep that action from actually starting the car.

[Tideland Prius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fidelma @ Dec 31 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]369074[/snapback]</div>

I am currently researching the idea of buying a Prius and am trying to get my mind around keyless driving. So you push a power button to start the car. So what's to keep a would-be car theif from breaking into the car and pushing the power button? I see there is an "anti-theft" option that one can buy, but it's in a package with a bunch of other expensive bells and whistles that I'm not interested in paying for. How can you protect your Prius from theft without buying a bunch of electronic gizmos?

Fidelma
[/b]

The car cannot start without the fob inside the car (whether it's in the dash slot or in your pocket). Just like any other car, you have to have the key.

Every Prius comes with an engine immobiliser as standard equipment. This disables the engine unless the proper key code is recognised.

The "anti-theft" system you're seeing as optional on upper packages is simply the alarm and nothing more.

Also, because of the electronic slot and push-button start, it's harder to hotwire.

Lastly, if you're really in a shady part of town very often, have the glass-breakage sensor installed (must have some sort of alarm in the vehicle be it a Toyota alarm or aftermarket).

[aaf709]

The only theft (and probably apocryphal as I don't know the location) that I know of was someone went to a party and left their purse on a table. The thief took the fob and kept pressing the button in the parking lot until a car "answered." Even if it is aprocryphal, that's one way to steal a Prius (taking the fob). The other way is the aforementioned putting the Prius on a flatbed.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aaf709 @ Dec 31 2006, 08:32 PM) [snapback]369165[/snapback]</div>

The thief took the fob and kept pressing the button in the parking lot until a car "answered." ... The other way is the aforementioned putting the Prius on a flatbed.
[/b]

Both of which are no different than any other modern car (with a remote keyless entry).

[aaf709]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Dec 31 2006, 10:19 PM) [snapback]369184[/snapback]</div>

Both of which are no different than any other modern car (with a remote keyless entry).
[/b]

Right, it goes back to the thief's best plan is to take your fob, as a hotwire ain't that easy. BTW, if the thief were to pull you out of the Prius and drive away it can be done, but if they power off it won't restart (assuming you have the fob on your person when this occurs).

There's been a rumor that the fob's signal can be emulated with a special gizmo, but I haven't heard of one being stolen with this method.

[David Beale]

One interesting thing that has started to happen recently is because of these immobilizer systems, thieves will break into your home and force you at gunpoint to give them the fob/key (some have the chip integrated into the key) so they can take your car. Kind of a backfire of security. Probably not for a Prius though. Not expensive enough.

As far as the fob signal emulator, I doubt you will ever see one for a Prius. The car isn't worth enough to make it. Now a BMW, Lexus or Mercedies emulator may appear in a thiefs toolkit! I wonder how close the Lexus system is to the Prius one?

[Tideland Prius]

I'm not sure. Toyota doesn't even call them by the same name so I don't know if it's a marketing term or if it really is slightly different to warrant a different name. This is different from Nissan which calls its system "Intelligent Key" regardless of whether it's on an Infiniti or a Nissan.

[Bob Allen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jan 2 2007, 01:46 AM) [snapback]369257[/snapback]</div>

One interesting thing that has started to happen recently is because of these immobilizer systems, thieves will break into your home and force you at gunpoint to give them the fob/key (some have the chip integrated into the key) so they can take your car. Kind of a backfire of security. Probably not for a Prius though. Not expensive enough.


[/b]

David: Folks who can afford high end cars usually park them in their garages or driveways; I park my Prius on the block behind my house because of traffic on my street, so a thief would have no way of knowing where I lived unless he could find the insurance/registration tags hidden in the car.