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aftermarket Anti-Theft add-ons for 2020 Prime?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by The Big Sleaze, Aug 6, 2020.

  1. The Big Sleaze

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    I'm planning to pay off loan on my 2020 Prime early mostly to save money on the Full Coverage. Never had a single accident so my only real concern is THEFT. I've owned 3 Ford Escort 5sp wagon and all 3 were stolen (then returned in rough shape) and recently had an Escort stolen, then dropped off a block from my house but they they stole my old Chevy van which they then dropped off blocking a major driveway (so cops were called in an hour). Crazy.

    I hear Prime's security is "pretty solid" but who knows. Looking for both extra disable AND tracking. What Tracking wont be detected by thieves?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how is cat theft on the modern prius?
     
  3. The Big Sleaze

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    IIRC only the prior model had LOTS of valuable metal in the cat, so hopefully that not an issue. I can handle getting burned for a G for stolen cat but losing the whole car to chop shop be a real bummer.

    Couple decades ago I heard Toyota was making 11 diff front fenders for the Corrala which all looked same but mounting holes were just a bit off to match holes drilled in frame. Dealerships would and could tell you if a fender would fit, but they want VIN# and they would "call you back" in a few hours, which would make a chop shop nervous. Toyota was accused of doing this to ace-out aftermarket parts, but whatever.
     
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  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I'd imagine theft deterrent measures have improved since the Escort or Astro era.

    But one suggestion is visual aids - so a steering wheel lock could help. Anything that makes it longer to steal a car will have a thief thinking about an easier target. This way, even if they spoof your fob, they can't make a turn because of the steering wheel lock.


    Do aftermarket systems still make those transponder-type immobilisers? That could be another layer of security.
     
  5. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    I don't have a Prime but recommend LoJack.

    moto g(7) power ?
     
  6. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    The Prius is one of the only new cars (that I can think of) that doesn't automatically lock the steering wheel when in park.
     
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah it's annoying that it doesn't have a built-in steering wheel lock.

    Other Toyotas don't automatically lock. You have to actually turn the wheel yourself to lock it.
     
  8. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    All other cars I've driven will lock it once the wheel turns a certain amount. I assume there's a mechanism waiting to fall into a detent. So even if there's some play in the wheel, it will lock if it's moved any significant amount. I would consider that to be effectively locked even before it actually hard locks.
     
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  9. Diemaster

    Diemaster Active Member

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    Am I the only one that still uses The Club?

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Isn't this made possible by unique fob key codes and the engine immobilizer feature? This vehicle's ignition architecture does not have the same susceptibility to hotwiring that led to the steering wheel lock mandate on older era cars.
     
  11. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Now that many car thieves have figured out that The Club is an ideal lever for breaking the steering wheel lock, and yet can still be removed in under a minute by sawing through the steering wheel itself?

    Yeah, possibly you are the last one.
     
  12. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    Maybe, but it's still found on most other cars with engine immobilizer.
     
  13. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Not only is it probably a waste of money........except maybe for a simple 12 V disconnect switch, which creates it's own problems.......
    It will also run your battery down if not driven for a while. With some systems, as short a time as a week.
    Generally NOT recommended.
    Better to check your insurance to be sure that it will pay you full current market value if it IS stolen.
     
  14. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    What is the norm for other current cars with push button start, lacking the traditional turn key?
     
  15. AzusaPrius

    AzusaPrius Senior Member

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    You can not steal these cars unless you have the program to mock or clone the fobs, this is what lets the car start and without it, it will not start.

    In the event that someone really wanted your prius for some odd reason other than to repo it, they would do just that, tow it.

    So using a club is not doing anything but making people laugh.
     
  16. mistermojorizin

    mistermojorizin Active Member

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    Wouldn't safety connect be the same thing?
     
  17. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Aftermarket alarms do tend to put additional drain on the 12 V battery, enough so as to be a concern to me. I agree with that note. I have not felt LoJack uses a significant amount comparatively. They have an early warning setup to let you know as soon as your vehicle is moved unauthorized.

    Doesn't Safety Connect somewhat do away with the necessity of aftermarket devices? I didn't get a LoJack for our Prius v but keep Safety Connect active.

    moto g(7) power ?
     
  18. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Forgot about that system, and you just beat me to my post about it. Thanks for bringing it up!

    They do hide the little LoJack device in a location that owners don't even get the privy to know, so it is an unknown to a would be thief, meaning unlike Safety Connect which is a known device that the thief is aware of and could possibly disable, they may not find out a car has LoJack until it's too late when the cops come...

    moto g(7) power ?
     
  19. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I don't know if the current implementation of LoJack is still the same, but the original iteration had an important distinction from Safety Connect and the like:

    Safety Connect relies on the car to figure out where it is using GPS and cellular signals, and then it can send that position info via cellular data to a server somewhere for readback. So you'd better hope that the theft and storage locations were within coverage areas, and that it got its position correct etc. Lots of chances for trouble.

    LoJack, at least in its original implementation, just blasted out its own loud radio signal on 173.075MHz, so somebody with the right receiver could figure out where the signal was coming from by using ordinary radio direction-finding techniques. The LoJack company deployed many receivers and made sure that many local police departments had their cruisers equipped.
     
    #20 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Aug 11, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2020