I wonder how effective the etching numbers is; maybe they just grind them off. Good for the cops, to trace it back to owner, helps to nail them I guess.
See also this older thread. Just found out a relative's Gen 2 is missing the cat. Has to have happened in the last week or 2. Maybe before this ring was busted....
The few times I fixed a P0420 by replacing the cat I engraved vin# on it and had the same thought as you. But I make the owner responsible for selling the old cat, so me engraving VIN# is just a matter of doing all I can to help with chain of custody documentation.
I see these arrest stories from time to time and then … nothing. Was one from Indiana a while back, got a lot of press, and that was the end of that story. Never saw a conviction. Would like to see the story about these vermin actually doing time. All the burden is on the victim to protect one’s property. Can’t even shoot the crooks until they shoot you first when you stumble across them jacking your car.
Does anybody sell, like, a bright yellow bumper sticker (or rocker-panel sticker) that says "CHEAP AFTERMARKET CATALYST YOU BOZOS"?
How about just a web cam and two-way audio that live streams if the Prius is tilted by a floor jack? Even better would be a company selling thousands of these so we could go to their website and make it our evening entertainment where we watch and chat with thieves when they get under the car. It'd be a really fun website to participate in.
