This is my first post in this forum. I bought my 2006 Toyota Prius w/ Package 7 two weeks ago and I woke up today to find my Headlights were GONE! There was damage to my hood, side panels, bumper, and harness all totaling about $3400.00 in repair ($300 deductable) and parts costs. The alarm NEVER even went off as I live right above the parking lot here in Quincy, MA where the headlights were stolen. (never had anything happen to any of my new cars before) To top this off my blinker system was damaged in the process (front blinkers were part of the light) and I could not drive safely without blinkers. WARNING to everyone who has a 2G Toyota Prius with the higher package options! Secure, alarm, & guard your headlamps if at all possible. Does anyone know how to strengthen the alarm (possible addon sensors) to go off when the headlights are tampered with when armed? Since the thief knows where I live I will be continuously paranoid until I find a way to safeguard my Prius. :angry:
SHIT MAN! that really sucks, i'm pissed for you. it's like you can't have anything nice before some asshat comes and just screws you over. i was always worried about my HID's being stolen ever since i went to visit a friend in the bronx ny and saw empty headlamp compartments. i park my car in my driveway but you can never be too safe. sorry to hear that and good luck in the future.
Thank You for your comments. I did not realize how valuable these lights were until I got the estimate. If I ever find out who the person/people who did this I will .... Well I do not want to get thrown out of this forum so I will keep it clean. Does anyone know a way to use the hybrid battery to electrify the Prius so that if this happens again the only thing I will find when I wake up is a body/bodies in front of the car? I have electric steering, electric brakes, & an electric battery. Why not electric security? I know it would cut into the mileage that day but it would be worth it!
I was wondering, do thefts of this type occur more frequently in certain geographical regions? Also, I saw a post earlier on here that was asking about how often a Prius gets stolen (or how easily it can be done at all, given the smart key system and such), but I never did see an answer there. Anyone have any info on that? It really stinks to have your headlights ripped out right after buying the car. I'm sort of worried about that myself since I park my new Prius (pkg 7, bought 2 weeks ago) on a college campus (the only saving grace perhaps is that last time I parked my car, there were about 3 or 4 other Prius cars parked in the immediate vicinity, none of which had any damage).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jtaft @ Apr 6 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]235982[/snapback]</div> Unfortunately our laws haven't caught up to this. It would be considered a "trap" which are universally illegal in all states of the U.S.A. I might suggest a camera with IR vision to take pics of any thievery that goes on. Or maybe a steel mesh/kevlar car cover with locks?
I like the idea of the steel mesh with locks. Is there something like this on the market or is it just a REALLY GOOD idea? It would be a hassel putting it on every night but it beats the alternative of a $300 deduction, rental car costs (for when it is in the shop), and days missed from work. I mean what good is an alarm if it only secures the car from being stolen? If the headlights are not in your car you can not drive it legally anyway until it is fixed because the blinker system won't work and night travel would be/is impossible. (fog lamps will not come on either)
HID theft seems to be pervasive in certain areas of the country. I live on Long Island and have not seen it happen where I live. I do know that it happens frequently in Brooklyn. The theives especially like the units from the Acuras as they can fit those in other Hondas. I can't understand why the Prius ones would be worthy of steeling as those lights will only work in a Prius. Maybe the parts (igniters) are universal?
Ouch. Yeah this has happened before. The problem is that the HIDs are bundled with the foglights so if they see foglights, they know the headlights are HIDs. I wonder what happens if we Canadians go down cause we don't have HIDs but do have foglights. The only thing I can think of is mount a camera on the mirror or dash. You could always put a false sticker saying "Warning, headlight is armed"
Sorry to hear about that. I guess it could happen to anybody. I don't think I'll do anything extra to secure my stuff, that's what insurance is there for. I figure if someone wants it bad enough they will figure out a way to get it so other than not making it any easier for them I hate doing things that eventually make me feel like captive to potential thieves out there.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Apr 6 2006, 04:33 PM) [snapback]235988[/snapback]</div> I've been told that I could not use the camera video as evidence if I didn't post a sign saying the car was monitered by a camera. Something about it could be considered entrapment... I guess I see the point, you egg someone on off camera, then they do something in front of it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jtaft @ Apr 6 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]235982[/snapback]</div> You don't want this feature. If something goes wrong, you yourself or someone you love (e.g., your small children) may be electricuted by accident.
I am really sorry that this happened to you. We definitely need tougher laws to help dissuade some people. I have never heard of that happening around here (Houston) although I am sure that it must at some point. Someone made a comment that they thought it might be area based. I don't know but I am sure that you are really ticked off, I would be. Sorry dude.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(snowman83 @ Apr 6 2006, 05:32 PM) [snapback]235986[/snapback]</div> A few years ago, you'd be a fool to park an Audi with HIDs in various parts of northern New Jersey (not at all in "bad" areas either). It was very common to find HIDs for sale on ebay with the lower mounting flange damaged. This was a very, very likely sign that the units were stolen. If you search the AudiWorld forums for 2001 - 2003 you will see lots of posts about the problem. Other thefts were reported in NYC and Boston. One of the Boston one's was in a parking garage, another in NYC from an employee lot. Offhand, I don't remember any out west. - Tom
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kDB @ Apr 6 2006, 03:48 PM) [snapback]236013[/snapback]</div> No, it could not be. Entrapment is available as a defense only when an agent of the state or federal government has provided the encouragement or inducement for the defendant to commit the crime. In order to establish entrapment, the defendant has the burden of proving either that he or she would not have committed the crime but for the undue persuasion or fraud of the government agent, or that the encouragement was such that it created a risk that persons not inclined to commit the crime would commit it, depending on the jurisdiction.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Apr 6 2006, 04:41 PM) [snapback]236035[/snapback]</div> I agree totally. If this is entrapment, the Rodney King Beating video (or any Cops behaving badly video) would have been dismissed.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dipper @ Apr 6 2006, 07:53 PM) [snapback]236041[/snapback]</div> Not only that, but if it were true that you have to notify people, you would be able to sue the shit out of any building owner who had a camera on his building overlooking the street/sidewalk/driveway unless there are prominent and totally obvious signs that you're being taped. Courts seem to hold that people in a public place have little to no right to any sort of expectation of privacy.
The obvious choice is av course to garage the car, but jtaft, I gather that is not an option in your case. How about a passive IR sensing security light with a really bright bulb? A third option might be to get one of those wild game cameras, they use the IR sensor and take a picture when any warm blooded creature gets in range (I think low life scum bags still qualify). Bummer this happened, but hope you get it back to normal.
A FOAF also got her front end mashed up and the HID hardware stolen sometime last year [boston/cambridge area]. Apparently the black market in the *power supplies* is pretty hot, somewhat less so for the lamps themselves. . I am *so* glad to have the generic halogens... . A car sits on four big rubber insulators. An HV DC power supply connected to an unobtrusive piece of bare cable hanging down and touching the ground *would* be fairly elegant, wouldn't it... . _H*
If you think Prius HID thief is bad, try a s2000 HID. Those Headlight shapes are so sexy that they become targets by riceboys and transplant into their civics.
