Just bought my first PRIUS and catalytic converter got stolen first night.

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the scumbags sell cats to recyclers, not chop shops. they will damage your car for a small bag of meth, heroin or crack. the recyclers know they are buying stolen metal, but they are thieves too and don't care. you need a motion detector hooked to the factory alarm system, so when they jack up your car, the alarm goes off.
unfortunately, in states run by delusional progressives, criminals are treated like errant juveniles instead of the animals they are. it would be best if we could shoot thieves dead; since the world is way over-populated, killing scumbags is a sort of public service. perhaps a well placed NRA sticker would make them choose a different car to vandalize.

 

Or install an aftermarket alarm (maybe Compustar) that can detect if the vehicle is lifted or jacked up, as well as vibrations that might come from when the catalytic converter is cut, if it's sensitive enough. Get a two way remote so it will page you on the remote if the alarm goes off. Despite the drawbacks, I love going to LA, or anywhere in southern California, San Diego, Palm Springs, even further north in the Bay area. But yeah, I know crime can be rampant in many of these areas. I try not to think about it or it will ruin my vacation. But it's different when you live there.

I've visited LA many times, and parked everywhere from nice neighborhoods to sketchy ones and near LAX, often leaving my vehicle parked for the whole day without a care in the world. Well, maybe a bit of concern. But I have a Compustar alarm with all of the add accessories, two way remote, drone with app on my phone that will alert me, warning stickers on windows, flashing LED on steering column and a club on the steering wheel for good measure. So far so good. Although once while in LA, I had an alert on my phone that the motion sensor first stage warning was tripped, I was parked in the Inglewood area, somewhere near West Century and La Cienega (near the 405 Freeway, so not exactly the best part of town). I was freaking, because I was at a conference in a hotel about a mile away and could not leave right away. Luckily everything was fine. Maybe someone tapped the bumper while parking, or some drug addict stumbled and fell into or punched a body panel. One time I saw three cars with smashed up windshields. I was parked nearby but no damage to my vehicle. Incidentally, I did a Google street view and I see that recently a lot of those small cul-de-sac dead end streets with no houses on them are fenced off and blocked off so nobody can park there anymore. There used to be a lot of derelict RVs and people living in cars.

 

Guess it's about time we get our own batman!!!

 

You went a little too radical but I liked the concept. Also the progressive CARB states mandate expensive OEM cat converter replacement, so a more cost effective EBay solution is illegal. Of course, VA. we do not have that problem (yet).

 

omg...I am reading this after buying a used '14 for my son, last year HS! I wish I had stuck with my other option - Corolla.

I will have to look into what JustSomeGuy mentioned 'after market Compustar' alarm system...

Love this site btw...

 

I'm not aware that your location is one of the few hot zones. At least yet. And the 2010s+ are not as risky as the 2004-2009s.

Take this risk into account when choosing the Comprehensive portion of the auto insurance.

Is there any clue yet where your son might be taking it after high school?

 

In other words: insure against theft/damage. Especially in Cali.

 

For this cat issue, I'll be keeping the comp insurance longer than I've kept it on past cars.

 

Working on the schools so not yet...likely staying in the state. We have moved around a bit so moving away may not be so hot I am guessing...Anyway ya'll we have been learning P'14...I say we...teenagers... gosh the gas mileage is just crazy... compared to my Sienna

 

Hey All, I have three Pri so that is $7000 of Cats sitting in front of my place at night. I just got one of these:

360 DigiEye Wifi Camera – Dicartia
For $75 I’ve got all three protected all night every night.
Now I could have put it on the dash board and powered it from one of the dome lights or put a power Jack attached to one of the visor lights for easy hook up. But I wanted to protect all three $25 per cat


iPhone ?

 

$7000 for 3 cats? When did Reddit get a hold of these?

 

I'm thinking of that more as evidence than as protection.

 

OK but the video would be good fun on the NextDoor website

 

Active video surveillance is a deterrent, just talk to any thief they would rather face a barking dog than an IR camera that triggers a tracking floodlight


iPhone ?

 

Sorry, I can't talk to them because I don't know who they are. And based on the thief videos commonly run on the news and posted to various web sites, neither do most other people who are willing to speak up.

Yes, these videos are helpful. Patterns are revealed, some perps get identified, and they make good evidence in court. But they can be defeated, and it is easy to overstate the degree of protection provided. Especially when a significant portion of the perps just don't care.

 

Fact Check: Mixed.

I'll leave the $7,000 price tag out of this out of this but what you REALLY have is all three of them "monitored" every night for $75....and cheap camera floodlight combos have been out there for years now......AND property crimes in certain zip codes are skyrocketing.

It's a lot better than nothing....
I have no fewer than 10 cameras myself, since I have rural property and I live in town.

They're pretty great for monitoring nocturnal wildlife....

 

Maybe the floodlights just help them see what they're doing (once they pull the balaclavas down)? OTOH, sudden click-on of bright lights will be a little unnerving?

 

Imho lights make no difference. Or at least dont mean safety. Tilt sendors, cat security plates, armed guards, etc all make more difference than lights. They are wearing MASKS!

So then your camera gets no facial recognition its pointless.

They get towed in everyday, often stolen in broad daylight in busy parking lots.

Our DA just letting people off doesn’t make it any better either. Think we have the worst level of theft in the country.

If you have three you need to do something more just a matter of time.

 

Yes,cameras have been out for years, though they haven’t had 1080p, tracking gimbals with flood lights and Infra Red for $75. They haven’t been WIFI and had ajustable trigger zones for motion a microphone for sound and a speaker for optional alarm or simply speak to them to let them know they’re on candid camera and authorities are on their way.
As for $7000 I thought it was agreed that California OEM Cats were worth $2300 installed.
I just think it is a better deterrent to vandalism than a $200 metal plate bolted over the Cat. That’s all
Agreed?


iPhone ?