How often are Priuses stolen?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Aug 25 2006, 01:30 AM) [snapback]309204[/snapback]</div>

My insurance was much cheaper than on our other, older vehicle.

Tom

 

I think all the anti-theft deterrants (car alarm, glass break sensor, window etching) on the Prius max it out for most insurance discounts. If they want to steal it and can manage it then that is why I pay for insurance. I am glad my F250 was stolen, which let me get the Prius. My insurance company (USAA) took good care of me and was reinbursed the money it would cost to replace at my current location which was more than what I paid for it. This did make up for the items lost in the vehicle which my property insurance did not cover. So if they steal it then get another or if you are lucky enough in 5-10 years a hybrid that gets 200 mpg.

 

Poor man's Lo-Jack (from Popular Science, I think):
Buy a cheap pre paid cell phone.
Cut the earpiece wire, then hard wire the charger and place it behind your glove box.

If you car is stolen call the police and give them the cell number so they can triangulate the location by calling the silent cell phone.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(200Volts @ Aug 30 2006, 02:39 PM) [snapback]311779[/snapback]</div>

great idea and not all that unheard of. i work customer service for a major wireless provider and we have clients who hardwire cellphones to their fire and alarm systems and program them to dial 911.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 25 2006, 03:54 AM) [snapback]309225[/snapback]</div>

That's what I've always understood as being a major factor in the comprehensive collision portion of anyone's insurance. If you look at the breakdown on your insurance bill, the collision coverage is by far the most expensive component. The good news for a Prius owner, for lack of a better term, is that it costs more to repair an Insight than a Prius. I know because I did a preliminary check before buying a Prius. The Insight would have cost me more insurance-wise but that was just one factor. When I asked why, the rep told me that the cost of fixing that Insight unibody is much greater than the Prius which doesn't use the unibody design, at least not on the front. It's always a good idea to call your insurance company and ask them what buying a specific new car would do to your auto insurance before you buy it.

 

I'd say they're stolen quite frequently. I've stolen 16 of them this year.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Visith @ Aug 30 2006, 11:10 AM) [snapback]311622[/snapback]</div>

For the rims. Either they do fit other cars, or some thieves are ignorant.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Aug 25 2006, 01:30 AM) [snapback]309204[/snapback]</div>

Because you live in NJ. I served almost 30 years in the military. After leaving Germany for Fort Dix, NJ I found that my NJ auto insurance was HIGHER than my auto insurance in Germany was for the same car, same coverage!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveG @ Aug 24 2006, 06:22 PM) [snapback]309149[/snapback]</div>

Last night, my 2005 Prius was stripped of the battery, radiator, front airbags, side airbags, the whole front console [a/c, navigation, stereo]. They got in cleanly by punching the cylindrical lock on the driver side. Obvious professional job. Anyone else has had this happen?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ctse @ May 1 2007, 12:24 PM) [snapback]433452[/snapback]</div>

Yikes, I'm so sorry this happened to you. What part of LA did this happen in? I live in LA, too, and must park my car on the street. I'm knocking on wood as I type this. Though I did opt to get a LoJack because I have to park on the street, it clearly will not help me if something like this happens.


What did your insurance company say about this? Did they say if they had heard about this before?

 

wow sorry to hear what happened to your car, but at the same time, it was obviously someone who knew what he was doing and i would have to think, he wanted the whole car. knowing that he was unable, does make me feel a lot safer

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ May 1 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]433493[/snapback]</div>

Yes, they obviously knew what they were doing and what they wanted! Though I don't feel safe because this happened at my home. Apparently, I have some neighbors who had seen 2 people watching our building last night. Both of them didn't do anything about it though they both felt something was amiss. Just wish one of them took down their license number.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Visith @ Aug 30 2006, 12:10 PM) [snapback]311622[/snapback]</div>

Oh, please tell me my 2007 doesn't have locking lug nuts! Those came on my Plain Jane VW wheels that nobody would have wanted to steal. When I bought new tires the tire dealership didn't put the special changing tool back in my tool kit. Later, when I had a flat, I wasn't able to change the tire. And if that wasn't bad enough, after I caught a ride to the VW dealership to try to borrow a locking lug nut un-locker tool so I could change the tire, they had loaned the only one that would work on my car to someone else and coudln't help me. When I finally found one to borrow, I had all the lug nuts replaced with non-locking ones.

The driver is far more likely to be inconvenienced by locking lug nuts than to have his/her wheels stolen, in my opinion. And it would be a lot easier to replace the wheels than to go through all the things I went through just to change a tire!

My two cents.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(200Volts @ Aug 30 2006, 04:39 PM) [snapback]311779[/snapback]</div>

i like that idea , thanks for sharing it

the only bad thing i can think of is that prepaid phones mostly require you to purchase more airtime
every 60-365 days to keep the phone current, even if you do not use it

based on tracfone's rates a $650 lojack = 6 1/2 years of tracfone yearly cards

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(formerVWdriver @ May 1 2007, 04:44 PM) [snapback]433510[/snapback]</div>

The locking lug nuts are not standard. The dealer may have thrown them in but would have told you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ctse @ May 1 2007, 01:24 PM) [snapback]433452[/snapback]</div>

Ouch!!! Which battery did they take, the high voltage or the 12v auxiliary?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 1 2007, 11:32 PM) [snapback]433721[/snapback]</div>

Hmmmm a 3,000 dollar item or a under 200 dollar item... hmmzz... i wonder.


Probably the high voltage one...

 

man this makes me want to take out the rear passenger seats and
make sure to etch the vin on the battery pack

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob64 @ May 1 2007, 11:34 PM) [snapback]433788[/snapback]</div>

Why do you think that your guess is accurate than mine would have been? It is not quite that simple or easy to remove the HV battery; that is why I asked the question in the first place.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 2 2007, 07:35 PM) [snapback]434335[/snapback]</div>

I'd consider the radiator and the airbags extremely non- simple/easy to remove.