I read about this smaller shield device from Todd's Garage in Morro Bay, California. Wondering about it for a 2021 Prius Prime specifically. Any experience or opinions out there? Here's a link to a TV spot about it and their web page for ordering. Mechanic invents anti-theft catalytic converter device with 3-minute installation | WKRC Call: 1 (805) 772-1985 Thanks. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
You may want to put a shield over another part of the car. Priuses have an itty-bitty little gas tank, but pretty soon 10 gallons of gas will be worth MORE than the cat...... People stealing gas from cars resort to siphoning, drilling holes in tanks as prices hit all-time high in US - ABC7 Chicago @ Cat shields: They slow people down, but IMHO pretty soon all of the easy fruit will have been plucked from the lower branches. I only skimmed the article but IMHO no bolt-on solution is going to slow down a catnapper to the point where it takes 15 minutes to remove a cat. That's fairly dishonest advertising. As long as property crime is seen as a "ticketable offense' and some states perpetuate $1500 catalytic converter replacement then you're going to be at risk from a catnapper. With a $250 shield, you DO make yourself a harder target....accomplishing what counter-terrorism experts call "screwing your neighbor." ---Just remember that an aluminum shield pop-riveted onto your car only makes it a LITTLE harder to steal, and remember also that someday authority figures ARE going to peek under the car. MAKE SURE that they can tell that you still have an OEM cat under the shield.
Hopefully gen 3 and 2 versions coming. If you wanted to cobble, from the video it looks to be a HEAVY gauge bent plate at the underside, and a U-Bolt 'round back of the exhaust pipe. Likely also has more bolts/nuts, so it can't be shifted/rotated.
I have a miller cat shield, and I had an incident in which the dealership wanted to charge me $175 to remove and put back on to access the cat for a heat exchange repair. It's about an hour to install myself and 45 minutes to remove to avoid the charges. Something easier to work around and install/remove would be nice, but the level of install protection this todd's garage protect isn't to the level of the miller cat.
I've noted before - in 5+ years of reading Gen 4 Posts on PRIUSCHAT - Gen 4 Catalytic Converters just aren't being stolen. In that 5 years, only one has been reported - and that was a 2nd hand report. The main Catalytic Converter - you either have to remove the body or the Engine to access. Yes, there is a tiny one underneath - but, as noted - they're not of interest to serious thieves.
