1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

security?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Bob Allen, Feb 3, 2004.

  1. Bob Allen

    Bob Allen Captainbaba

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2004
    1,273
    11
    0
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I'm hugely ahead of myself here since I don't even have a car, but I'm curious about security and car theft because these are such hot ticket cars; like the Accord used to be.
    My thought is that the vast majority of car thieves have no idea what a Prius is, let alone how to start one. Nonetheless, the scarcity of cars might induce some car thieves to go into business. Does the fact that this car is celebrated by the environmental community and not by the muscle car community help in making theft a bit less likely?
    And, for those of you on the other side of the magic have/havenot line, does the standard security system satisfy you that your car is safe on the street, or have any of you invested in additonal locks?
    As an aside here: a guy who lives across a very busy arterial and up a steep hill from where I live, got into his car which had a club lock on the brake. He forgot that the club was there (it was disengaged from the steering wheel, but still on the floor). After he started down the hill, he realized that the club was wedged behind the brake pedal and he could not stop the car. Miraculously, he made it across the arterial without being hit by anyone, and ended up crashing through my neighbors cyclone fence and stopping about two feet from the house. I never had much use for cyclone fencing, but this time, it actually saved this guy from possible serious injury.
    So....the club is out for me. I think it's a crappy design and could probably be broken with liquid nitrogen like the guys who stole my outboard motor must have used on my Kryptonite lock.
    What's your take on car security? I know this has come up before, so I apologize for revisiting the issue.
    Bob sans Prius
     
    #1 Bob Allen, Feb 3, 2004
  2. cybele

    cybele New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2003
    406
    1
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The most popularly stolen cars, are, alas Toyotas (and Hondas).

    But mostly for parts. So the more cars there are on the road of that particular model, the greater the demand for parts and therefor they are more likely to be stolen (at least that's how it works here in LA).

    The second reason they steal cars is for buyers of said cars. Here in SoCal, those cars are often taken over the border and the SUV type vehicles are very popular in that market.

    Here's a list from last year:

    1-1991 Toyota Camry
    2-1989 Toyota Camry
    3-1990 Toyota Camry
    4-2000 Honda Civic SI
    5-1994 Chevrolet C1500 4x2
    6-1995 Honda Accord EX
    7-1994 Honda Accord LX
    8-1994 Honda Accord EX
    9-1988 Toyota Camry
    10-1996 Honda Accord LX
    11-1993 Chevrolet C1500 4x2
    12-1997 Ford F150 4x2
    13-1990 Honda Accord EX
    14-1991 Honda Accord LX
    15-1996 Honda Accord EX
    16-1987 Toyota Camry
    17-1997 Honda Accord LX
    18-1992 Honda Accord LX
    19-1991 Honda Accord EX
    20-1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4
    21-2000 Chevrolet C1500 4x2 Silverado
    22-1995 Honda Accord LX
    23-1991 Acura Legend
    24-1990 Honda Accord LX
    25-1995 Honda Civic EX

    At the moment, because of the rarity of the car I think it's unlikely it's going to be stolen and go to a chop shop. There really can't be much of a demand on the parts market for such a new car. Take a look at the list and you'll see that it's the older models. But then again - ALL 2004 Prius on the road right now could be stolen and we still wouldn't make the list because there aren't enough of them - we're talking hundreds of thousands of thefts here. Some 1.5 million cars were stolen last year alone.

    I think it's more likely that the classic would end up on that market because the body parts are at least the same as the Echo.

    If someone wants your car, there's very little you can do to stop them. I just lock my doors and try to park in a well-lit spot. When I had an '87 Camry, I used a club, but I can hardly believe that's what saved it from being stolen. But someone stole my neighbors Mercedes SUV right from her carport a few months ago ...

    The best security? Probably keeping the car in a garage - out of sight, out of mind. Or lock a fierce dog in the car ... on the realistic side? LoJack.
     
    #2 cybele, Feb 3, 2004
  3. rockluvr

    rockluvr New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2004
    155
    0
    0
    Location:
    Denver, Colorado
    I think the 04 would be difficult to steal because it doesn't have a conventional key. I don't have SS/SE, but a standard feature is that the key fob inserts into the slot and when it is removed the car's alarm is automatically activated. In fact I got a discount on my car insurance for having this "passive alarm". Also I tried the other day to lock the car with my key in the ignition and the car would not lock! So if you are in the habit of locking your car, it's unlikely that the key will be left in the ignition. Of course, if you leave the key in the ignition and DON'T lock the car... LOL. Not to say that crooks aren't clever, but I think it would take one more clever than the average car thief. Of course, if the demand is great enough...
     
    #3 rockluvr, Feb 3, 2004
  4. Wildman

    Wildman New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2004
    17
    0
    0
    Alas... car thieves are ingenious. Locking a car properly will discourage joy riders. I suspect the Prius isn't a big target for those people. Most of them take high performance vehicles.

    Serious thieves can find a way to steal anything, using a flatbed tow truck if necessary. Most of these guys deal with "chop shops" and sell parts which is a profitable business. The Prius is probably a more probable target for this kind of theft.

    If you have a garage, lock the car inside. If you don't, park the car in a well lit area. In any case, lock your car.
     
    #4 Wildman, Feb 3, 2004
  5. Eug

    Eug Swollen Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2004
    956
    211
    0
    Location:
    Earth (for now)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Technology
    Well, I doubt the Prius is gonna be a popular stolen car.

    Honda Accordss are all over the place. They can be stripped for parts and easy to get rid of whole too.

    Can you imagine trying to hawk a Prius? Or even better, Prius components? Pssst... Do you want to buy a 2004 planetary gear box?
     
    #5 Eug, Feb 4, 2004
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)