I have a 2017 Prius Prime and am considering having the dealer install an alarm security system. Any experience with the Toyota Prius security systems? Is it a good system? Is installation quality high?
I wrote about this in a previous thread, but briefly, the most effective electronic security feature is the immobilizer, and this comes standard with the car. I wouldn’t expect an add-on alarm system, especially one that just adds a glass breakage sensor and some stickers, to do much for security. If a burglar smashes a window, grabs anything valuable in sight, and runs away, the alarm won’t undo the damage, and if a sophisticated thief attacks the Smart Key system to unlock the car, this probably also deactivates the alarm. Insurers seem to agree: in my experience, you might get a modest discount for the built-in immobilizer, and perhaps a further discount for adding a vehicle recovery system like LoJack, but not for anything else. Ask your insurance agent to be sure. The quality of any accessory installation depends, in large part, on the knowledge, skill, and care of the technician doing the work; installing the Toyota TVIP according to its instructions is unlikely to damage the car.
