Dear Friends, I have a 2005 Prius and am wondering whether there have been any cases of a 2005/2006 being stolen despite the smart key and immobilizer system now being used. Has anyone heard anything? Regards to all, Jack Owens
I've not heard of a theft, but you can flat-bed ANY car. Here's a way to find out -- just get behind on your payments and see how the repo people do it!
Anything can be stolen. Sooner or later someone will crack the system. However, it's all a question of difficulty and demand. The harder it is to steal a car, the more likely it is that a thief will turn to a different car. The Prius is hard enough to steal that your chances of yours being stolen are very small. And there are demand factors: Cars are often stolen for spare parts or to ship overseas. 1. The Prius is so reliable, that demand for spare parts is small. 2. Hybrid components can only be repaired by authorized dealers, so buyers in countries where the Prius is not sold (e.g. Latin America) are much less likely to want one. Thus demand will be relatively low, and difficulty to steal is relatively high. Priuses will be stolen. But much less often than most other cars. Caveat: As more and more car models come out with similar anti-theft technology, and as hybrid technology becomes more common and independent shops learn how to work on them, the playing field will become more level and thefts of Priuses will increase. Still, my sister's Lexus will be a much more tempting target than my Prius.
We've tossed this idea around a lot. In fact, this was my very first post to Priuschat: http://www.priuschat.com/forums/sess-suppl...html?highlight= Basically what it comes down to is that the Prius' security and ignition controls are software controlled. If the computer detects that any "hanky panky" has taken place, it will electronically disable the ignition function. But like jbarnhart said, any car could be picked up with a crane and placed on a flatbaed, or dragged onto a flatbed, or some other way removed.
Well it just so happens my nephew's 2005 was stolen. The insurance agent told him they consider the Prius "unstealable" but never underestimate the power of a flatbed with a winch, tow truck, or even any vehicle with a dolley. In spite of all the advances of technology, brute force still works surprisingly well. That being said, the Prius is a difficult target for any thief because of it's small size (which also has a connotation of value as well), unique styling that makes it stand out, and the small size of the engine compartment making it more difficult to "work on" as well as the advanced electronics where something more than a lock breaker is needed. In short, the Prius is just not a drive away theft.
basically what everyone else said... you have to bypass 3 computers to get the car to start.. if i remember corrently anywyas.. so.. no.. they havne't been stollen I'll let you know if the repo guy can flatbed it without destroying the HSD i'll try not to.. but.. if it does happen.. i'll let you guys know.
Aside from the flatbed approach, I heard of one instance of theft. This is one of those stories that neither the city, date, nor person that is known, but it's still plausible. A person went to a large party and left their stuff, including the fob, on a table near the entrance. Somebody just grabbed the fob and kept pushing the "Unlock" button until a car acknowleged it. It may or not may be true, but it's another way a Prius can be stolen.
ha ha that's too funny, I ran a scrap car bussiness for 5 years and my motto was "no wheels no problem" Paid my bills for 5 years.
Did they ever find it? Do they have any theories as to WHY someone would steal a Prius? I guess they'll steal anything, but its hard to believe there's that much market for the parts, other than the HID's!
Nope, never found. The insurance agent was thinking that maybe they got a jack under the car so a tow truck driver could clear his pickup dolley. He didn't set his parking brake so once the front wheels cleared, up it went. The parts are always worth more than the car. He also had package 6 so his HID lights were probably a big target. Word of warning: even though he got package 6 and the used prices are very high, he only got $20K from the insurance company. He learned a valuable lesson - get a lawyer and have them deal with the insurance company. But he's young and in the Navy so he didn't perceive what was going on until too late.
Locks and alarms (and imobilizers) are designed to keep the amateurs from damaging the property. If the thief knows what he is doing you can't afford to keep him from stealing the car.
