Protecting your Yaris from Car Thieves ?

[edmscan]

To make a long story short .. my Yaris just got broken into.

The good thing .. they left the car (I do love my Yaris so was happy about that). They just ransacked the car .. and as far as I can tell they stole nothing cause I leave little for them to take and have a "Club" on my car. I cannot even tell how they got in.

So .. how do you protect your Yaris ?

What would you recommend I do to protect it and have the thief go to my neighbors car ? * They actually did .. a few days after, her steering column was destroyed but the car was left behind in pieces.

My landlord just improved the lighting in the area .. so that is a good thing, as that was at the recommendation of the local police.

I am thinking a led light that would blink to indicate the installed alarm and just hope they go someplace else. I do not want them to damage anything .. so deterrence is the thought here.

[Betrivent]

I would just say be mindful where you park it.

Where in Edmonton are you? I'm on the south side and I don't ever fear for my car.

[edmscan]

I would just say be mindful where you park it.

Where in Edmonton are you? I'm on the south side and I don't ever fear for my car.

That's funny ... I am in Oliver and as this is a high crime area, I am a sitting duck. It is not if but more of a when .. and why I want to just get them to decide to pick on my neighbors car. Kidding.

One of the issues, there is no auto theft unit here anymore and the police are too busy to investigate anything unless your car is actually stolen, so the thieves etc know their chances of getting caught are slim.

[Betrivent]

Your 07 should have a factory immobilizer.. around the ignition cylinder should be a black plastic ring. If you see one, then your car should be fine from being stolen. With regards to making your car less of a target, leave literally nothing inside it.

I'm down across the Whitemud from Southgate. Fun to know somebody else is in Edmonton with me! If you ever need help with anything shoot me a PM.

[edmscan]

Your 07 should have a factory immobilizer.. around the ignition cylinder should be a black plastic ring. If you see one, then your car should be fine from being stolen. With regards to making your car less of a target, leave literally nothing inside it.

I'm down across the Whitemud from Southgate. Fun to know somebody else is in Edmonton with me! If you ever need help with anything shoot me a PM.

No factory immobilizer .. it was not available in 2007 from what I was told, but is in all the 2008's and newer. My Yaris is "virtually" fully loaded. I remember looking up the immobilizer thing before. I wish I did have it though.

And yes .. I do not leave anything of huge value in my car and no personal documents or anything else they could be looking for.

[Betrivent]

Might be worth your while to install an aftermarket one then. I had one installed years ago in Vancouver.

[edmscan]

I am thinking about it .. as I do not want a remote starter, just an alarm with a LED as a deterrent.

I did see a motion detector I can mount in my car .. in case someone is in the Interior of my car. Cost .. $25. Range of 300 ft to the alarm module which would go off in case of motion inside my car.

The only drawback .. that someone would have to have broke in for that to work. I would like to deter them from picking my car in the first place.

[bronsin]

So .. how do you protect your Yaris ?

.

The Yaris is self protecting to a certain extent because no one would WANT to steal a Yaris like they would want to steal a Honda.

I leave nothing in the car anyone would want to steal.

I leave the drivers door unlocked. This lets the potential thieves enter the car and determine nothing valuable to them is in it. Thus there is no need for them to smash a window and enter.

If they want to steal the car locking the door wont deter them. My wifes Accord was stolen in front of our house 10 years ago and it was locked. Thanks to my neighbor who heard the slap hammer removing the ignition lock the police arrived just as the thieves drove off. They declined to chase the crooks and just put the car on the stolen list. We got the $3000 blue book value of the car from the insurance company. Of course we lost a working car we kept in repair that had 150k on it.

A year or so ago thieves entered every car they could in our neighborhood including mine. I keep a credit card in the drivers side low storage area and they did not find it. They entered the passenger glove box which they strewed on the floor but found nothing. My license registration etc was in the drivers glove box which was undisturbed. I believe they never knew about the drivers glove box which is unusual so that's why I put stuff there.

[bronsin]

PS I do NOT recommend a club. The steering wheel can be sawn to remove it.

Also, no one wants to steal a Yaris. They theft risk is low.

At least in NJ!

[bairjo]

You can always not worry about theft and take the approach these guys do,starting at the 1:23 mark....just a thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LARx7M9s15w

[edmscan]

The Yaris is self protecting to a certain extent because no one would WANT to steal a Yaris like they would want to steal a Honda.

I leave nothing in the car anyone would want to steal.

I leave the drivers door unlocked. This lets the potential thieves enter the car and determine nothing valuable to them is in it. Thus there is no need for them to smash a window and enter.

If they want to steal the car locking the door wont deter them. My wifes Accord was stolen in front of our house 10 years ago and it was locked. Thanks to my neighbor who heard the slap hammer removing the ignition lock the police arrived just as the thieves drove off. They declined to chase the crooks and just put the car on the stolen list. We got the $3000 blue book value of the car from the insurance company. Of course we lost a working car we kept in repair that had 150k on it.

A year or so ago thieves entered every car they could in our neighborhood including mine. I keep a credit card in the drivers side low storage area and they did not find it. They entered the passenger glove box which they strewed on the floor but found nothing. My license registration etc was in the drivers glove box which was undisturbed. I believe they never knew about the drivers glove box which is unusual so that's why I put stuff there.

I agree with somethings but would not be practical here at all.

After talking to the police, several things .. this is what they said.

Leave nothing of value visible in your car.

Good lighting.

They will steal a Yaris but they are not popular here, I do not see many of them on the road. He said it would not be a target, but they sure will break in to steal anything of value. He said .. they will do what they need to do, and no car is safe from that. The big thing is deterrence.

I will keep my club and doors locked. If I left a door open .. I would undoubtedly come out to a ransacked car or worse every week. I have no doubt about that. I think that you live in a better neighborhood than I do .. would not even consider doing what you are doing. A credit card .. recipe for disaster. I leave no documents of any type in my car.

In my car, they checked EVERY hiding spot .. nothing was untouched. I do not leave anything ... but a ham radio in my car. It is just in front of the driver in the little compartment. That is not valuable .. as you need to be a ham to use it, and has no value in the pawn shops or on the street. They could likely not sell it.

The police said .. "they will not touch a car with a club, they will just steal your neighbors car". I tend to agree.

My landlord improved the lighting now after my car's incident and my neighbors. The police said .. "the best thing we can do is improve the lighting".

[bronsin]

The police would be a good source of info...

[nookandcrannycar]

The Yaris is self protecting to a certain extent because no one would WANT to steal a Yaris like they would want to steal a Honda.

:laugh:


the police arrived just as the thieves drove off. They declined to chase the crooks and just put the car on the stolen list.

Nice :rolleyes:.

[nookandcrannycar]

Edmscan, sorry to hear about your break-in :frown:.

[CoryM]

Bloody thieves.

Parking in well lit spaces is very important. Thieves hate lights. I used to live in a low-crime city, but because all the alley-ways and many streets were unlit, break-ins were very common. My understanding is there are two types are car theives: those who want the car, and those who break into as many cars as possible on a street and move on.

May want to pull out your cargo-cover and make it obvious there is nothing in the car. Flashing LED may help, but they tend to knock on the car to see if it has an alarm prior to breaking in (most alarms are set to chirp when jostled).

[MadMax]

I agree with somethings but would not be practical here at all.

After talking to the police, several things .. this is what they said.

Leave nothing of value visible in your car.

Good lighting.

They will steal a Yaris but they are not popular here, I do not see many of them on the road. He said it would not be a target, but they sure will break in to steal anything of value. He said .. they will do what they need to do, and no car is safe from that. The big thing is deterrence.

I will keep my club and doors locked. If I left a door open .. I would undoubtedly come out to a ransacked car or worse every week. I have no doubt about that. I think that you live in a better neighborhood than I do .. would not even consider doing what you are doing. A credit card .. recipe for disaster. I leave no documents of any type in my car.

In my car, they checked EVERY hiding spot .. nothing was untouched. I do not leave anything ... but a ham radio in my car. It is just in front of the driver in the little compartment. That is not valuable .. as you need to be a ham to use it, and has no value in the pawn shops or on the street. They could likely not sell it.

The police said .. "they will not touch a car with a club, they will just steal your neighbors car". I tend to agree.

My landlord improved the lighting now after my car's incident and my neighbors. The police said .. "the best thing we can do is improve the lighting".

I agree with everything except with the claim that a club will deter anyone other than an honest person. They are easily defeated and won't slow down a determined car thief one bit.

I don't worry too much about my Yaris as 1) they aren't a highly sought-after car in this part of the world and 2) this is Texas, anyone stupid enough to try and steal a car knows some lead may be flying their way for their trouble!

Plus, what gets stolen around here more than anything are pick-up trucks; and most get wrecked down along the border before the owner knows they are gone!

Heck, I also drive a Jeep Wrangler, and regularly don't have the top, windows or doors on it. Nothing gets left in it that I can't live without, and oddly in the past seven years nothing has ever been stolen from it that I knew about (some spare change may have gone missing, but that could have been from offroading!).

I always keep full insurance on all my vehicles. Living in south-central Texas, that's a smart idea. Too many uninsured drivers and no vehicle is completely theft-proof; but one thing I learned a long time ago is that worrying about something does nothing to change the situation. Do your best to make your Yaris as uninviting as possible (mainly, don't leave anything of value in it, park it in a well-lit and if possible, well traveled area and always lock your doors) and pray for the best!

Cheers! M2

[nookandcrannycar]

I don't worry too much about my Yaris as 1) they aren't a highly sought-after car in this part of the world

:thumbsup: In the back of my mind when Bronsin writes about the scant likelihood of someone wanting to steal a Yaris.

and 2) this is Texas, anyone stupid enough to try and steal a car knows some lead may be flying their way for their trouble!

:laugh::thumbsup: Just one of the MANY reasons I love Texas :thumbsup:.

[edmscan]

Edmscan, sorry to hear about your break-in :frown:.

I was extremely lucky .. my car only got ransacked. My neighbors car was trashed and towed away. Oh yea .. we are not allowed to throw lead here.

But tonight .. some guy was breaking into a garage here, turned into a 4 hour tactical event. It was crazy. At one point .. the thought was he was trying to hot wire the car and ram his way out. There were probably 40 police officers surrounding the place. He was not going anywhere. The only reason it happened .. cause the like "TOP COP" in the city responded and no one would dare say no to him.

But .. normally you cannot get a cop to respond to a theft from vehicle here. Very different than the US I hear.

The police officer I spoke to .. said "They are not interested in your type of car" .. and I do still believe in the Club, as it is enough of a deterrent for them to go elsewhere.

I am over all happy that the lighting is vastly improved ... I think that will help the situation. Oh .. my house alarm is on the way too.

[MadMax]

As folks say around here, "Don't mess with Texas!"

Not saying the police react any better here for vehicle thefts, but given the right to defend ones self and property, it's not the police the thieves have to worry about!

Some people say it's just a car, but it's not, it's MY car! And if some knucklehead wants to try and steal it from me, the risk their life doing so. Trust me, it's a deterrent!

Honestly, I would expect a security system would work better than a club given the latter's ease of defeating.

Either way, it sucks that anyone would have to worry about their property like that...

[attrapereves]

^^ Same here in Missouri. Attempted car theft is grounds for catching a bullet from my Glock.

That being said, I usually leave my door unlocked overnight. There is nothing valuable in my car, so I'd rather them poke around without having to break a window.

[edmscan]

I found a solution to my problem.

A car alarm is over $500 so that is not going to happen, as it would only piss off my neighbors when it goes off ... and will not wake me up.

So .. I am a ham (amateur) radio operator and I am going to do what I do best. Yes ... a discrete very covert FM transmitter which will transmit any audio from the area / inside my car. Not sure how I will do it. But I will work out the details.

I only need a range of like 75-100 feet if that, so I should be fine. I have lots of radios, so this is an easy one.

Sleeping with a radio beside my bed at night ... loud so that I may wake up. Being on the phone with police while I go and investigate.

I live in Canada so no shooting them, but I can always make their lives miserable when I catch them in the act.

[Yaristeve]

A car alarm is over $500 so that is not going to happen, as it would only piss off my neighbors when it goes off ... and will not wake me up.

I haven't felt the need to install an alarm in my cars for years now but if I ever feel it is necessary, I plan to install the siren inside the car. Perhaps even one of those "pain generator" sirens...

[Idahotom]

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

[Kar98]

^^ Same here in Missouri. Attempted car theft is grounds for catching a bullet from my Glock.

That being said, I usually leave my door unlocked overnight. There is nothing valuable in my car, so I'd rather them poke around without having to break a window.

I had a 84 Rabbit GTI once, and for months I parked it on the street with the driver's door unlocked because the lock was broken. I finally got around fixing that and sure enough the next damn day somebody had busted out the window to steal the Kenwood deck I got for $40 from a pawn shop. The deck that had been in there unprotected for months.

[edmscan]

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

Would never happen here, unless you were looking to lose your car.

I live in Canada we cannot harm the criminals. They have more rights than we do. So .. leaving my car unlocked or anything else is not an option. That is just looking for trouble, and my insurance would likely deny my claim if I was to leave my car unlocked.

My insurance company required me to "keep my theft prevention device (aka Club) on my car when I am not in it .. 100% of the time. That includes going to 7/11 for 2 min"

The reason .. if you do not protect your car, it will disappear. People leaving their cars running in the winter unattended is a huge issue, and they do disappear.

[nookandcrannycar]

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

I love Idaho. I stayed in Spirit Lake for about a week last summer. Explored CDA, Spirit Lake, Athol, Sandpoint, Hayden, Newport WA, etc. My previous visit was way back in 1999 (Southern Idaho on the way to Yellowstone and then Montana...then CDA, then Spokane, and then a week visiting friends in Lewiston, ID. There are only 10 U.S. counties (other than the one I live in) that I'd likely consider living in (two more in TX, two in FL, two in TN, two in WA, and two in NV) and Spokane is one of them, re proximity to Idaho.

[nookandcrannycar]

I live in Canada we cannot harm the criminals. They have more rights than we do.

:laugh: IMO, it's too bad that more states aren't like Texas, and to some extent Arizona, Idaho, etc. I've heard a few people in Texas, in the past, refer to the difference between the Castle Doctrine in Texas vs. the California equivalent as "The California Apology" :biggrin:.

[NEexpat]

I saw you mentioned the interior motion sensor alarm already. (you can use a wireless driveway alert alarm for $20, so i've been told, don't know if it really works or not, seems like it might.)

The only things I can think of are ARMED ALARM decals, Optional Image-of highly poisonous reptile poised to strike. and dummy flashing interior LED as potential deterrents. I'd still get the motion sensor alarm.

Curious though, are you more concerned about them breaking in and stealing stuff or breaking in and stealing your car? Get a kill switch. Perhaps your insurance company will ease up on the club business then. Again get the motion sensor alarm.

Good luck, let us know what you do.

[edmscan]

I saw you mentioned the interior motion sensor alarm already. (you can use a wireless driveway alert alarm for $20, so i've been told, don't know if it really works or not, seems like it might.)

The only things I can think of are ARMED ALARM decals, Optional Image-of highly poisonous reptile poised to strike. and dummy flashing interior LED as potential deterrents. I'd still get the motion sensor alarm.

Curious though, are you more concerned about them breaking in and stealing stuff or breaking in and stealing your car? Get a kill switch. Perhaps your insurance company will ease up on the club business then. Again get the motion sensor alarm.

Good luck, let us know what you do.

I am not that worried about them stealing my car .. it is a Yaris and there are many more desirable cars out there. That is what insurance is for. The only benefit if they steal a Yaris .. they may not have to stop for gas.

But .. in a criminal flight when police start chasing them, that 0-100 km/s (0-60 mph) in about 11 seconds will not get them too far.

[sheekeebut]

Clean, empty car keeps most opportunity thieves away. Not too clean, or he'll wonder what that Yaris is hiding. Leave something like a half-full (empty?) soft drink cup in the holder, or a pine tree air stinkener hanging on the mirror. Maybe some fast food napkins stuffed in some pockets.

But nothing more. No loose change, no aftermarket stereo faceplates of ANY value, no brand name clothing, backpacks of any size full or empty, no electronics. That includes no wires, no car chargers and no stereo accessories, like remotes and (shouldn't be) exposed wire, especially if it runs to the trunk. Thieves LOVE that. Etc.

I always thought of the club as an invitation for getting picked on, like that kid who wore the blurry printed "sight for sore eyes" shirt in school.

[edmscan]

I found this interesting ...

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/22/are-you-about-to-buy-the-new-car-thieves-love-most.aspx

In summary ...

The most-stolen new car: Toyota Yaris, 11.93 thefts per 1,000 vehicles
Toyota's (NYSE: TM ) Yaris is so popular with car thieves that it's pilfered at nearly twice the rate of the second-place Mazda 6, but you might be shocked to learn that Toyota's new car is stolen at twice the rate of older Camrys -- the 365 Yaris thefts in 2012 were over 1% of the model's annual sales of 30,590, but Camrys from 1989 through 1991 (the most commonly stolen model years) only disappeared at the rate of 5.63 cars per 1,000. The Yaris has also topped British car-theft lists, with one out of every 244 Yaris models insured through Confused.com reported stolen between 2004 and 2011.

Unlike the third- and second-place finishers, the Yaris does not come standard with anti-theft features such as keyless remote starters or immobilizer systems that might impede less-savvy thieves. Toyota's overall popularity makes this comparatively low-tech car an easy target for its components, which can be hacked off and sold to dodgy repair shops for use in fixing other Toyota models.

[bronsin]

Hmm interesting!

But is that 300odd thefts of 2012s or 300odd thefts of ALL the Yari ever sold?

[edmscan]

Hmm interesting!

But is that 300odd thefts of 2012s or 300odd thefts of ALL the Yari ever sold?

It says ... 1% of annual sales. So 1% of the 30,590 (this is probably averaged). The math adds up.

[bronsin]

Wow I wouldn't have believed it. I think what it really comes down to is do you live in a high crime area...

[edmscan]

Wow I wouldn't have believed it. I think what it really comes down to is do you live in a high crime area...

Those are American statistics, not where I live. I live in Canada.

And yes .. myself I do live in a high crime area. That is cause ... my city is the gateway to the oilsands in Alberta. Well with the price of oil in the toilet, the poor are well desperate, and looking to steal whatever they need to .. to get their next meal etc.

I am not worried about the real professional car thief, you will not stop those people. It is the "desperate other ones" that you have to worry about.

[nookandcrannycar]

:laugh: IMO, it's too bad that more states aren't like Texas, and to some extent Arizona, Idaho, etc.

:thumbsup: Including Missouri (see post #20).

[nookandcrannycar]

Well with the price of oil in the toilet, the poor are well desperate, and looking to steal whatever they need to .. to get their next meal etc.

It is the "desperate other ones" that you have to worry about.

What about what is variably known in Canada as 'social assistance'/'income support'/'income assistance'/'welfare assistance'/ and 'welfare ? Is it not adequate enough in Alberta to allow for meals?.....So hard to get that these desperate people don't bother?

[edmscan]

What about what is variably known in Canada as 'social assistance'/'income support'/'income assistance'/'welfare assistance'/ and 'welfare ? Is it not adequate enough in Alberta to allow for meals?.....So hard to get that these desperate people don't bother?

No .. the money they give you would not even pay the rent of my apartment. And judging by this thread .. I do not live in a great neighborhood.

So .. it is definitely not a get out of jail free card. But I know that some people have really learned to work the system .. and are on "assistance" for virtually their whole lives.

I think that the myth is that everything is free here and paid by the taxpayer. But .. that may have been the case at one time, but I think the reality now is that more is being done with less as governments particularly here are dealing with major financial issues.

EDIT .. this is a bit misleading. Things are not really how I described it, you just never know the true reason why people are criminals. But .. there are resources for people, homeless shelters and food banks for those that need them. Me .. I would just like to sit down with the person that breaks into my Yaris .. to find out why ? That is before .. I gently hand him over to police, cause I cannot harm him here .. otherwise we could be in the same police cell.

[Mikastef]

Try to install a car GPs, a cheap android mobile GPs and hide it well in the car, or one of the best advice I have learnt is that you must always try to park ur car in a safe place.. Eg. Near security camera, in proper lightning etc.. This kind of habit will prevent lots of theft

[pesho]

Hi to all


To give some light on the topic :P

There are three main types of thief's. The first one are very poor people usually alcohol and/or drugs addicted. They brake the windows of the car and get what they can reach and carry, sometimes they open the car doors and make quick search and run as fast as they can, so called hit and run type. The second types are the guys that steal more expensive and difficult to reach or remove things, like expensive radio systems, amplifiers or even car modules. Those guys tend to disarm the car alarm systems if it has and open the car nice and quiet, so they have time to remove the stuff they want. And the third ones steal the entire car.

To protect yourself, as everybody here said and I will repeat the best thing to protect your car from damage is to use good and well lighted place to park and do not keep in the car valuable thing and bags, even if they are not visible, loosing expensive thing is not pleasant, but the broken window will be covered/replaced by the insurance.

Nothing can protect you from the first type! If they decide to robber your car they will do it!

The second type, are scared from light and alarms, they try to disarm the alarms. What they do is... everybody knows that when the alarm is activated the turn signals are flashing yellow, so they break or melt the plastic and brake the bulb. After they brake the bulb they short the bulb leads and just activate the alarm. What happens is... the alarms have fuse to protect the car wire harness from fire, but that fuse usually supply and the alarm with power(some alarms have two separate fuses) and when the alarm go on the fuse blows and the alarms is disarmed. Another method I know they do, is to take the risk and open the car hood and cut the power with cutters or just silence the siren with can of construction foam that they spray inside the siren. Some have a remote copying devices DIY. They just wait you to open your car with your remote and they catch the code and then used it to open the car and disarm the alarm. That why some alarms have "hopping codes".

The third one are like the first one if they decide to get the car they will tow it if it necessary. If you put a GPS...the GPS is using the cell network to send the location and there are plenty of GSM/GPS jammers for 60$.

The best thing against stealing car is to cut some essential wire some were and add a hidden switch, for example the wire for the fuel pump or the wire that is on the spark plugs high voltage coil or the wire of the ECU.
The idea is to not use a standard thing, because when is standard they can get it or find the drawing and exploit the weaknesses of such systems.
The minus of the key system is the inconvenience of the switch and if is not done good after 1-2 years make problems.

And as Somebody said before me, don't leave the car running at winter time and go for cigarettes or coffee, when you return there will be no car.

If you putting an alarm system look to have 2 fusses, siren, bright LED, two zone shock sensors and RF sensor and hopping code. Some systems have remotes with feedback, but I personally don't like them, the remote is big and heavy and the battery not last long!

I hope that info to be useful to somebody:P

[bronsin]

Interesting but didn't you just tell potential criminals how to disable alarms?:iono: