Best anti-theft strategies for Yaris without engine immobilizer?

[JBougie]

Originally Posted by Zaphod

This is good advice.

I also generally keep it clean and unlocked too, something I learned while driving a Jeep with a soft top which you can pretty easily unzip to get into anyway.

The way I figure it, if you see something you like take it. Just don't break my windows :)

I know quite a few car thieves (I am a criminal justice major and do a lot of volunteer work in the field) and a thief will break into a Toyota before a Corvette if they are simply looking to steal stereos/change/whatever is laying around. Why? Because they are the ones less likely to have a really good security system. So parking next to a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc. will not actually stop them from breaking in.

Keeping everything out of sight or locked in the trunk is a good idea- if a thief doesn't see anything (and I literally keep everything out of site even with my tinted windows, back in school I knew kids who would bust out a window for a pack of cigarettes) they probably aren't going to waste the time breaking in.

[Zaphod]

Originally Posted by JBougie

I know quite a few car thieves (I am a criminal justice major and do a lot of volunteer work in the field) and a thief will break into a Toyota before a Corvette if they are simply looking to steal stereos/change/whatever is laying around. Why? Because they are the ones less likely to have a really good security system. So parking next to a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc. will not actually stop them from breaking in.

Keeping everything out of sight or locked in the trunk is a good idea- if a thief doesn't see anything (and I literally keep everything out of site even with my tinted windows, back in school I knew kids who would bust out a window for a pack of cigarettes) they probably aren't going to waste the time breaking in.

I don't know, I'd run with the top down on the TJ near constantly and I never got it stolen. But I did keep a club on the steering wheel in questionable areas and it was a manual transmission.

Good thieves are just going to use a tow truck anyway and they aren't going to steal a Yaris when there's a BMW right next to it. Of course most idiots are going to pass on a car with a MT and a club. And usually even the most cross eyed drug addict is going pass on breaking the window on a car with nothing in it (I have actually physically seen the exception to this rule in action once ).

That's why I usually leave the doors unlocked, in hopes that they don't break the window to find out there's nothing in there. In neighborhoods where the Yaris is a coveted vehicle because everyone knows the crack dealer down the street will cap you if you try to steal his ride ... well I generally try to avoid, but if I have to I lock everything and pray to Jesus