Theft Prevention?

Hey guys, while I'm waiting for my 4Runner to arrive I am getting increasingly concerned about theft prevention.

In my area Toyota and Lexus SUVs in particular are often targeted and the poor Toyota security is fully exploited to steal vehicles by signal relaying or even old-fashioned lock picking +reprogrammed key. Highlanders appear to be more popular targets but I do not want to take chances with my T4R.

I know you can turn the fobs off so they do not emit signals, and you can get faraday pouches, I plan on doing both (turning off key and putting it in a pouch) every night but really want to do more. I do not want my 5th gen stolen after waiting so long for it arrive.

Other measures, steering wheel locks, brake locks, boots, OBD port locks, tracking devices... I know the adage "if they want it they will take it" but I want to go for maximum protection for reasonable day-to-day practicality. Any experiences or suggestions?

 

POP A CAP!!!
JK, multiple camera system, cops be here in three minutes, only one way in and one way out.. And they have drones in case they run...

 

And I have a sign up that says “Smile your on Camera”!!!

 

But they could just cut the power/coax and they are disabled... Glad my crap isn’t worth anything.

 

If someone really wants to steal your 4runner, their going to steal your 4runner, No matter the steps you take. However you can deter less determined theifs from your vehicle by adding a few cameras in the driveway that are visible, a well lit parking area and parking in your driveway or garage.

 

You can get a pretty decent alarm system installed for just a few hundred bucks. Pretty cheap insurance considering the value of the truck.

 

I like Furiosa's security system.

 

Totally get this but with enough resources someone could just airlift it with a chopper but I am aiming for a multi-layer approach to reduce relative risk to near 0%.

Layer 1 - Passive - Statistically even with a 4Runner in a high-theft area the chances are still relatively low just based on statistics
Layer 2 - Active - Deactivate Key and/or Faraday pouch - Eliminates relay attack method

Looking for at least 1 or 2 more layers to basically make the theft either more trouble than it's worth or buy maximum time and increase risk for thieves (turn a 1 minute quiet heist into a 25 minute, noisey, liable to get caught shitshow).

I'm not a huge fan of trackers or measures that aid in recovery, at this point the vehicle is already gone and they offer zero deterrence, which is what I want to go all-in on. Overnight theft is the only kind I am really concerned about so I wouldn't need to install/remove all the stuff everywhere I go, just once a night.

A car boot is just way too cumbersome and over the top. It would reduce risk of theft to basically 0%, even if it was a Ferrari or Rolls Royce but putting this on every night and taking it off would be a major pain.

Steering wheel locks like The Club get a bad rap but a lot of people swear by them and even police sort of endorse them as they work to some extent. To defeat it a thief would either have to saw or bolt through the club itself or the steering wheel, which I am not convinced can be done that quickly or quietly.

That said they can be defeated within 4-5 minutes if the thief is persistent and me and my neighbors are in way too deep of a sleep.

This leads me to brake locks. This looks actually pretty effective if a bit cumbersome. I do not see a "gone in 60 seconds" thief bring a power saw and crawling down there to cut this off. Any experience with these or similar measures?

https://www.amazon.com/Blueshyhall-...ywords=brake+pedal+lock&qid=1618155724&sr=8-2

Finally I want to find an easy-install OBD2 port lock but this seems to be really hard to find from my google searches. It might be a bit redundant with the brake lock but it would be more or less "once and done", you'd only take it off for service appointments.

 

I could not see myself installing that brake pedal lock everyday, it would be a pain.
Two separate hidden switches for ignition kill and fuel pump kill would stop all but the tow truck thief.

 

Yeah I know what you mean but it's not any harder than a bicycle lock if you think about it. If a $1000 bike is worth 30 seconds I figure a $50K truck is worth 35.

 

If you get a Sprint Booster, they have a pedal lock feature that disables the accelerator until you enter a 3 digit code.

Not sure how hack-proof that is, but it seems like a nice feature if you were going to go with a product like this in the first place.

 

thinking of going more low-tech than high tech. most of the organized crime style thefts are not done with guys carrying around powersaws or drills. combination of the club and the brake lock should be a sufficient pain in the ass I think.

has Toyota built in any sort of tracking capability with 2020 or 2021 models? something called vehicle finder through the app?

 

I moved as far away from Mexico as possible. Working great so far!

 

I highly doubt someone is going to target your 4R to the point of get to the choppa.

 

Or you could just take normal precautions and have a good insurance policy. Much less stress that worrying so much about theft.

 

Of course it will be insured but the concern is this - I am waiting 3 months or so to get the T4R. If it's stolen that's what? Another 3 month wait without any vehicle? Plus I won't have much of negotiating position by taking a bus to the dealership. This is what I want to avoid.

 

Are you from Ottawa Canada?

 

Not sure what else we can add OP.
Seems like you already know what you want and every other suggestion you get you seem to shoot down.

 

It's called comprehensive insurance coverage. Get it and stop worrying.

 

It's not about the money, I'll tell you that right now. I have to wait 2-3 months while my T4R is still being asembled in Japan due to the lack of inventory everywhere.

Say this get delivered and subsequently stolen. I'd be taking the bus for another 2-3 months putting another order in with Toyota. That's a major PITA. For that reason I really want to do everything within reason to not be a victim.

 

So what’s the plan if your 4Runner gets to totaled in an accident ? You have comprehensive/ collision with rental reimbursement. Same thing if it’s get stolen comp buys you a new one you do the rental until you buy one. There’s not really a difference. All you’re doing at this point is worrying about a less than 5% chance of something actually happening and spending time that could cause you more harm than good. In a clear stated mind that brake lock may not be bad. But in an emergency do you want to have one more thing to try and do before you can get out of dodge should the need arise.

 

get yourself the trunk monkey

 

I did not realize there was that much crime in Ottawa. Sorry to hear that. My Dad grew up there and I remember seeing the Parliment buildings and touristy sites and always seemed safe.

 

I hear you it's a bit irrational to overthink it but it really is a problem in my area. The brake lock looks difficult to defeat. Turns a 5 minute job into a 45 minute job at least. Most thieves would probably book it and look for another.

 

It's not local crime though, it's organized crime out of Montreal. They will drive 2 hours to Ottawa, patrol high-end neighborhoods and steal 5-6 vehicles in an hour and drive back to Montreal and put them in shipping containers bound for Nigeria.

 

What about buying a “beater car” for everyday use and keep your 4R locked up for weekend trips/events where it’s “safer”.

 

If I had a garage there would be no need for this thread.

 

This was a dumb comment in the first place.

Now after hearing the OP lives in Ottawa, it's even dumber.

 

In Detroit you find people leave their pitbulls in their vehicle with the window cracked of course. This seems dissuade your average thief.

Or you could get nasty snake like in the movie “Gone in 60 seconds”.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm5RHhqTeF4

 

The brake lock isn't any good if the thief gets it started he could just use the e brake to get far enough away to cut off the brake lock.