Auris Catalytic Converter Theft Solutions - Catloc, etc

[cb2]

21 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Yes, still on originals. Not that the tealeafs would know till they look underneath, and I wouldnt know if they can tell then Maybe.

I'm told by a local mechanic that it's easy to tell if it's an OEM cat just by looking at it.

Not sure if you saw the cctv footage I posted in an earlier post on this thread, but it took the guy 3 seconds at night with a torch to figure out they wanted mine:

Auris Catalytic converter theft Part 1 - The checkout

 

[Catlover]

42 minutes ago, cb2 said:

I'm told by a local mechanic that it's easy to tell if it's an OEM cat just by looking at it.

Not sure if you saw the cctv footage I posted in an earlier post on this thread, but it took the guy 3 seconds at night with a torch to figure out they wanted mine:

Auris Catalytic converter theft Part 1 - The checkout

Yes I did look at your videos, amazingly quick.

[Catlover]

8 hours ago, cb2 said:

I'm told by a local mechanic that it's easy to tell if it's an OEM cat just by looking at it.

Could it be they were looking underneath to see if a lock plate was fitted, maybe with security bolts. That must make it longer to try to remove and more noise. They seem to be time driven. Slow them down and they may move on to do someone else’s car.

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, Catlover said:

Could it be they were looking underneath to see if a lock plate was fitted, maybe with security bolts. That must make it longer to try to remove and more noise. They seem to be time driven. Slow them down and they may move on to do someone else’s car.

That’s the whole point of having a plate fitted. They are not scared by anyone as witness or intervention, however their cars are loaded with tools and stolen cats at least a couple of catalytic converters at £100-£200 even more each., if they get caught by the police  the lost for them will be huge, therefore they must act fast. Fitting plates, covers and anything should be bolt on only! Do not do home made welding, wires etc as if you need a work done from a garage they may refuse or charge a lot more for the extra time required to remove any device. Here is my job, nice and easy and security lock available if the car goes for any repair in a garage. 

[Catlover]

Could do with a polish Tony. 😀
I going to be under mine every week giving it a polish....... oh er, my nose is suddenly growing longer.

[TonyHSD]

6 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Could do with a polish Tony. 😀
I going to be under mine every week giving it a polish....... oh er, my nose is suddenly growing longer.

I do actually😂, pictures are from last winter and you know me, my car travels a bit on motorways 👍

[cb2]

Quote

Could it be they were looking underneath to see if a lock plate was fitted

It's possible. When they did my neighbour's, they had an Auris Hybrid and a Prius standing in the driveway. They looked at the Auris first. Saw it had a plate fitted and then looked at the Prius saw it had nothing and took it. Possibly the same gang that hit mine - the guy with the baseball bat seems a common denominator.

[cb2]

Quote

That’s the whole point of having a plate fitted

I've always been curious - assuming the car was parked away from houses and they had enough time, what's to stop them cutting the plate bolts off with an angle grinder? Are they hardened bolts or just regular mild steel?

Also, are the holes where the plate bolts in already present in the chassis or do they have to be drilled and tapped?

[Gerg]

Just as background, if you didn't know already, the names for the catalyst protection metalwork can be a bit confusing, not least because as the shape and attachment points for the various devices vary a lot, as does the costs to supply and fit.

The cheapest unbranded protection plate I have seen is from eBay, and sells for £20 plus £13 postage.  This is a simple near-rectangular plate that is drilled to fit underneath the two existing substantial chassis plates to attach to the car, as per TonyHSD's pictures above (his were probably £30, they are slightly more elaborate).  These plates are attached with 19mm headed bolts from the factory, and two of these can be substituted for locking wheel bolts, which conveniently are the same size as some popular wheel locking bolts made for other brands of cars.

The official Toyota item is sold at cost, I believe (£250).  I don't know exactly how these attach, but some conical security nuts are used, which are visible in the photos I've seen.  I believe Toyota have contracted a catalyst security specialist to design and make their product.

As others have said in the past, given the time and ,er , privacy, then with a cordless angle grinder and cordless saw even the Toyota official Catloc has been removed, but it is very rare indeed.

I'm just a regular owner, but I don't think that I would have a problem differentiating between a genuine and a pattern exhaust when looking under the car.  The silencer shapes are quite distinctive.

HTH

 

[Parts-King]

1 hour ago, Gerg said:

Just as background, if you didn't know already, the names for the catalyst protection metalwork can be a bit confusing, not least because as the shape and attachment points for the various devices vary a lot, as does the costs to supply and fit.

The cheapest unbranded protection plate I have seen is from eBay, and sells for £20 plus £13 postage.  This is a simple near-rectangular plate

 

The better products such as the ones supplied by Catloc are made of a high grade stainless steel which is hardened and uses one time use bolts, so a little more difficult to take off/cut open. Nothing will stop the person with time on their hands, but if it appears more difficult to get to they will move on to the next one 

 

[Gerg]

30 minutes ago, Parts-King said:

The better products such as the ones supplied by Catloc are made of a high grade stainless steel which is hardened and uses one time use bolts, so a little more difficult to take off/cut open.

That's useful to know, that's the first time I've seen that written down!

[Parts-King]

Catloc use Marine quality stainless steel. Marine quality SS has added Molybdenum which toughens steels and has high corosion resistance (well it would do being marine quality)

[TonyHSD]

All good answers here. The best protection IMO is to de Badge the car and make it look as non hybrid, second comes plate, lock and the last one which I believe is useless is alarm with tilt sensors as thieves are seen helping themselves while alarm is going off and nobody pays attention or wants to intervene. If they have time they will take it one way or the other. 

[Parts-King]

Fine for early models, but not later models with LIDAR, you must NOT remove the front Badge on these models

i am not sure it is worth the effort anyway, these scroats know what they are dealing with and can suss out a Hybrid in seconds 

[citycash]

So here is an update regarding the theft of the catalytic converter from our January 2019 Toyota Auris Tourer

Friday 11th September 2020

"My wife took her elderly friend for a birthday treat at a local pub Friday 1tth September. This is in a nice rural village just outside of Lichfield Staffordshire.

Just over an hour later she drove away from the pub and as the car was in EV mode the engine didn’t kick in until she was half way down the road and then the inevitable roar of the exhaust brought her quickly to a stop"

Wednesday 18th Novemebr

So after a wait of 10 weeks, yes 10 weeks we finally received the car back from Steven Eagell Toyota with a New Toyota Catalytic Converter duly fitted on Friday 13th November 2020.

From the outset our insurers, Direct Line have been quite helpful, we were provided with a hire car but as we had taken out the minimum cover for hire car this was only free for three weeks and we upgraded because the basic policy only allows for a small car.

After three weeks we returned the hire car but Steven Eagell at Tamworth kindly provided us with a nice Aygo courtesy car FOC , whilst at the same time requesting some support from Toyota GB. So it came as some surprise when a few days alter I received an email from Farmer and Carlisle at Leicester informing us the Toyota were going to provide us with car. So a few day later we received a brand spanking new Toyota CH-R Hybrid with only delivery miles, which was to be made available to us  until 31st of December this year. So even though Toyota GB do not believe this this theft epidemic is of their making, at least  they helped us with some of the burden of car hire.

I must at this point thank Steven Eagell in Tamworth as they have been very helpful at all times and a particular BIg Thanks to Macenzie in service reception for the way that she has managed our situation, certainly a credit to the branch.

So we took the option of having the Tilt Alarm fitted but declined the CatLoc Plate as it doesn't seem to offer much protection at a cost of £250 and I've read numerous cases on the web where Cats have still been stolen despite the CatLoc plate which seems to be relativity easy to remove.

Which now gives us the dilemma of owning a car which we know is vulnerable to attack yet we have no defence to protect our nearly (OTR Price) £29,000 investment and this really means that the car is unusable, due to the fact that we could once again fall victim to the loss of another catalytic converter, which would be unbearable , so the only option is to take another person to sit in the car when it is unoccupied and also means that it must be garaged over night

I have heard about metal plates on eBay etc but I have no way of fitting this myself, so I contacted an eBay business that offers the supply and fitting of a steel wire cage plus the option of a plate at cost of £250 + Vat. Mr CarMax 53-55 The Gardens, behind the Tesco Express, Harrow HA1 4HE. So Tuesday 17th November I paid a visit to Mt CarMax and went for the fully loaded wire cage and plate option. The whole job took around two hours. After the drive home I can confirm that the job is very satisfactory and no noise rattles from the installation.

I would also mention that I spoke with a sales manger at a Toyota main dealers, that told me that they have been fitting the tilt sensor and CatLoc to all used cars prior to sale and factoring the cost to the purchase price for the last 18 months after they themselves had four stolen from their forecourt in one week. What a pity that Vantage Toyota who sullied the car and indeed Toyota GB didn't think to do this. If all used car in circulation were fitted with these mods, then this epidemic theft of converters would virtually dry up.

As the car is only 18 month old it will be quite a few years before we are ready to buy another car. But next time I wont follow my  beloved Toyota brand so blindly.Whilst my love affair with Toyota has been quite strong fro the last 30 years, I now feel as though I have been cheated for a friend or colleague so I will be less trusting of the World Biggest car Maker.

So anyone thinking of buying Auris Hybrid, Fantastic car, I really do think that. Just make sure that it has been protected ageist cat  Theft,

[Steve Whits]

On 11/18/2020 at 4:50 PM, citycash said:

As the car is only 18 month old it will be quite a few years before we are ready to buy another car. But next time I wont follow my  beloved Toyota brand so blindly.Whilst my love affair with Toyota has been quite strong fro the last 30 years, I now feel as though I have been cheated for a friend or colleague so I will be less trusting of the World Biggest car Maker.

It's not an issue that only affects Toyota.  It's any vehicle at all but hybrids are the main target. Any hybrid is a worthy target in the eyes of the thieves. Try and make the car anonymous by removing the hybrid badges (not the front  one on yours though).

It sounds as if your dealers have gone out of their way to make sure you're well looked after - I can definitely say you wouldn't have had that service from Ford!

[FROSTYBALLS]

At the end of the day, any security measures taken to deter cat theft are only a deterrent - they won't guarantee to prevent cat theft.

It isn't only a couple of Toyota models which are affected by cat theft  - some Hondas, Audis, SUV's, vans (especially the Mercedes Sprinter), are as well. Also cat thefts have been fairly well publicised in the media over the years, so they are no secret.

No manufacturer is going to change the design of what is now an obsolete model - and Toyota are no different. As regards used cars and the fitting of cat theft prevention devices, it is down to the individual selling dealer as to whether they upgrade the cat protection and then charge the customer for the upgrade - not the manufacturer.

Cat thefts are only one of the risks that owners, whether Toyota or otherwise, may face. For example weaknesses of smart entry systems are a major flaw in thousands of cars across a wide variety of makes - and you don't see manufacturers upgrading these systems in used cars. So perhaps a measure of reality needs to be considered.

[citycash]

On 11/23/2020 at 3:46 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

No manufacturer is going to change the design of what is now an obsolete model - and Toyota are no different. As regards used cars and the fitting of cat theft prevention devices, it is down to the individual selling dealer as to whether they upgrade the cat protection and then charge the customer for the upgrade - not the manufacturer.

Toyota were aware of this problem while the car was in production

They are known as recalls, If it was track rod end or steering joint, or a cruise control issue, companies such as Toyota have and will continue to spend millions to rectify these issue. I spoke with Direct Line and I was told that if this was safety issue , then insurance companies would force manufacturers to put things right due to large claims that could arise.

I would also mention that I spoke with a sales manger at a Toyota main dealers, that told me that they have been fitting the tilt sensor and CatLoc to all used cars prior to sale and factoring the cost to the purchase price for the last 18 months after they themselves had four stolen from their forecourt in one week.

So if Toyota were to take an initiative to get existing owners a deal and Reto-Fit the required protection items and to ensure that ALL used cars on main dealers stock to have tilt sensor Alarm and CatLoc fitted before being offered for sale, then this issue could be virtually eliminated.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

The DVSA recall system is for safety related issues, and it isn't the insurance industry who force manufacturers to begin a recall. DVSA will investigate reports from owners, etc on possible safety issues if there are sufficient reports to start the process. If an issue is found to be safety related, DVSA will announce the recall. If the issue isn't safety related or there are insufficient reports to start investigations, no further action is taken.

Stolen catalytic converters aren't safety related.

Whether or not dealers fit security devices to hopefully protect the cats on cars they sell is their choice, and the dealer you say are fitting them, is passing the cost onto the purchaser.

Toyota have already taken action to help owners who are at risk of cat theft from their cars -  reduced the cost of replacement cats, had Catlocs designed for specific models at risk, had production of these increased to help with demand, and introduced a standard cost for the supply and fitting of Catlocs.

Having said that any security device is just a deterrent - it won't prevent a determined thief from stealing or damaging a car already fitted with such a device.

Toyota aren't the only manufacturer affected - Audi, Honda, Mercedes are, to name just a few.

[TonyHSD]

Yet again in the news. 
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-9079033/The-latest-car-crime-spread-UK-2021.html

[Auris James]

4 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Yet again in the news. 
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-9079033/The-latest-car-crime-spread-UK-2021.html

It's all rather worrying. I have done what I can, what with eBay cat plate, filling over bolts. De-badged. If they have time or just vandalise the car in spite. Not much more you can do.

Tilt alarm waste of time as ignored. Even if you hear it what do you do? Confront them and get bashed as they are tooled up. If you bash them you'll be arrested. There is no answer except better resources for the police and Council inspections of all scrap yards.

Not going to happen. The older Toyota hybrid owner left with the issue and no sign of anything getting better.

A re-design will not happen. Only option to sell if regularly victim of theft.

I wouldn't claim as want to keep my insurance low, and not pay increased premiums for years to come through no fault of ours. 

I'm not sure why Toyota couldn't provide bait cars and try and find out the main crime gang leaders.

James👍 

[TonyHSD]

We made a claim once and even they counted as our fault the premium didn’t go up more than usual every year . We found better quote elsewhere and went for it. I personally will go for the insurance if only genuine Toyota part is fitted otherwise would be a diy project. 

[Auris James]

5 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

We made a claim once and even they counted as our fault the premium didn’t go up more than usual every year . We found better quote elsewhere and went for it. I personally will go for the insurance if only genuine Toyota part is fitted otherwise would be a diy project. 

At least the premium didn't rocket or future insurance declined.

Have heard if an aftermarket cat, car can use more fuel or can put EML light on. I would go genuine and if happened twice probably buy some old banger instead, or just keep my 1996 Volvo 940.

They may well steal the cat off that though. At least with the age can fit an aftermarket, non type approved cat prior to 2001. In 2016 cost me £55 when I replaced the exhaust. BM cats. Hope it never happens.

James.👍

[Rav4ster]

Manchester area. Last night a friend of mine got the cat converter  stolen from her Auris (about 400 meters from our house). She did not have catlock. Our Auris has and we are on the side road, checked CCTV and no attempt was made. She called the police and they we not interested at all, asked if anyone was hurt and just gave a crime reference number. She asked if anyone is coming out and was told no, because they have no available officers to investigate low value crime and more likely there will be no evidence left behind. Understand that it might be unfair to the stretched police force, but when you see amount of police officers doing the covid restrictions patrols / road blocks, it makes you think that it is far easier to fine people for breach of covid restriction, then to prevent actual crimes.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Aside from policing the Covid restrictions, I would imagine the Police forces are down on numbers through officers being off work having contracted Covid, having to self isolate, in some areas providing support to paramedics (eg driving ambulances), etc.