Cat Guard On RX450h

[K44MLU]

Hello i am new to lexus and just bought the RX450h 2017 model - any of you have installed a CAT guard on your vehicles? - any recommendations? Lexus is looking north of £400 to supply and fit this. is getting any aftermarket recommended?  

[08ISF]

Hi,

I have a 2016 RX450h and, concerned about cat thefts in our area, I challenged the local dealer's service manager about Lexus' response. The information I got in reply , over a series of questions and answers was:

1. The Gen 4 RX primary cats are in the engine bay and hence not that accessible for theft.

2. There is a secondary Cooler  cat device located under the floor of the drivers seat which is used for "advanced engine heating" what ever that is.

3. Lexus "are unaware of the RX450h being targeted at present which is due to the Cat containing less precious metal than the RX400h. With this in mind, there is currently no locking device in development "

This was in March this year so if your dealer was now offering a fix, perhaps the position has changed.

Does anyone else know any different?

 

[royoftherovers]

A great post Graham. Very informative.

[katabrontes]

Having looked at a few other posts on this topic since it appears that as cats are stolen by cutting them out with an angle grinder it is hard to see how any type of cat guard would prevent this.   Looks to me like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist ( ie stopping removal of the cat with a spanner)

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, katabrontes said:

Having looked at a few other posts on this topic since it appears that as cats are stolen by cutting them out with an angle grinder it is hard to see how any type of cat guard would prevent this.   Looks to me like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist ( ie stopping removal of the cat with a spanner)

I think the idea is that the noise and time it takes to first get through the guard before having the cat accessible means they would just target another vehicle.

If the vehicle was parked in a secluded area then nothing is going to stop them.

[katabrontes]

As I understand it it's only a cable.  The cut on the pipe just needs to be slightly further apart to clear the brackets fitted to the cat.  A few more seconds shouldn't spook someone who is prepared to cut through two ends of an exhaust with an angle grinder!

[ColinBarber]

39 minutes ago, katabrontes said:

As I understand it it's only a cable.  The cut on the pipe just needs to be slightly further apart to clear the brackets fitted to the cat.  A few more seconds shouldn't spook someone who is prepared to cut through two ends of an exhaust with an angle grinder!

depends on the type and vehicle. This is the type Toyota are fitting to the Auris:

[katabrontes]

Understood Colin.  This looks much more substantial than the CatLock I have seen which didn't have any underguard like this one.

[Topcatz13]

If you do decide to put one on make sure is not aluminium like the one I had below. I am also looking now to find a stainless stell one which should be more resistant

The below was cut in front of my house during the day and none of the neighbours heard anything.

 

I do have a 400h though not a 450.

Good luck.

[Herbie]

31 minutes ago, Topcatz13 said:

If you do decide to put one on make sure is not aluminium like the one I had below

Now that's quite interesting as aluminium, being a soft metal, is usually more difficult to cut than stainless because it clogs up the teeth of the cutting blade.

Ideally, any guard should really be made from something like titanium.