Attempted Theft of RX450h Headlight or was it trying to steal the Car

[RayBrown]

I had 4 people on my driveway at 3am last Monday trying remove the front passenger side my headlight.

They pulled back the wheel arch trim and then pulled the bumper back. This gave them limited access to the engine bay where they disconnected the headlight. Fortunately the alarm went off and they scarpered. I heard the alarm and looked out the front but saw nothing wrong. I assumed it was the weather causing the alarm so I just turned it off. It wasn't until the morning when i was going out that i saw the damage and only when I started to drive did I notice the headlight was disconnected.

Some people advised that headlights are being stolen because they can cost a lot to replace, others say they may have been trying to get to the wiring to start the car and steal it.

Anyone else had any problems with theft of their headlights or car theft via the wiring?

Interested to hear other views on the possibility of stealing the car after accessing the wiring?

 

[DavidCM]

From watching a few security videos of RX thefts,it sounds more like an attempt at stealing your car.

[CT200h-TL]

They were trying to steal the car. Watch this:

https://youtu.be/c0P4tVT7PRg

[Harrier Man]

Sadly, there have been several thefts of the NX and other Lexus/Toyota vehicles this way. It's called a Can-bus attack and the thieves get access to the bus using the left-hand headlight wiring.

[Mr Vlad]

So much for technology. Its designed to help us but its the worst because it works against us. Hope your insurance doesn't fob you off against repair costs. 

[Spock66]

1 hour ago, Mr Vlad said:

So much for technology. Its designed to help us but its the worst because it works against us.

It's the design that's flawed, not the technology itself.

I strongly suspect a software upgrade could be developed to prevent this particular attack, but I doubt it will ever be provided retrospectively to existing vehicles.

[Mr Vlad]

Yes Andrew you're correct. I was just generalising. 

As for retro fit. Air suspension. The type where by flicking a switch the car drops to the ground leaving no space in the wheel arch.

[Ala Larj]

This is interesting:

https://www.autodefence.co.uk/starline-can-bus-immobiliser.html

[ColinBarber]

2 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

This is interesting:

https://www.autodefence.co.uk/starline-can-bus-immobiliser.html

I'd recommend a Ghost immobiliser over Starline just so you aren't supporting a Russian company.

Either way, unless you have a visual deterrent then they only get to find out they cannot steal the vehicle after they have caused damage to it.

[Mr Vlad]

Yes it's a shame not to trust a Russian company. Some of the world's ultra best tech folk are Russian with a minority hating the Russian government 

[RayBrown]

12 hours ago, DavidCM said:

From watching a few security videos of RX thefts,it sounds more like an attempt at stealing your car.

Wow, I never knew they could do that.

They must have been novices and set the alarm off by mistake

[RayBrown]

7 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

So much for technology. Its designed to help us but its the worst because it works against us. Hope your insurance doesn't fob you off against repair costs. 

Fortunately the damage is limited to broken clips.

I've managed to push the bumper and wheel arch trim back ok but its a bit loose.

Local bodyshop suggested sticking it back with araldite as a simple cheap solution. I think I'll do that as it will make it harder for thieves to rip it off in future

[Harrier Man]

Quite a few people have reported being woken by a loud bang (caused by the wheel arch liner being broken away and/or the bumper, depending on the model and the thieves) but have gone back to bed falsely thinking all is well as their car is still on the drive. Later, if the scene is quiet, the thieves can come back and steal the car without making much additional noise. I suspect it takes quite a lot of initial force, hence the alarm going off and the load bang. personally, I wouldn't araldite the liner in, could cause more problems in the future.

[Hillie]

13 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

I'd recommend a Ghost immobiliser over Starline just so you aren't supporting a Russian company.

Either way, unless you have a visual deterrent then they only get to find out they cannot steal the vehicle after they have caused damage to it.

Another option I have been looking into and comparing to the Ghost solution is 'Scorpion Automotive'    UK Based,  located Chorley,  Manchester.  I have a Scorpion S5 Tracker installed on my Audi.  No compliants with this.

https://scorpiontrack.com/vehicle-immobiliser/

 

 

 

[VFR]

13 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yes it's a shame not to trust a Russian company. Some of the world's ultra best tech folk are Russian with a minority hating the Russian government 

Yes that Starline looks to be a good piece of kit and would be my choice if I decide to have one fitted. 

[Mr Vlad]

WOW Scorpion alarms still in existence. Back in the 80's they were the best of the best.

[Hillie]

20 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

WOW Scorpion alarms still in existence. Back in the 80's they were the best of the best.

I just had a good conversation with their support team and they confirmed the Scorpion X Immobiliser would prevent the vehicle being started in the event of the CAN BUS attack via the headlight mentioned in this thread.   After my chat with them I am favouring a very attractive discounted deal with the Scorpion X immobiliser and S5 Thatcham Approved Tracker.

 

[Huwge]

Do they arrange fitting or is that down to you?

[Hillie]

7 minutes ago, Huwge said:

Do they arrange fitting or is that down to you?

They arrange this for you if you place the order on line through their approved installer network and it is included in the price as stated on the web.

 

[Spock66]

26 minutes ago, Hillie said:

They arrange this for you if you place the order on line through their approved installer network and it is included in the price as stated on the web.

May be worth checking if this has any impact on the Lexus warranty.

[ColinBarber]

20 hours ago, Spock66 said:

May be worth checking if this has any impact on the Lexus warranty.

No point having a warranty on a car that has been stolen.

In any case the warranty cannot be withdrawn because you have made a modification, only if the modification causes a fault. In the worst case you would have to remove it to prove it wasn't the cause of the issue but normally you would just disable it.

 

e.g. with Relax the warranty doesn't cover:

Damage or defects caused by modifications of the original vehicle design or the installation of certain accessories, the vehicle no longer complies with the minimum standards set down by the manufacturer;

[Mr Vlad]

Oooooh there's a lot of 'get out' clauses there for the warranty supplier. 

[Nigel-Lexus Owner]

For less than £900 which is the cost for 5 years subscripsion, this is £180 a year or £15 a month. If your car is worth over £20K, this is a great way for a peace of mind:

 

https://www.trackershop-uk.com/scorpiontrack-s5-plus-gps-tracker.html

[ColinBarber]

On 1/23/2023 at 11:33 AM, Spock66 said:

May be worth checking if this has any impact on the Lexus warranty.

To further add to this, in the Lexus mag. they talk about security and make this specific point below, which they wouldn't do if it caused warranty issues:

Secure your port

Every new car sold in the UK since 2003 has been equipped with an on-board diagnostic port. Abbreviated to OBD, this port is a computer connection that allows the car to communicate messages about its mechanical health to an authorised technician. Unfortunately, thieves have discovered that with special equipment they can use this OBD port to programme blank keys to work with the car.

For this reason, some owners choose to secure their OBD port with an aftermarket lock. Typically, this can either be a lockable metal box that covers the port itself, or an electronic lock that works alongside the original immobiliser to disable the port when the ignition is off.

 

https://mag.lexus.co.uk/car-security-advice-and-tips

[RayBrown]

On 1/25/2023 at 5:12 PM, ColinBarber said:

To further add to this, in the Lexus mag. they talk about security and make this specific point below, which they wouldn't do if it caused warranty issues:

Secure your port

Every new car sold in the UK since 2003 has been equipped with an on-board diagnostic port. Abbreviated to OBD, this port is a computer connection that allows the car to communicate messages about its mechanical health to an authorised technician. Unfortunately, thieves have discovered that with special equipment they can use this OBD port to programme blank keys to work with the car.

For this reason, some owners choose to secure their OBD port with an aftermarket lock. Typically, this can either be a lockable metal box that covers the port itself, or an electronic lock that works alongside the original immobiliser to disable the port when the ignition is off.

 

https://mag.lexus.co.uk/car-security-advice-and-tips

I got advice from Lexus that suggested this action, but the OBD is accessed fro inside the car.

If the car is locked then I assume the thieves are messing t-with the headlight wiring loom to simply open the car to access the OBD?