sorry another security question

[george72]

Seasons Greetings everyone!

 

I have been following various threads on the increasing number of ES300 thefts and have become a little paranoid around the safety of my own MY23 which i have had for about a year. Like many of you, i  have also thought about selling the car but, given the amount of depreciation in its first, i cannot justify the additional expense of changing my car at the moment. 

So the question is, what do i do to keep my car a little more secure? I have been looking at Steering locks and not sure whuch one would be best suited to the car so any recommendations would be very much appreciated indeed.

 

I did look at the stoplock that some members have mentioned but not sure if i need the Pro or the Pro Elie?

[Spock66]

I think electronic security such as Ghost is a better option, many of these steering locks offer little protection as the thief simply cuts through the steering wheel causing even more damage.

[eightk]

The ultimate solution is an insurance approved tracker and immobiliser - I have a scorpion on mine - no fob, no start. Downside is it’s invisible so the bumper and so on would be in pieces and the thieves inside the car before they realise it can’t be moved without a tow truck.

Steering lock is a very good and very visible deterrent too.

[ColinBarber]

1 minute ago, eightk said:

Steering lock is a very good and very visible deterrent too.

Steering locks are virtually no deterrent to organised crime.

[eightk]

25 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Steering locks are virtually no deterrent to organised crime.

I completely agree but we’re kind of stuck with what’s on offer - either use cheap visible deterrents which can be removed with grinders etc, or fit immobilisers and so on which will theoretically stop the car being stolen but don’t show any signs they’ve been fitted. I suppose belt and braces is the best option.

The perfect solution : Lexus remove their vehicles from the top ten of the stolen car market. Recall all affected cars, add immobiliser or wholesale change of the canbus system (retro fit of immobiliser is probably cheaper and quicker). Simples. Thieves realise the cars anre unstealable, and move onto something else. Value and image of used Lexus increases, dealers can sell more, owners can get sensibly priced insurance again.
Downside : forum traffic goes down by several percentage points!
Over to you Lexus.

[IS300FSPORT]

Consider getting a metal plate fitted behind the passenger headlight, this will potentially stop them once they remove your wheel arch liner back, but if they are in a quiet car park it depends how much time they have on their side it will at least slow them down. Unfortunately, damage to the bumper & bodywork will still happen, though.

If possible, park close to a wall to reduce your chances of an attempt, making it extremely difficult for theifs.

If you're leaving the car unattended for a long time, remove the 12v negative cable from your Battery. It's located in the boot. This will mean you need to lock the car manually each door & *warning there is no alarm it just means no power to the car, making it impossible to drive away without being towed. Make sure you can get back into the boot though with your key. An alternative option is to remove a fuse/relay temporarily.

Bollards on your drive/wheel clamps/steering lock all can easily be cut off with todays cordless power tools, which just means more noise, which they obviously dont want.

The other options are a professional installed insurance approved alarm/immobiliser. 

[ColinBarber]

2 hours ago, IS300FSPORT said:

Consider getting a metal plate fitted behind the passenger headlight

Unfortunately Toyota has only commissioned plates for the RAV4 (charge owners £80 for fitting) or the RX (free fitting). They pretend that ES thefts aren't an issue and therefore haven't had plates made 😞 

[IS300FSPORT]

1 hour ago, ColinBarber said:

Unfortunately Toyota has only commissioned plated for the RAV4 (charge owners £80 for fitting) or the RX (free fitting). They pretend that ES thefts aren't an issue and therefore haven't had plates made 😞 

Yes i understand put perhaps all ES300H owners round up from this forum & nominate a lead to send a collective email copying everybody in, raise it as a concern to the Lexus head office to get their attention & request them to do something before going to the press.

Failing this surely can get them custom made plates from a reputable garage thats willing to do it. It will work out cheaper in the long run on insurance premium increase & the excess when a claim is submitted, etc

 

[george72]

 

22 minutes ago, IS300FSPORT said:

Yes i understand put perhaps all ES300H owners round up from this forum & nominate a lead to send a collective email copying everybody in, raise it as a concern to the Lexus head office to get their attention & request them to do something before going to the press.

Failing this surely can get them custom made plates from a reputable garage thats willing to do it. It will work out cheaper in the long run on insurance premium increase & the excess when a claim is submitted, etc

 

Great idea. 

Let's do this. Happy to support in whatever way possible. 

[Dippo]

If you do buy a Stoplock, you need the Pro Elite. The manufacturer's guide says the Stoplock Pro fits, but it doesn't - it fouls on the airbag/horn push.

[e-yes]

1 hour ago, Dippo said:

If you do buy a Stoplock, you need the Pro Elite. The manufacturer's guide says the Stoplock Pro fits, but it doesn't - it fouls on the airbag/horn push.

Just checked and there is also a Disklock brand available which covers the entire steering wheel. Appears to be e better deterrent than the usual steering lock. 
 

—E

[LenT]

10 minutes ago, e-yes said:

Just checked and there is also a Disklock brand available which covers the entire steering wheel. Appears to be e better deterrent than the usual steering lock. 
 

—E

The Disklok is probably the gold standard steering wheel lock.  Autoexpress described it as ‘virtually indestructible’.  I don’t think its ever succumbed to the ‘5 minute destruction’ challenge.  So I presume it’s not susceptible to simple lock picking. 

You can’t cut the wheel because it covers the entire wheel.  A thief would probably have to tow the car away to an isolated location and attack it with heavy machinery.  The only proviso seems to be that it is essential to get the proper size.  And it’s significantly more expensive than any of its rivals.

I had a couple of the earlier versions and they were a bit cumbersome to store, but easy to fit.  These days I - and some other LOCers - use a Milenco bar lock, which has also proved resistant to attack.

The Full Monty would be to couple one of these with a Ghost Immobiliser.  So having perhaps defeated the obvious deterrent, the thief still couldn’t get the car to start.  It would be time to move on to an easier target!

[Cs150]

I used a Disklok and found with the cover and careful fitting it did not mark the wheel at all. The storage case is also essential  as without it the thing can be a hazard and move around especially in the boot. As mentioned professionals can remove this but it remains the most secure steering lock on sale in the country. It is a pain though to keep fitting and removing and if done multiple times per day is likely to be seen as an inconvenience. If I were keeping an ES longer term would also fit a third party tracker and immobiliser and ideally place some stickers in the side front windows as a deterrent.  

[Spock66]

3 hours ago, IS300FSPORT said:

Yes i understand put perhaps all ES300H owners round up from this forum & nominate a lead to send a collective email copying everybody in, raise it as a concern to the Lexus head office to get their attention & request them to do something before going to the press.

I am sure Lexus are already well aware of the situation, they are just choosing to ignore it 😒

It has already been in the press with Lexus thefts up over 500% in the last two-years.

[e-yes]

15 hours ago, Cs150 said:

I used a Disklok and found with the cover and careful fitting it did not mark the wheel at all. The storage case is also essential  as without it the thing can be a hazard and move around especially in the boot. As mentioned professionals can remove this but it remains the most secure steering lock on sale in the country. It is a pain though to keep fitting and removing and if done multiple times per day is likely to be seen as an inconvenience. If I were keeping an ES longer term would also fit a third party tracker and immobiliser and ideally place some stickers in the side front windows as a deterrent.  

Hi Carl, What size did you select for the Disklock ?

I measured the steering diameter and following the slight outwards contour it measures just about 38cm, that would mean the Small size should be good even with the additional protective cover over the wheel ?

Thanks,

—E

[Cs150]

50 minutes ago, e-yes said:

Hi Carl, What size did you select for the Disklock ?

I measured the steering diameter and following the slight outwards contour it measures just about 38cm, that would mean the Small size should be good even with the additional protective cover over the wheel ?

Thanks,

—E

The small version of the Disklok fits the ES wheel perfectly even with the official cover, the first or second fitting notch on the Disklok both fit and secured it fine, on the second setting it was a little more snug against the wheel so I tended to use this one. The largest hazard with the Disklok is probably rushing to fit it as one wrong move has hard heavy steel hitting something that may cause a scuff. 

[beyond the blue]

Sorry for tagging another question to this thread rather then making a new one. After 3 years from new, do you loose the ability to track the car by the free Lexus link app? I intend to get a Ghost 2 immobiliser in the new year on my 2 year old ES and trying to work out if l should get a tracker system fit at the same time?

[e-yes]

So, I got the Small Disklock today with the protective steering cover.

Even at the tightest setting it is still not a snug fit but seems like it will not come off unless the thieves are prepared spend time on it. Hopefully it should be an effective deterrent.

Not sure I am prepared to commit to a Ghost (or some other) intrusive immobiliser due to warranty. Will confirm with the dealership when I bring the car in for service and MOT.

—E

[Guest]

3 hours ago, e-yes said:

So, I got the Small Disklock today with the protective steering cover.

Even at the tightest setting it is still not a snug fit but seems like it will not come off unless the thieves are prepared spend time on it. Hopefully it should be an effective deterrent.

Not sure I am prepared to commit to a Ghost (or some other) intrusive immobiliser due to warranty. Will confirm with the dealership when I bring the car in for service and MOT.

—E

I have bought a diskloc for use with whatever car I have in the future, I think it will deter some thieves but won’t stop the so called professional outfits. The problem with fitting a ghost or similar immobiliser is the damage which could be caused before they realise they can’t take your car. My stolen and recovered car has taken a couple of months to repair due to the damage to the headlight electrics. 

[Huwge]

13 hours ago, e-yes said:

So, I got the Small Disklock today with the protective steering cover.

Even at the tightest setting it is still not a snug fit but seems like it will not come off unless the thieves are prepared spend time on it. Hopefully it should be an effective deterrent.

Not sure I am prepared to commit to a Ghost (or some other) intrusive immobiliser due to warranty. Will confirm with the dealership when I bring the car in for service and MOT.

—E

It's not supposed to be a snug fit

 It's meant to spin on the steering wheel so there is less purchase on it for the miscreants to force it

[Brian R]

On 12/26/2023 at 2:45 PM, IS300FSPORT said:

If you're leaving the car unattended for a long time, remove the 12v negative cable from your battery. It's located in the boot. This will mean you need to lock the car manually each door & *warning there is no alarm it just means no power to the car, making it impossible to drive away without being towed. Make sure you can get back into the boot though with your key. An alternative option is to remove a fuse/relay temporarily.

Sorry for butting in, and apologies in advance if I am about to show my ignorance.

I've often wondered about whether the fuel pump relay or some other crucial relay could be replaced by a "Bluetooth" enabled device such that it deactivates if your mobile phone isn't in range. Would this be possible?

[beyond the blue]

12 hours ago, Derant said:

The problem with fitting a ghost or similar immobiliser is the damage which could be caused before they realise they can’t take your car.

But that damage would be done whether you had a ghost fitted or not.

[GMB]

This will do the trick

[wendle]

Another option is a metal bollard fitted in front of the car ( around £550 ), as others have stated the Ghost should  stop the car from being stolen but not the damage caused while trying.

Hopefully the bollard will act as a deterrent from trying to steel the car

A cheep tracker is to hide a apple air tag somewhere  on the car, remove the speaker first so they can't locate it, your have around 24 hours to locate your car before they are alerted that there is a air tag somewhere in the car and that's only if they have a apple phone

but as we all know there is always going to be a way round anything you do.

[wendle]

2 minutes ago, GMB said:

This will do the trick

Nope, a dozen  prime steaks should do the trick..lol...knowing my luck they will all be vegetarian