2006 RX400h stolen - immobiliser options for next old RX car

Marco Cunha · July 21

Hi folks, had my better half's 2006 RX 400h stolen this morning - they broke into her workplace, found where she kept her bag, stole the bag, then went to the public carpark nearby, and stole the car. This solved the problem of dealing with the stoplock pro elite lock I got for her, and the Faraday storage for the car keys. They were also smart enough to either turn off or Faraday cage her phone so there's nothing to ping. - it also tells you they knew which bag to get from the staff room.

She loved her RX, so I'm thinking of getting another RX [old one again - think 2008 to 2011'ish but willing to go more recent if required to find a compatible immobiliser], if this RX isn't recovered [which given how professionally this was done are good odds it won't be].

[Car's been found now]

I've searched around the forums, and read many of the threads on immobilisers - I had not considered fitting one before because the car wasn't listed as compatible for Ghost or Pandora [that I could find].

If anyone's fitted an aftermarket immobiliser on an old RX 400h/450h I'd love to hear your experience and any problems you've had. My mind is kinda bent on having an immobiliser and a tracker system installed on the next car, as a gift for the next "pro" that tries this scheme.

For anyone wondering whereabout this was, this was Newcastle area.

Feel free to PM me about this if you'd prefer to.

UPDATE: Car's been found [success!]. Still looking for community input but ideally suited for a 2006'ish RX 400h.

Edited July 21 by Marco Cunha
Car's been found.

ColinBarber · July 21

Glad the car has been found 🙂

What type of immobiliser are you thinking of? Anything with a fob would have been in her bag with the keys, and not sure something like a Ghost immobiliser would work on something as old as an RX400h.

I didn't think the 400h had a smart entry system, so there is no benefit putting the keys into a Faraday pouch.

Marco Cunha · July 22

Great questions!

I'm researching remote lock options for the car—phone app or GSM based. Her workplace lacks secure storage, but we're discuss it with them now to improve options for all staff on site.

The 2006 Lexus RX 400h has a key fob system [not keyless though]. Faraday cages are preventative really, but I'm looking into aftermarket immobilizers for added security. It won't prevent theft of keys and fob together, but it allows storing them separately.

This isn't foolproof, but if I can make the car unusable shortly after theft and track its location, it would be a teachable moment for the next unplanned car guest.

Third generation (AL10) models are supported by Ghost. I've asked Autowatch to confirm XU30 models are not supported [I expect a quick "nope"]. I know Pandora supports the XU30's though. I'll be talking to them for more details on how extensive that support is.