Security recommendations for a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sp?

EmmaTrower · September 21

Hello fellow Lexus NX owners,

We recently bought a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sport edition panoramic edition.

What security recommendations do you suggest for a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sport edition?

We are getting an obd tracker fitted soon by our local Lexus dealer, we disable the keys with the lock button and double clicking the unlock button.

We were also thinking of parking the car so that the front of the car is facing a wall or confined space to stop thieves from canbus attacks.

We don't have CCTV for our home, nor a dash cam.

What security recommendations do you recommend?

LenT · September 22

4 hours ago, EmmaTrower said:

What security recommendations do you suggest for a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sport edition?

Well while you’re waiting for an NX300h owner to come up with any model specific ideas, here are a couple of general suggestions.

Apart from the very sensible ideas you already have, I wouldn’t dismiss the more obvious. A steering wheel lock such as the Milenco is a very visible deterrent - and second only to the considerably more expensive Disklok in its effectiveness.

A dashcam front and rear is an essential. They are not just security aids; they resolve insurance claims and provide supportive evidence in the event of a traffic incident. It should be wired so that it goes into Parking Mode when the ignition is switched off.

Should you consider CCTV for your Home, I can recommend the Eufy products. Car and catalytic converter thieves tend to target likely vehicles. So although they may balaclava up for the actual job, they try to be less obvious when driving around and thus easier to spot.

In any case, no thief is going to enjoy being lit up by security cameras! And I’ve seen video footage of unmasked intruders reaching up to cameras to push them away - but not before they’ve just provided a perfect full face shot!

You could check that all the car’s glass is security etched - and make a record of the number. Likewise the catalytic converter can also be security marked.

I hope this helps!

WhiteHart · September 22

I would recommend having a Ghost fitted.

PCM · September 22

I still think the Trunk Monkey is the way forward...for car security.

Toyota Owner · September 22

5 hours ago, WhiteHart said:

I would recommend having a Ghost fitted.

I would recommend spending slightly more & getting a Pandora alarm / immobiliser professionally fitted - the alarm warn away should persuade the thieves to go away if they attempt to gain access to carry out CAN invader theft.

RONNIE W HODGEKINSON · September 22

14 hours ago, EmmaTrower said:

Hello fellow Lexus NX owners,

We recently bought a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sport edition panoramic edition.

What security recommendations do you suggest for a Lexus NX300h 2021 Premium Sport edition?

We are getting an obd tracker fitted soon by our local Lexus dealer, we disable the keys with the lock button and double clicking the unlock button.

We were also thinking of parking the car so that the front of the car is facing a wall or confined space to stop thieves from canbus attacks.

We don't have CCTV for our home, nor a dash cam.

What security recommendations do you recommend?

Steering Wheel lock.. DB2 Tracker Which monitors where the car is 24/7 Ring CCTV..Camera Where Car is Parked..So When anybody comes near your car YOU KNOW ABOUT IT... Locked and Alarmed Garage if Available Faraday pouches ( 2 ) to Prevent Relay Theft..All these things i have Mentioned are RELATIVELY inexpensive Considering what you Spent Buying the Car BTW The small DB unit connects to the 12v Battery and also gives you Daily Reads on the current 12v Battery AND Hybrid Battery..Great little Gadget..!!! Ps i Assumed you had a Locked Garage..!! Cheers And Hope that Helps..!!

Lauren Hill · September 23

Hi Emma,

I am a sales rep for Scorpion Automotive (also know as Scorpion Track) and we currently run an offer with the LOC forum, which is available to all members.

From someone who deals with stolen vehicles everyday, many of them being Lexus (varying models!) I would definitely recommend a product to prevent the vehicle from starting initially, then adding additional layers such as trackers, steering/wheel locks after this to act as a visible deterrent.

We offer a product called the 'Scorpion X-Series' which is a pin sequence immobiliser that works on the CANBUS, so it is great for electric and hybrid models. This immobiliser requires you to enter a pin sequence inside the vehicle before it will allow you to drive. The pin sequence uses the existing buttons in the car (such as steering wheel/window buttons) which need to be entered in a certain order (you will choose the pin, ranging from 2-16 digits). Having this immobiliser fitted, will protect your car against key cloning and key theft - as even if your vehicle key is stolen or cloned, the pin will still need to be entered to allow the vehicle to drive.

A common way of Lexus theft is by plugging in a device via the left headlight which allows access to the CANBUS system, where they are able to start the vehicle and drive it away. Having a CANBUS immobiliser installed, protects your vehicle against this kind of theft, as even if this is done, the pin will need to be entered on the vehicle.

You can also add a tracker which will benefit you with 24/7 monitoring, live tracking via an app and more features. This means you will receive alerts if your car is towed, or if your Battery is disconnected!

If you would like to have a chat regarding your security options further, I'd be more than happy to. Just let me know and I can give you a call 🙂

LenT · September 23

18 minutes ago, Lauren Hill said:

I am a sales rep for Scorpion Automotive (also know as Scorpion Track) and we currently run an offer with the LOC forum, which is available to all members.

Full marks, Lauren, for presenting a very good sales pitch for the Scorpion system. I’ve always liked the concept of this form of immobiliser. No thief is going to enjoy sitting in a car which maybe is just turning over but refuses to start!

An opportunist might persevere but a professional would probably recognise the presence of an immobiliser - and might then walk away. The problem is that the latter may well have already preempted the possibility and damaged the wing to attack the CANbus.

Personally, I don’t think my nine-year old Lexus is under threat. But I wonder if it might be better to advertise the fact the the Lexus in question is protected by the Scorpion system - allegedly impervious to a CANbus attack - or let the thief discover this after inflicting the damage?

In other words, are you sufficiently confident in the System’s invulnerability to announce the fact that the car has one installed?

Apart from which, why is this system better than a considerably cheaper, concealed dead switch that isolates the fuel pump?

Toyota Owner · September 23

2 hours ago, Lauren Hill said:

From someone who deals with stolen vehicles everyday, many of them being Lexus (varying models!) I would definitely recommend a product to prevent the vehicle from starting initially, then adding additional layers such as trackers, steering/wheel locks after this to act as a visible deterrent.

There is a video currently doing the rounds of a RAV4 after a second theft attempt, an aftermarket immobiliser stopped it being taken but the owner will now need a new steering wheel as the thieves cut through it twice to remove the steering lock that was fitted as a visible deterrent before finding out they couldn't drive the vehicle away.

LenT · September 23

21 minutes ago, Toyota Owner said:

There is a video currently doing the rounds of a RAV4 after a second theft attempt, an aftermarket immobiliser stopped it being taken but the owner will now need a new steering wheel as the thieves cut through it twice to remove the steering lock that was fitted as a visible deterrent before finding out they couldn't drive the vehicle away.

This seems to be an argument for clearly announcing that an effective immobiliser is also fitted - provided, of course, the manufacturer is confident about its ability to resist further attack.

Perhaps some manufacturer will back up their confidence with an insurance scheme offering compensation should their product be defeated?

RONNIE W HODGEKINSON · September 23

2 hours ago, LenT said:

Full marks, Lauren, for presenting a very good sales pitch for the Scorpion system. I’ve always liked the concept of this form of immobiliser. No thief is going to enjoy sitting in a car which maybe is just turning over but refuses to start!

An opportunist might persevere but a professional would probably recognise the presence of an immobiliser - and might then walk away. The problem is that the latter may well have already preempted the possibility and damaged the wing to attack the CANbus.

Personally, I don’t think my nine-year old Lexus is under threat. But I wonder if it might be better to advertise the fact the the Lexus in question is protected by the Scorpion system - allegedly impervious to a CANbus attack - or let the thief discover this after inflicting the damage?

In other words, are you sufficiently confident in the System’s invulnerability to announce the fact that the car has one installed?

Apart from which, why is this system better than a considerably cheaper, concealed dead switch that isolates the fuel pump?

Exactly len..Spot On..!!!

Toyota Owner · September 23

37 minutes ago, LenT said:

This seems to be an argument for clearly announcing that an effective immobiliser is also fitted - provided, of course, the manufacturer is confident about its ability to resist further attack.

In the RAV4 video doing the rounds it can be clearly seen an aftermarket immobiliser is fitted as there is a non standard / aftermarket unit fitted in to the dash with red LED flashing away to the right of the steering wheel.

LenT · September 23

23 minutes ago, Toyota Owner said:

In the RAV4 video doing the rounds it can be clearly seen an aftermarket immobiliser is fitted as there is a non standard / aftermarket unit fitted in to the dash with red led flashing away to the right of the steering wheel.

My Lexus already has a red flashing light that comes on when the alarm system is set. I’d be delighted if there was any chance that it might be regarded as an aftermarket immobiliser - but I was really thinking of something simpler and less ambiguous, such as Warning Stickers!

Toyota Owner · September 23

3 minutes ago, LenT said:

but I was really thinking of something simpler and less ambiguous, such as Warning Stickers!

Which most thieves just wont see in the dark so pretty pointless.

LenT · September 23

1 hour ago, Toyota Owner said:

Which most thieves just wont see in the dark so pretty pointless.

Fortunately, Lee, professional car thieves don’t generally work in the dark. Most new - and newish - cars are stolen to order, for parts or for export. So rather than driving around aimlessly hoping to chance across the exact vehicle they’re looking for, they reconnoiter their patch and identify a target.

They then check out the location for security systems and log the pattern of occupancy to determine the best time for the hit. This is why owners sometimes report more than one attempt over the course of a few days. If such thieves are initially disturbed, they hate to waste all that effort and so return for another attempt.

Having liberated the vehicle from its owners, they more often than not drive it a few miles away to an isolated location and wait a few days in case it has a tracker.

A Warning Sticker will have been noted at the start of this process. What they think of that depends on how much the car’s worth to them and whether they’re prepared to take the risk that it’s a fake warning.

If they believe the existence of, say, a Scorpion and it’s as good as Lauren suggests, then it depends on how much they want the car. They may decide that it’s no longer worth the risk and effort.

At worst, they’ll consider turning up with a trailer and transporting the car to a safer location - and then on to a garage.

The kind of thief who wouldn’t notice a Warning Sticker would undoubtedly notice a bright yellow Milenco steering wheel lock - and would probably lose interest at that point.

Mind you, cars have been recovered and thieves identified because an internet enabled dashcam wasn’t spotted!

At the other extreme, there is a school of thought that maintains that if your car is sufficiently valuable, organised gangs may well break in and threaten the owners until they get the keys. Or even lie in wait for the car - such as when the driver returns home and gets out - and then highjack it.

In which case, many security systems are simply bypassed!

RONNIE W HODGEKINSON · September 24

23 hours ago, LenT said:

This seems to be an argument for clearly announcing that an effective immobiliser is also fitted - provided, of course, the manufacturer is confident about its ability to resist further attack.

Perhaps some manufacturer will back up their confidence with an insurance scheme offering compensation should their product be defeated?

Great idea Len...!!!!!! Never thought of That..!!!!