Lexus RX400h catalyst theft

Lexus RX400h catalyst theft

Author
Discussion

Dave Hedgehog

14,570 posts

205 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
R129 300SL said:
OP here.

Based in London as well.

Apparently Toyota / Lexus and Honda are the ones they are after for scrap value. They extract the precious metals from them. These makes apparently have very high quality cats.
you have to be registered to run scrap in now, and dealers have to log everything and can face big fines. A pile of cats would be extremely suspicious.



Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
R129 300SL said:
OP here.

Based in London as well.

Apparently Toyota / Lexus and Honda are the ones they are after for scrap value. They extract the precious metals from them. These makes apparently have very high quality cats.
you have to be registered to run scrap in now, and dealers have to log everything and can face big fines. A pile of cats would be extremely suspicious.
Doesn't seem to be stopping them, though. :/

Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
freenote said:
Unfortunately the police don’t care about this. The thieves are wearing balaclavas and have fake plates so cameras don’t help.
Spoke to a copper the other day about lads with knives around and causing problems and they said straight up that unless you’re in the process of getting stabbed they wouldn’t come down and to call 101 instead.
Tried to report my cat theft but can only do it online so I couldn’t be bothered.
Irony is that I paid for parking which pays for all the scameras etc around the area, on top of my £1000 a year for local business permit and still I get done.
Whole system is a joke. Sometimes I wonder why I play by the book.
Got a massive personal injury claim against my insurance as well from a a woman who walked into my car. The amount of lies and made up witnesses etc is a joke. However, it’s with the fraud dept and admiral will do their best not to pay out of course. Except that whether they prove fraud or not it’s still registered as a claim against me and increases my premium.

Rant over
I feel your pain. Hope the scammer gets done for fraud. I bet you have a new dashcam. biggrin

If I had my cat nicked, I'd probably only have it put in for MOT days and otherwise have a straight pipe. Unless XR want to pay for a new cat every few months.

bern

1,263 posts

221 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
R129 300SL said:
OP here.

Based in London as well.

Apparently Toyota / Lexus and Honda are the ones they are after for scrap value. They extract the precious metals from them. These makes apparently have very high quality cats.
you have to be registered to run scrap in now, and dealers have to log everything and can face big fines. A pile of cats would be extremely suspicious.
Doesn't seem to be stopping them, though. :/
Hmmm, if only you could find a bent scrap man?

Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
bern said:
Hoofy said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
R129 300SL said:
OP here.

Based in London as well.

Apparently Toyota / Lexus and Honda are the ones they are after for scrap value. They extract the precious metals from them. These makes apparently have very high quality cats.
you have to be registered to run scrap in now, and dealers have to log everything and can face big fines. A pile of cats would be extremely suspicious.
Doesn't seem to be stopping them, though. :/
Hmmm, if only you could find a bent scrap man?
Exactly. I'm sure they can figure out how to find out who is dodgy and who isn't. I mean they've figured out which retailers are selling knives to kids.

freenote

784 posts

169 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
I feel your pain. Hope the scammer gets done for fraud. I bet you have a new dashcam. biggrin

If I had my cat nicked, I'd probably only have it put in for MOT days and otherwise have a straight pipe. Unless XR want to pay for a new cat every few months.
Strongly considering straight piping, but taken off the road for now until I can be bothered to fix myself or pay someone to do it.

Dash cam wouldn’t actually make a difference to the fact that there is a claim. That’s the most annoying part.

R129 300SL

Original Poster:

279 posts

133 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
you have to be registered to run scrap in now, and dealers have to log everything and can face big fines. A pile of cats would be extremely suspicious.
I’ve heard that they are put into shipping containers and sent to Europe for “processing”

AlexHat

1,327 posts

120 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Any Prius', Auris Hybrid and now RX400h are being targeted. I've heard of some unlucky people who have had a cat stolen, replaced it, then had the replacement stolen...

It's got so bad that Toyota have come up with what is effectively a padlock for your catalyst.

Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
freenote said:
Hoofy said:
I feel your pain. Hope the scammer gets done for fraud. I bet you have a new dashcam. biggrin

If I had my cat nicked, I'd probably only have it put in for MOT days and otherwise have a straight pipe. Unless XR want to pay for a new cat every few months.
Strongly considering straight piping, but taken off the road for now until I can be bothered to fix myself or pay someone to do it.

Dash cam wouldn’t actually make a difference to the fact that there is a claim. That’s the most annoying part.
Wouldn't it act as proof?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLWPeVrQbNo

freenote

784 posts

169 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
I went through this at length with the lawyer at admiral. He said either way there would be a claim registered against my insurance, effectively making me higher risk. Total con...

Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
freenote said:
Hoofy said:
I went through this at length with the lawyer at admiral. He said either way there would be a claim registered against my insurance, effectively making me higher risk. Total con...
That's ridiculous.

Chris32345

2,086 posts

63 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
Make it so you need to be a registered mechanic or vehicle breakers to sell a cat and need to have signed paperwork from owner and a copy of the v5 for every cat sold

R129 300SL

Original Poster:

279 posts

133 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
AlexHat said:
Any Prius', Auris Hybrid and now RX400h are being targeted. I've heard of some unlucky people who have had a cat stolen, replaced it, then had the replacement stolen...

It's got so bad that Toyota have come up with what is effectively a padlock for your catalyst.
Hence why I will not be replacing with a genuine one.. It will only get stolen again. Plus the fact that it cost around £1700...

As I mentioned they don’t seem to be interested in aftermarket catalysts.

freenote

784 posts

169 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
R129,
Could you let me know how you get on with this please.
I’ve taken her off the road for now but I want to do similar.
Much appreciated.

Hoofy

76,406 posts

283 months

Sunday 15th September 2019
quotequote all
R129 300SL said:
AlexHat said:
Any Prius', Auris Hybrid and now RX400h are being targeted. I've heard of some unlucky people who have had a cat stolen, replaced it, then had the replacement stolen...

It's got so bad that Toyota have come up with what is effectively a padlock for your catalyst.
Hence why I will not be replacing with a genuine one.. It will only get stolen again. Plus the fact that it cost around £1700...

As I mentioned they don’t seem to be interested in aftermarket catalysts.
One little thing - how will they know it's aftermarket until they're doing the deed? And are they even clever enough to realise?

R129 300SL

Original Poster:

279 posts

133 months

Monday 16th September 2019
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
One little thing - how will they know it's aftermarket until they're doing the deed? And are they even clever enough to realise?
If you look at the YouTube videos these guys usually look under the car before they start jacking up etc

The originals are one piece and the non oem is a bolt on unit with clamps at either end.

They are a different shape and construction.

R129 300SL

Original Poster:

279 posts

133 months

Monday 16th September 2019
quotequote all
freenote said:
R129,
Could you let me know how you get on with this please.
I’ve taken her off the road for now but I want to do similar.
Much appreciated.
Hi.

I have ordered the UK one on eBay for £265 plus delivery. It is clamped on each side.

The USA one for around £150 was too short to bridge my gap when they cut old one out. Plus I did not want to get involved with removing rusty bolts for the remaining flange at front.

I’ll prob get it Wed.ill let you know how it goes.




The Li-ion King

3,766 posts

65 months

Monday 16th September 2019
quotequote all
cib24 said:
These Toyota cars got for like £400+ at the scrap yard.

It happens this fast.


https://youtu.be/aUlikgzaDOE
The only safe place to park in Newham is in Westfield Shopping Centre. Stratford and its dirty sister Forest Gate have always been bad for car crime.

jamiem555

751 posts

212 months

Monday 16th September 2019
quotequote all
cib24 said:
These Toyota cars got for like £400+ at the scrap yard.

It happens this fast.


https://youtu.be/aUlikgzaDOE
I noticed that they’re not using an axle stand. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the jack failed.

SturdyHSV

10,108 posts

168 months

Monday 16th September 2019
quotequote all
Chap at work who lives in London had this happen in their underground car park.

Honda Jazz. He went through insurance, car was without cat for some time as there's enough of it happening that Honda had a supply shortage apparently hehe

Expectation is the replacement will get nicked too. The figures bandied about for a replacement were eye-watering