Well, I finally had the shield professionally installed at my local garage. There hasn't been a rash of cat thefts here in Denver and I park my car nightly in a locked garage, but I thought that it might be a good idea anyway to purchase one and have it installed. The package came very quickly after I ordered it complete with the shield, specifically for my 2013 Prius V, screws and fasteners, and instructions.
I had to wait almost two months for an appointment to have it professionally installed. One garage wanted $280 which I thought was excessive. I took it this morning to my appointment and left the car there around 8:15 am. The called me about 2:00 p.m. and told me the car is done. They wound up charging me about $125 which I thought was reasonable.
I can't quite see it under the car but I trust their workmanship. One day, when the car is on the lift, I will have the opportunity to better see the installation of the unit. But I can say that it most likely fit perfectly as I had no complaints from the garage. The car seems to drive slightly quieter but maybe that is my imagination.
I've heard the horror stories about cat thefts. People go to start their cars and then the cars make a loud noise and the check engine light comes on. The owners then get shocked when they found out that it costs about $2,000 to replace the converter. They then turn it into a claim on their insurance policies which then the insurance company demands that they use, in this case, original Toyota parts. The kick is that due to the pandemic, these parts are on back order and who knows when they will arrive? Here in Colorado, one can't use aftermarket converters unless they are something called "CARB compliant", which raises the price to about that of the original Toyota part. So then the car has to sit there until the parts arrive. The insurance company then frequently offers to settle to close the claim, sometimes "totaling" out the vehicle. So what you have left is a perfectly good 2005-2010 Toyota Prius, for example, with just a single missing part. How could you replace the car for what they are willing to pay? So then comes a more expensive car with car payments, and that's if you can find a replacement vehicle at somewhat of a reasonable price that doesn't require a lot of maintenance and repairs! So, by comparison, the $285 looks cheap, for the purchase and installation of this product, if it encourages a potential thief to move on to an easier target!
So that is my review. I am very satisfied with this product and I think that it is worth the hassle of getting it installed.
I hope that it helps people see the need for the purchase and installation of this shield as a proactive measure against theft.
