Cat Security™ - Anti Theft Catalytic Converter Protection Shield, Fits - Toyota Prius 2010-2015

Pros:1. Received quickly, no damages during transit2. Thin, and instructions were good3. Clean design and better protection (in my opinion)Cons:1. 3 of 4 rivets were too short, but the mechanic I used for installation had all the tools and spare (longer) rivetsRecommendation:While someone who is more mechanically inclined could have done this on their own, I found it much easier to hire a mechanic to do the job for less than $170 (Irvine, CA). They had all the correct tools and that hydraulic lift made things easier to install.

Stealing Prius owner's catalytic converters is a thing in my area. Prius' catalytic converters are popular with thieves because the engines are super-efficient and run less than conventional non-hybrid gas engines, so the precious metals inside them are cleaner. Add to that the converters are super-easy to remove, less than 5 minutes, and you have an instant target for theft on your car's back.My neighbors had their Prius' catalytic converter stolen in the middle of the night while the car was parked in the driveway recently. No one heard or noticed a thing. They're very expensive to replace, and our Prius is usually parked just 50 feet from their driveway. That led to my not sleeping well: Every little noise outside woke me up.I ordered a Cat Security Sheild almost immediately after hearing about the theft. It's not like it's theft-proof, but catalytic converter thieves depend on speed and stealth, and removing the Cat Shield would take time and be very noisy. In most cases, thieves will look for an easier target.Installation is not easy for most do-it-yourself types. You should be comfortable with and properly equipped to work underneath a 3300lbs car. You need jack stands or, as I did, to roll the front wheels onto ramps, then use a hydraulic jack to put stands under the back axle. Even then there isn't much room under the car to work with. The hardest part for many DIY types will be the inexpensive manual hand riveter is larger than the space you'll likely have to work with. I used an air compressor and a 1/4" Air Riveter, which worked well in the limited space. (Harbor Freight, sells these for about $75 and, yes, you'll need a full 1/4" capacity draw/pop riveter.)Since I had the tools, the only troubles I ran into were, first, Cat Security left the "anti-rattle" tape out of my installation kit. I discovered the anti-rattle tape is just foamed neoprene weather stripping you might install around a door frame, so I bought some of that rather than waiting for parts from Cat Security. To their credit, they responded promptly to my inquiry and I'm sure they would have shipped it to me right away if I hadn't bought some myself.The other problem I ran into was an installer error. The back of the shield has to be tucked under some carriage frame attachments to fit properly and, while I was paying attention to riveting the front part of the shield, one side popped out. With the front of the shield securely riveted in place, I had to unbolt the frame attachment, tuck the shield back into position, and re-connect the frame attachment. With the right tools and those complications, the whole job took about two hours.Now I sleep better at night.Pros:* Makes it hard to steal your Prius Catalytic Converter.* If you have the tools, this can be a fairly quick job.Cons:* If you don't have the tools or haven't done a lot of repair work underneath cars, this job may be beyond your ability to do safely. Take it to a shop.

Very well made, fits well, and offers good peace of mind. Includes the hardware needed for installation. Even warning stickers for your windows. I paid a mechanic $120 to install due to the need to the car to be very high and the special tools needed. The mechanic didn’t have the 1/4” rivet tool so he used riv-nuts and security screws in the front instead and steel rivets for the rest for added security.Update 11/20: There was a bad rattle as I took off from a stop that drove me nuts. I finally pulled the front shield off and found it was hitting the muffler. I added 4 layers of heat shield to that spot and now it’s quiet. Wish I knew before installed the first time. I’m taking off a star for this design flaw.

I was blissfully unaware of the theft of catalytic converters until my sister sent me an article from Las Vegas, NV, where the crime has exploded. The Prius is a prime target. I kind of forgot about it, but then a local news report showed that with the pandemic, the theft of catalytic converters has exploded in my area. So when I talked to my mechanic, I found out he'd had to install five converters on cars that had been targeted in the last few weeks. And that an increasing number of people were bringing in various types of shields to be installed. I went online and found this one, and it came faster than expected. I dropped the car off in the morning for installation, but it took all day because they had to borrow a rivet from another shop, they didn't have the right size. That was okay, they did a good job and there is no rattle. The mechanic said "that is one nice-looking shield." I don't know if that would be a deciding factor. It's like telling someone they have a pretty baby. However, I do feel more at ease, especially since a person a few blocks away from me had his car targeted while he was at work.

On recommendation from the guys at the car shop I go to, purchased, and they installed it. No complaints.Car still running fine.

The shield installs using rivets so you'll need a rivet gun capable of handing heavy aluminum rivets. It's also a good idea to have a new, sharp drill bit for drilling holes into the car frame (not as bad as it sounds), and probably some 3M VHB tape. I installed it using the supplied rivets but using VHB tape instead of the minimal foam strip supplied by Cat Security and the resulting install is completely silent (no rattles or vibrations). The shield is aluminum so I suppose a thief could cut it away to gain access but that would take a while and be a PITA.

Super easy to install, just to drill a few holes and pop in a bunch of rivets. I highly recommend a pneumatic rivet gun since the ground clearance makes it difficult to use a manual rivet gun. Seems like it might deter most punks from stealing the cat, but more determined thieves could probably hack it off in a few minutes since it's made of fairly thin aluminum.Only problem I have is that it rattles against the muffler like mad at low speeds and tends to "ping" over bumps. As an earlier reviewer posted, a fair amount of heat shield material should do the trick, but it would've been nice to know this before I had it riveted in place.