Any Canadian owners (Ideally in Ontario / Toronto area) can chime in on break-ins?

[SMAC]

The IGLA is a premium device and likely most secure option. IGLA installed cost about $1500CAD where as the Ghost 2 I was quoted $2000. They are similar devices but my tech who has dealt with both companies said that IGLA has much better tech support and are on the ball when they have questions during installation as it is a complex system. The installers hide the control units under your hood buried in the wiring. They install them in different places for each vehicle so there is no historical reference for thieves to discover. In the unlikely event they did find the device, it would take ages to rewire and by pass the system. Time is of the essence when stealing vehicles.

Standard immobilizers can be bypassed easily considering the thieves are targeting your vehicle. Pop the hood, pull out the immobilizer and replace the starter relay which is in plain sight (yes they come prepared). Steering wheel bars and brake pedal bars - thieves just cut the steering wheel in about 5 seconds. A security wheel boot is a good option but a bit clunky.

I was advised not to put any security deterrent stickers on the window as it alerts thieves to the fact that you have something installed and they may look for it. If you have the IGLA the vehicle will start normally but as soon as you take it out of park the vehicle will shut off which can be more confusing/frustrating. If you get an IGLA you can still remote start your vehicle. Don't use the FOBs that come with the IGLA as that defeats the purpose of capturing radio signals. Just use the personal PIN to start the vehicle.

In the end, smart thieves know what IGLA and other security devices are. They watch forums like this and research on how to bypass them. IGLA is the most difficult from my understanding. I read in another forum that a thief tucked an Apple Air Tag under their license plate while they were out and came to their house late at night.

 

[AgRN16]

How, and more importantly, WHY, do you Canadians have to deal with such highe auto theft rates? These same vehicles exist here in the states, however if this forum is ANY indication, they get stolen in the US WAY WAY less frequently.

 

[APIOQM]

How, and more importantly, WHY, do you Canadians have to deal with such highe auto theft rates? These same vehicles exist here in the states, however if this forum is ANY indication, they get stolen in the US WAY WAY less frequently.

I can only assume it's much easier to get them overseas from here. There must be far fewer checks at the port.

 

[J44]

Interesting... also, technically, if IGLA is properly installed, you should not be able to add/remove keys without proper authorization. It blocks access to CAN BUS (digital and analogue signals). So, @J44, I'm surprised that your keys weren't recognized.

My key was not working when I got to the LC because the battery had totally drained, I assume from the alarms going off and lights flashing. As soon as I jumped it the keys did work again.

 

[J44]

Good news glass for rear passenger door in California, shipping it up, with out the LC for 5-10 days, locked at Toyota dealer underground garage and dealing with my cracked area above the OBD port, and checking all those buttons in that area that fell out. And running a diagnostic through the OBD to ensure all ok.

 

[basicxj]

How, and more importantly, WHY, do you Canadians have to deal with such highe auto theft rates? These same vehicles exist here in the states, however if this forum is ANY indication, they get stolen in the US WAY WAY less frequently.

A few reasons. Organized crime with a foothold in port cities and means to ship containers via a network to eager customers. A willing underground work force that can make a few grand per theft (in as little as six minutes) with little outlay in terms of buying the tech needed to perform the thefts. A willing market overseas that likes to profit from those stolen vehicles so far away that prosecution in the country receiving the stolen goods is not a viable option. If you think Canadian theft statistics are alarming, have a look at the UK.

They get stolen way less in the US? Maybe at the moment. These things go in cycles, and the tech and know-how used to steal modern vehicles is freely available online. It is only a matter of time. People in border states know all too well how easy it is for their stolen vehicle to show up in Mexico with a brand new identity- there were waves of thefts of brand new vehicles using laptops and cloned keys in SoCal rippling through the Jeep community in recent years. The same for high end muscle cars and loaded pickups. While the methods for taking Land Cruisers is slightly different than the Jeeps and statistics will always vary by region, I wouldn't take too much comfort in thinking those statistics will remain as they are...unless you live in smaller isolated communities or in the midwest. Automotive tech shifts, and so does the underground economy- it just takes some time to catch up.

 

[supernova]

every western country has car theft issues. It just depends on what cars the thieves like in that current market. Here is a simple AI search of car thefts per 100K people in westernised countries
Car Theft Rates per 100,000 Residents (2025/2026 Estimates)

Country	Rate per 100,000 Residents	Trend (2025–2026)
New Zealand	952.4	Steady/Slightly Decreasing
United States	288.5	Significant Decrease (-23%)
Canada	239.0	Significant Decrease (-19%)
France	248.2	Steady
Greece	228.0	Increasing
Italy	227.0	Increasing (+7%)
Australia	210.1	Steady

 

[gsolo]

My personal opinion: it’s basically organized crime + very mild criminal sentences in Canada (pretty much a joke). If they knew there was a “meat sandwich” waiting for them like in US prisons, it would be a different story.

Regarding IGLA: yes, it’s a sophisticated system, but it still has weaknesses — especially around physical identification. IGLA translates to “needle,” and the whole concept is basically “finding a needle in a haystack.” So it should never be seen as a standalone device.

If you look at professional installation videos, it’s always a layered approach: IGLA installed somewhere in the vehicle + hood lock + alarm + additional sensors (glass, tilt, etc.). We’re just a bit behind on this layered model in North America.

 

[supernova]

here is another AI stat for car thefts per 100K registered vehicles (since a lot of western countries a really good public transport and people have no need to own cars
Top 10 Western Countries: Car Thefts per 100,000 Registered Vehicles

Rank	Country	Est. Thefts per 100,000 Vehicles	Note
1	Switzerland	768.8	High rate of luxury vehicle theft relative to total cars.
2	Sweden	566.7	High per-vehicle theft rate despite moderate per capita stats.
3	New Zealand	563.2	Lower rank than per capita, as NZ has a very high car ownership rate.
4	Italy	475.0	Significant increase (+7%) in thefts reported into early 2025.
5	Israel	469.4	Consistently high across both per capita and vehicle metrics.
6	Australia	436.2	Varies by state; Victoria and Queensland are primary hotspots.
7	Ireland	396.0	Reported sharp increases in late 2024 and 2025.
8	United States	390.2	National average normalized by registered passenger vehicles.
9	France	323.4	Leads Europe in absolute volume; ~19 cars stolen per hour.
10	Canada	285.0	Rate fell ~19% in 2025 due to port and border

 

[AgRN16]

A few reasons. Organized crime with a foothold in port cities and means to ship containers via a network to eager customers. A willing underground work force that can make a few grand per theft (in as little as six minutes) with little outlay in terms of buying the tech needed to perform the thefts. A willing market overseas that likes to profit from those stolen vehicles so far away that prosecution in the country receiving the stolen goods is not a viable option. If you think Canadian theft statistics are alarming, have a look at the UK.

They get stolen way less in the US? Maybe at the moment. These things go in cycles, and the tech and know-how used to steal modern vehicles is freely available online. It is only a matter of time. People in border states know all too well how easy it is for their stolen vehicle to show up in Mexico with a brand new identity- there were waves of thefts of brand new vehicles using laptops and cloned keys in SoCal rippling through the Jeep community in recent years. The same for high end muscle cars and loaded pickups. While the methods for taking Land Cruisers is slightly different than the Jeeps and statistics will always vary by region, I wouldn't take too much comfort in thinking those statistics will remain as they are...unless you live in smaller isolated communities or in the midwest. Automotive tech shifts, and so does the underground economy- it just takes some time to catch up.

Highest questionable argument here. I live in Texas, as do several other LC250 owners on this board. I live in a major metropolitan area to boot. I haven't heard at all about anyone with LC250 getting the car stolen here. Technology and access to it is likely higher here in the US than it is in Canada. No one at dealerships or in forums complaining about thefts of these trucks here. Much of these AI stats being posted I am HIGHLY suspect of. How is it that I haven't seen a single poster in these forums complain of theft happening here in the US?

At the end of the day when you have poor government leadership and lax laws on crime, we see what happens . . .

 

[supernova]

Highest questionable argument here. I live in Texas, as do several other LC250 owners on this board. I live in a major metropolitan area to boot. I haven't heard at all about anyone with LC250 getting the car stolen here. Technology and access to it is likely higher here in the US than it is in Canada. No one at dealerships or in forums complaining about thefts of these trucks here. Much of these AI stats being posted I am HIGHLY suspect of. How is it that I haven't seen a single poster in these forums complain of theft happening here in the US?

At the end of the day when you have poor government leadership and lax laws on crime, we see what happens . . .

In texas you should check the rates at which the pickup trucks get stolen. As I said every market has a different car thief preference.
In Texas the chevy silvarado is the most stolen vehicle or full size pickup trucks in general

 

[Lounge Alot]

How is it that I haven't seen a single poster in these forums complain of theft happening here in US?

Count your blessings that organized crime in your area has not invested in the TNGA hacking software as it may not be profitable resell for them. Best understanding its ~50K Euro per time slice per laptop and with one subscription they can hit the whole TNGA: Taco, Tundra, LC, 4Runner. It looks like latest Texas rates are 311/100K but mostly GM/Ford pickups so they invested in that. There are many, many vehicles that don't get stolen and Toyota needs to close a tech gap with their own immobilizer for delivered vehicles and TSS 4.0 for new ones or everyone will end up in a class action like UK and Australia.

 

[Canuckwind]

The problem is that the port of Montreal handles 1.7 million containers a year and they have 8 union members of the Canadian Border services working who can only check less than 1% of the containers, while in the US they have scanning systems that can check a greater majority of the containers. Only border officials are able to open containers without a warrant as the port is considered a customs controlled area. Local, provincial or Federal police can't do anything as they need a warrant to open containers. Organized crime is thought to have infiltrated the entire network to pack up cars in containers, prepare false paperwork and false customs declarations, and work at the port. From there the cars are shipped to Africa.

Canada has given criminals "the most lucrative gift to organized crime in history".

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-port-stolen-car-export-hub-1.7173430

 

[Lounge Alot]

Yeah for sure! We need to push our MP to fund scanning for every in and out container in all ports. The tech is there and it has payback.

 

[Daytonacoupe66]

Various crime issues are regional. The facts tell the story, and while the data can be manipulated, I don't see where a western economy in these tables can say a neighbour, or a single Country, is the problem. Pockets yes, but not broad brush.