Southern Aston

Thanks @Malc1 I will try Chris as well @H3XME thanks - I will be starting the direct ring around today as well. Thanks for the further recommendation on the Mazda, will take a good look this weekend.

Yes I had 12k from Adrian Flux, but appreciate the suggestion Frank, was worth a try

Thank you TickedOn, I very much appreciate the advice. The theft and (at the time) only 3 years no claims were incorporated into my current (soon to expire) premium of £1.5k but perhaps those two issues are compounding the problem if there’s been a spike in prices in this insurance group over the past year. I will try NFU - fingers crossed! Good idea to try similar cars in the insurance group too to understand if it’s RX related. Thanks again!

Hi all Apologies that my visits are generally only when I've a problem (had previous RX stolen in October 22)! Headline is my insurance quote with Quotemehappy has increased from c.£1.5k last year to £5.5k to renew later in March...and worse all the comparison sites are £4.5k plus. I was braced for an uplift but am in shock. I read the earlier Insurance thread and could see others starting to get the same issues in London in particular, but couldn't see anyone who'd dug themselves out of the problem yet and managed to get a more reasonable price. Background is I've a 2018 RX450HL bought in 2022. That was to replace a 2019 RX 450HL I ad stolen in October 22 (classic CANbus routine) and (stupidly) had somehow missed off no claims protection (please don't bury me on that one - terrible mistake and v expensive!). So the £1.5k I'm paying today was already a big bump on the c.£500 I was paying before. So with the £4.5k plus quotes I think I'm paying an extra premium here for only 4 years no claims. But if I don't find something cheaper I think I've no choice but to sell as I can't justify these premiums. Frustrating as we love the car, works brilliantly with 2 kids. So I am appealing if anyone knows an insurer that is pricing reasonably still on RXs - or is it game over for me? In which case any advice on a suitable non extortionate substitute also welcome! Thanks everyone SA

Hi @ColinBarber, @Herbie Just coming back to this. I’m considering getting a ‘maintenance’ charger for the 12v in my RX450HL to keep it topped up. As opposed to a jump starter. Unfortunately I’ve only on street parking so cannot charge from the mains. Just wondered if you’re aware of a trickle charger that I can charge from mains in the house and then attach to the 12V in the car to recharge the 12v. As you can tell I’ve not much know how on the practical stuff! Many thanks

Hi all We bought a second hand 2018 RX 450hl last year and the alarm has suddenly been going off intermittently all night. I have tried to deactivate the interior sensor - I sit in the car and press the roof console button and get a message ‘theft sensor turned off’. Then I get out and lock the car. But the alarm continues to go off intermittently through the night. Am I doing something wrong to turn off the sensor? or more drastically can I somehow turn off the entire car alarm? Many thanks for your time Aston

Thanks Herbie, much appreciated. Sounds like there isn’t anything that visibly monitors the 12v. I picked up a used approved 450HL last weekend and drove it long distance home (plus a fairly long midweek run too). This morning I started ignition but not the engine, and was installing a child seat for a couple of minutes when a warning noise sounded and it asked to be put into P as hybrid mode not working (something like that). It was already in Park though… long story short I couldn’t get the engine on AA came out later and diagnosed a flat startup 12v. They’ve recommended I get to a dealer to do a drain test and potential replacement. The theory was combination of cold weather and maybe sitting in a dealership for a few weeks pre sale, but underneath that likely a faulty battery. I understand the petrol engine charges the hybrid battery which in turn charges the 12v. So I’m a bit worried it’s the hybrid battery that could be the issue. Hoping it’s just the 12v though. I’ve read on this forum that others use a standalone charger to keep the 12v alive when they’re not using the car much. But any tips on this and the whole situation would be appreciated. Many thanks John

Hi all Having 12v battery issues in a 2018 RX HL. By any chance is there an indicator on any of the screens or dash that tell you how much it is charged? I suspect not from reading other threads. There is a battery symbol on the infotainment screen (top right next to the Bluetooth symbol). Does anyone know what that is for? I cannot find it anywhere in the manual. I don’t think it is my phone as the phone battery life apparently appears as a different symbol elsewhere according to the manual? Many thanks SA

Thanks Arqum. That is interesting on the hardware and is was what I feared. From the box it comes in it looks like the Ghost is still sizeable. So it strikes me a determined thief can still go hunting for it and unless it’s really buried somewhere under the bonnet they can find it. My RX was stolen at 3am off the street at which time I imagine the thieves could afford some time to hunt around. I’ve heard the argument that a good quality installation makes the Ghost hard to find but not convinced that a pro can go hunt it down with a bit of effort? Is Pandora also hardware that is potentially detachable? I’ll look it up. I’m starting to think that much as I like the RX it’s CAN bus weakness is going to be hard to offset and leaves it more vulnerable than other manufacturers. Towing aside of course. Thank you everyone else for your comments as well. SA

Hi all, We had a 2019 RX stolen recently via the wheel arch CAN bus method in what appeared a professional / targeted theft. Before committing to buying a replacement (and risking a repeat theft) I am trying to get comfortable that Ghost 2 (which I would have installed) cannot be somehow bypassed. The main thing I’ve not been able to determine is whether the actual hardware (the chip wired in) can be removed if thieves know what they are looking for. Thinking in particular about RXs. Speaking with a couple of installers I’ve not got much clarity. Can anyone advise on this? If any security concerns any direct messages also would be very welcome. Many thanks, SA