These Are The Vehicles Most Likely To Have Their Catalytic Converters Stolen

It’s been well documented that catalytic converter thefts from cars, trucks, and SUVs have skyrocketed in recent years. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says they’ve jumped from 3,389 thefts reported in 2018 to 14,443 in 2020 (the last year for which stats are available), which amounts to a whopping 977 percent increase.

The fact is, it’s easy money for thieves, who can cut a converter from beneath a car quickly and usually without much notice. The NICB says a recycler will pay $50-$250 for a used catalytic converter—and more for those used in hybrid cars—mostly for the precious metals used to make it work. These include platinum (currently around $1,000 per ounce), palladium (around $2,000/oz), or rhodium (nearly $17,000/oz). Meanwhile it will cost a car owner anywhere from $1,000-$3,000 to have a swiped converter replaced.

Fortunately an auto insurance policy’s comprehensive coverage will reimburse an owner for the expense, minus any deductible. But many policyholders don’t carry this coverage or carry a higher deductible, usually to save money on premiums if it’s an older car, or because they can only afford the minimum liability coverage state laws mandate.

While all vehicle owners should take the usual precautions to make sure their rides aren’t easy marks—park in well-lit areas, install a catalytic converter anti-theft device, etc.—as it turns out some need to be more vigilant than others.

The vehicle history information company Carfax studied service reports for catalytic converter replacements among its more than 60,000 affiliated repair shops from 2019 through the first quarter of 2022 to determine which models were most frequently targeted by thieves. The list runs the gamut from older to newer rides across most vehicle classes:

1. 1985-2021 Ford F-Series pickups
2. 1989-2020 Honda Accord
3. 2007-17 Jeep Patriot
4. 1990-2022 Ford Econoline vans
5. 1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado pickups
6. 2005-21 Chevrolet Equinox
7. 1997-2020 Honda CR-V
8. 1987-2019 Toyota Camry
9. 2011-17 Chrysler 200
10. 2001-21 Toyota Prius

Carfax data shows that the Ford F-Series trucks that sit atop the national list for converter theft (their high ground clearance makes them especially easy to purloin in this regard) are the most targeted models in all parts of the country except western U.S. states. There the Toyota Prius hybrid, which most popular where gas prices are high and emission regulations are strict, is the number one model. You can read the full report here.