Is Your Car A Target For Catalytic Converter Theft?

Car thefts in general skyrocketed during the pandemic era, exceeding one million models taken last year, according to the National Insurance Crime Board (NICB), which is the highest reported volume since 2008. To make matters worse, thieves have been swiping catalytic converters, a critical emissions-control component, at unprecedented rates.

According to the title search company Carfax, as many as 153,000 vehicles had their converters taken last year, based on a study of service and maintenance records, which far exceeds earlier estimates. Urbanites tend to be most frequently targeted, though bandits have become so desperate and emboldened they’re reportedly cutting them from models sitting on car-dealers’ lots. Even the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile became a victim of catalytic converter theft earlier this year.

The problem is that swiping catalytic converters is easy money for thieves, who can cut a converter from beneath a car in minutes, and usually without much notice. A recycler will reportedly pay as much as $250 for a swiped catalytic converter, and up to $1,400 for those taken from hybrid cars—mostly for the small, yet valuable, amounts of precious metals used to make them work. These include platinum, which is currently valued at around $1,000 per ounce, palladium at over $1,500 per ounce, and rhodium, which can command a whopping $10,000 per ounce. Meanwhile, it will cost a car owner as much as $2,000-$3,000 to have a stolen converter replaced.

On the plus side, an auto insurance policy’s comprehensive coverage will reimburse an owner for the expense, minus any deductible. Unfortunately many policyholders don’t carry this coverage or carry a high 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.

It’s easy to tell when a vehicle’s catalytic converter has been swiped. The most obvious clues will be an illuminated “check engine” light on the instrument panel and a much louder than normal exhaust note, as the flow from the engine to the vehicle’s mufflers is essentially broken. A driver should also notice darker or odd-smelling exhaust fumes, sluggish and/or sputtering acceleration, and perhaps even remnants left behind during the removal process.

Converter theft victims should notify law enforcement to report the crime, contact their insurance companies to confirm coverage, and have a new converter installed as soon as possible to prevent further engine damage.

All vehicle owners should take precautions to ensure their rides aren’t easy marks. This includes parking in well-lit areas when in public and within the garage at home, and installing a special catalytic converter anti-theft device installed, or at least having the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) etched on the device.

However, some motorists need to be more vigilant than others. Pickup trucks and SUVs are especially susceptible in this regard because their high ground clearances give crooks more room to crawl underneath saw out the converter quickly, easily, and without notice.

These are the models that are most likely to be targeted and have their catalytic converters illegally harvested, according to Carfax data:

1. Ford F-Series pickup trucks
2. Honda Accord
3. Toyota Prius
4. Honda CR-V
5. Ford Explorer
6. Ford Econoline vans
7. Chevrolet Equinox
8. Chevrolet Silverado
9. Toyota Tacoma
10. Chevrolet Cruze

What’s more, Carfax’s statistics show that some models tend to be more prevalent victims for catalytic converter thefts in some parts of the U.S. than others. The Ford F-Series trucks are the most frequently targeted models in all parts of the country except western U.S. states, where the Toyota Prius hybrid (popular where gas prices are high and emission regulations are strict) is the number one model, and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states where the Honda CR-V is the top victim here.

You can read the full report here.