There’s a little-known part in your car worth thousands of dollars, even used, and you need to worry about it being stolen. That’s the message police departments nationwide are starting to share.
The catalytic converter is part of a car’s exhaust system, usually sitting ahead of the muffler. It lowers emissions through chemical reactions that neutralize some engine pollutants. These chemical reactions require the presence of some rare, valuable metals, which are thieves’ real target in catalytic converter thefts.
Honeycombed through the interior of a catalytic converter are substances like Palladium ($500 an ounce in 2016, but about $2,875 by late 2020), Rhodium ($640 an ounce five years ago, $21,900 an ounce today). Thieves generally remove the catalytic converter with a hacksaw. They then sell it to a scrapyard, which in turn sells it to recyclers who can extract the metals.
The surge is happening nationwide. Police in St. Louis, Missouri, reported 50 catalytic converter thefts in 2019, and 420 in 2020. Wichita, Kansas police reported 102 cases just last month – nearly a year’s worth of thefts just a few years ago.
Newer Vehicles Targeted
Clever thieves target newer vehicles because the rare metals are the easiest to extract before they experience heavy use. Anecdotal reports say hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius are most at risk because their gasoline engines tend to run less.
What can you do to protect your car? Parking inside a garage is the best approach, though, for many of us, it isn’t an option. If you must park outside a structure overnight, make sure the parking area is well-lit, and consider adding a security camera.
Lawmakers are slowly becoming aware of the problem and taking steps to combat it. California, for instance, now requires businesses to check the ID of anyone attempting to sell a converter, take the seller’s photograph, and retain it for two years.
Repair shops are getting creative. Jerry Turriff, the proprietor of Jerry’s Certified Service and Towing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told the New York Times he deflates the tires of vehicles left overnight on his lot to make it harder for thieves to slither underneath to get at the converter.
Several companies now offer aftermarket catalytic converter guards that can be installed to make the devices more difficult to remove, though we’re aware of no studies to determine whether the guards actually deter theft.
Your car is likely among the most valuable things you own – learn about protecting yourself from automotive fraud.
