Why Are Catalytic Converters Stolen and How Can You Protect Them?
Oct 24, 2024
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Catalytic converter theft is sweeping nationwide, raising concerns for authorities and car owners. Why are catalytic converters stolen and what makes them valuable? Discover the answers and how you can protect yourself from thieves.
The Primary Reason Why Are Catalytic Converters Stolen
Catalytic converters are a prime target for thieves because they contain valuable metals that help reduce emissions. Thieves cut these loaf-sized metal components underneath vehicles and sell them to shady buyers in the black market. Most petty criminals target vehicles left unattended in retail parking lots, home garages and poorly lit spaces. While selling scrap metal earns extra cash, you must do it legally. Stealing metal from catalytic converters doesn’t count!
The price of a catalytic converter is expensive, especially for vehicles that use multiple. They cost anywhere from $300 to $2,500, though they depend on the make and model of the automobile. A typical combustion engine car has one catalytic converter, but hybrid vehicles often have two or more. Electric vehicles don’t use converters because they run purely on electricity.
What Is in a Catalytic Converter That Makes It Valuable?
You may wonder why people risk their lives and liberty trying to steal something as innocuous as a catalytic converter. One thief who sneaked under a parked vehicle died after being run over by the driver, who got startled by the sound of a metal saw underneath. It’s a risky business that yields great rewards, apparently.
Catalytic converters, colloquially known as “cats,” contain precious metals like palladium, rhodium and platinum. These metals react to heated exhaust gases expelled from the car’s engine to reduce their negative environmental impact. Thieves harvest dozens of converters — even hundreds — from unsuspecting victims’ vehicles and sell them to metal recyclers or scrap yards that process the materials.
A catalytic converter contains only a tiny amount of these metals, but you’ll be surprised at how much they cost. Aside from wreaking havoc on global health and business, the pandemic also tremendously impacted the global supply chain. These problems caused the cost of precious metals to rise to the point where they motivated thieves to steal every catalytic converter they could find.
Platinum, palladium and rhodium are all precious metals used in various industries for their unique properties. Rhodium — the most expensive metal in converters — reached $11,665 per ounce in February 2020. It rose again to $28,775 per ounce in April 2021, creating a higher demand for illegally acquired converters. The meteoric price rise spurred more widespread criminal activity and insurance claims from victims. Thus, it’s easier to see why catalytic converters are stolen more often nowadays.
Which Models See the Most Catalytic Converter Theft?
Catalytic converter theft still makes an impact in recent times. According to Car and Driver, these are the most targeted car models in the US in 2023.
- Ford F-series
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Prius
- Honda CR-V
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Econoline/E-Series
- Chevrolet Equinox
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Toyota Tacoma
- Chevrolet Cruze
Catalytic converter thieves will target any vulnerable vehicle they can find. However, they target specific models like trucks and SUVs because they have higher road clearance, making sneaking under them easier. They also target hybrid cars because their catalytic converters remain more pristine than traditional combustion engines.
What Is the Purpose of a Catalytic Converter?
A catalytic converter is essential in ensuring your vehicle complies with local and international emissions regulations. It reduces the harmful emissions your car produces as it burns fuel. The metal catalysts inside the converter react with nitrogen oxides and separate the molecules, trapping the nitrogen inside while letting the oxygen go.
The catalytic converter filters the harmful byproducts of engine combustion and expels them using your vehicle’s tailpipe. While it doesn’t completely eliminate harmful emissions, it significantly reduces them to lessen your car’s environmental impact. Aside from making your vehicle compliant and less damaging to nature, the catalytic converter also improves your car’s efficiency by introducing backpressure into its exhaust flow.
Tips on How to Protect Yourself From Catalytic Converter Theft
Catalytic converter theft is still a prevalent problem for many private car owners, companies with fleet vehicles and law enforcement agencies. Some criminal groups will do about anything to get their hands on the precious materials inside the components, so keep your property safe with these tips.
- Park your vehicle in a secure space, such as a closed garage or CCTV-monitored parking space. Thieves are opportunistic, and some are even brazen enough to sneak under cars in the open during the daytime. A closed parking space and security cameras can help deter thieves.
- Install anti-theft devices for your catalytic converter. Many companies offer different devices to help deter thieves in their quest for an easy buck. These anti-theft devices make it harder for thieves to cut your catalytic converter by adding an extra layer to cut through. The longer thieves take to cut through different metals, the riskier it gets for them.
- Use alarm systems triggered by powerful vibrations and noises to protect your car. These devices emit a loud alarm whenever they detect strong, unusual vibrations like a metal saw going through car components.
- Install metal shields on your car’s catalytic converter. Some shops offer welding services to help deter catalytic converter car theft. They install a robust metal sheet or rebar that shields converters, making them more difficult to access even for the most determined thieves.
- Insure your car against catalytic converter theft. Insurance companies recognize the crime wave sweeping the nation and bleeding car owners dry, so check your insurance policy if it covers converter theft. If not, opt for better coverage to protect you from unpredictable incidents.
- Paint your catalytic converter to make it easily identifiable. Some car owners resort to painting their catalytic converters with high-temperature fluorescent paint to deter thieves. Marked catalytic converters are harder to sell to reputable metal recyclers.
- Etch your vehicle’s details on your catalytic converter. While this method alone may not be enough to stop thieves from taking your converter, it can make it more challenging for them to sell your stolen car component. Marking your catalytic converter can help with retrieval processes as the authorities can input your car’s details into a VIN database and locate you after the crime.
Why Are Catalytic Converters Stolen? Precious Metals
Until there’s a solid means to deter thieves and prevent catalytic converter theft, it’s up to you to secure your property. Stay vigilant and park only in highly secured areas because criminals are always on the lookout for their next payday. Let them work for it by securing your vehicle and making it harder to steal.
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