Over the past few years, catalytic converter theft has become a growing issue among drivers of all kinds. No matter where you live or what you drive, there's always a chance some clown with a battery-powered Sawzall might sneak up and hack your cat out when your back is turned. This not only compromises your vehicle's street-legal emissions status, but also causes a terrible exhaust sound, poor performance, and expensive repairs. We did some research in an effort to locate trends within this recent rash of crimes. Read on and see if your location, vehicle, or some other factor might make you more susceptible to catalytic theft.
Catalytic Converter Facts
Materials
Catalytic converters are sought by thieves because they contain small amounts of the precious materials platinum, rhodium, and palladium. In recent years the price of these metals has shot up significantly. The current prices on this chart look mighty tempting, but keep in mind there are such tiny amounts of these metals in catalytics that they sell to scrap yards for only $40-200 each.
| Metal | Price per Ounce |
|---|---|
| Gold | $2,309.00 |
| Silver | $29.15 |
| Platinum | $950.00 |
| Palladium | $884.00 |
Theft Methods
Depending on the vehicle, your converter may be either bolted or welded to your exhaust system. Thieves are usually equipped with a reciprocating saw, though sometimes a wrench will do. An experienced thief can get under an automobile, cut out or unbolt its converter, and take off undetected in under 3 minutes with little effort. Some thieves are so good that they can do this in public areas, and in broad daylight!
Repair and Replacement
Crooks may get just a few $20 bills for your converter, but the cost to you will be much greater. Certain converters retail for several hundred dollars, and that's before factoring in labor costs for installation. Furthermore, if your converter was cut out with a saw, additional fabrication and repair will be necessary on the rest of your exhaust. Throw in potential damage to sensitive sensors and brackets during the theft process, and costs continue to climb. Add it all up, and at the end of the day a stolen catalytic converter might cost you over $1,000 to replace, and in some cases more than twice that.
Cat Converter Theft Trends
The charts below are based on sales of CatClamps, catalytic converter locks that secure the converter to your vehicle and deter theft, over 2023 and 2024. We utilized our own sales stats, as well as data provided by the fine folks at CatClamp, to find these figures. Admittedly, these are not actual crime figures, but most customers buy these locks either in response to their converters getting stolen or a rash of thefts in the surrounding area.
Take this graph with the one above it, and it's clear that California should look out! Four of the top ten cities are in central California, and another three are warm weather metropolises, validating the theory that warm weather increases incidents of catalytic converter theft.
Plotting the dates of our CatClamp sales over 2023 and into 2024 shows a trend, with more clamps sold during the beginning of 2023 and tapering off. Don't let the trend fool you, a CatClamp is as important as ever. As for the relatively high number in March, that could have been caused by a brief improvement in winter weather in the snow belt, where state #3 Illinois is located.
How You Can Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft
Based on your location and what kind of vehicle you drive, you may run a high risk of getting your converter ripped off (look out, Element owners in Chicago!). That said, here's some info from Pro Vigil on how you can deter criminals from making an attempt on yours:
1. Invest in a CatClamp Catalytic Lock. These devices act as a locking cage that wraps around your catalytic, preventing it from getting cut out of your exhaust system.
2. Spray paint your converter with brightly-colored, high-temperature paint. Many recycling yards refuse to buy marked parts from individuals, so a bright orange catalytic can also aid in telling criminals to move on. It's under your vehicle, after all, so doing so shouldn't affect your exterior appearance.
3. Have your license plate and/or VIN etched into the shell of the converter. This makes it easy for folks at the scrap/recycling yard to track where it came from and know whether or not it's been stolen, so if the thief knows what's good for him he'll skip your vehicle.
4. Keep your community in the know if you or someone you know experiences a theft. By talking with your neighbors, posting flyers, or even sharing info on online message boards, you can help your whole community be more informed and on the lookout.
