How to prevent catalytic converter theft

Turns out, lightning can strike twice. Or, in Cathy Cobb’s case, it was thieves. After a day’s work, Cobb switched on her Honda Element, only to be startled by a noise that could wake the dead. The ruckus was familiar; it was the second time in less than a year that a thief had ripped apart her car’s exhaust system to steal its catalytic converter. The first time, the Honda had been in her own driveway.

Catalytic converter theft has become an epidemic. From 2008 to 2015, vehicle owners reported 25,394 thefts, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Since then, thefts have accelerated dramatically—3,389 in 2019, 14,433 in 2020, and a whopping 52,206 in 2021. These numbers reflect only thefts for which claims were filed with insurance companies, so the actual totals are almost certainly higher.

Armed with little more than a wrench or a hacksaw, a thief can slither under a vehicle and remove a converter in just a few minutes. Pickups and SUVs like Cobb’s Element are popular targets because they sit higher off the ground, making it easier for thieves to get to the converter.

Scrapyards typically pay a couple of hundred dollars or more for converters. Some converters from hybrid vehicles can fetch as much as $1,400 because they contain more precious metals and they degrade less because the hybrid’s gasoline engine doesn’t run continuously. In turn, scrapyards sell converters to recyclers, which extract the metals.

Catalytic converter replacement has generated a lot of business for repair shops. Replacing a converter isn’t cheap, running anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the vehicle and on how much damage a thief inflicts on the exhaust system’s pipes and sensors.

About half of U.S. states have proposed or enacted legislation, in more than 150 separate bills, to address catalytic converter theft. A federal bill, too—the bipartisan Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act is being considered by Congress.

In September 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two pieces of legislation making it illegal for recyclers to buy a catalytic converter from anyone other than a vehicle’s legal owner or a licensed dealer.

“You take away the market for stolen goods, you can help cut down on stealing,” Newsom said.

The legislation also increases penalties for buyers who fail to certify that a catalytic converter was obtained legally. Metal recyclers and junk dealers will be required to document their methods for buying catalytic converters and keep records of who they buy them from; this will help ensure they’re doing business only with vehicle owners and qualified sellers.

Unfortunately, catalytic converters are likely to be stolen from anywhere cars are parked, according to the NICB. So what’s a car owner to do to discourage thieves from swiping their converter? Make it harder for them to get at it.

Here are the best ways to prevent catalytic converter theft:

1. If you have a garage, always park your car there rather than leaving it in the driveway.
2. If you have a carport or parking space at your home, install motion-detector security lights and set a car alarm.
3. During the day, when you drive to work or somewhere away from home, avoid parking in isolated areas. Instead, park your car where there’s more foot and vehicle traffic, making anyone who might be targeting your car more likely to be seen.
4. Buy an antitheft device. Converter-protection devices, such as Cat Shield and Cat Security, have been developed for many vehicles frequently targeted by thieves. Depending on the vehicle, the shields cost $140 to $340, plus installation, which takes about an hour. For many vehicles, muffler shops can bend and weld rebar to form a cage around the converter.
5. Etch your license plate number or VIN number on your car’s converter to make it more easily identifiable to the police.

Fortunately, Cathy Cobb’s comprehensive auto insurance policy covered replacing a stolen converter—although she had to pay out-of-pocket deductibles. And even though she purchased a protective shield for her latest converter, she’s now extra vigilant, making sure she always parks her beloved Honda in her garage.

Carfax has compiled lists of the most heavily targeted vehicles, based on service reports from more than 60,000 service facilities from across the country between 2019 and early 2022.

Nationwide, the models most likely to be targeted are:

1. Ford F-Series pickups (1985–2021)
2. Honda Accord (1989–2020)
3. Jeep Patriot (2007–2017)
4. Ford Econoline vans (1990–2022)
5. Chevrolet Silverado pickups (1999–2021)
6. Chevrolet Equinox (2005–2021)
7. Honda CR-V (1997–2020)
8. Toyota Camry (1987–2019)
9. Chrysler 200 (2011–2017)
10. Toyota Prius (2001–2021)

Carfax has also broken down the frequency of catalytic converter thefts by region of the country.

Veteran automotive journalist Peter Bohr has been writing about cars for more than 4 decades.