Someone wants to steal your cat!

Catalytic converter theft is growing for a reason

Stealing catalytic converters (or ‘cats’ to the cool kids) is big business in Portland and beyond. They’re great for thieves because they’re self-contained, easy to steal, easy to sell, and worth big money. They’re not so great for you, because if your cat’s stolen your car will barely run, you’ll need an immediate replacement, it’s a very expensive part, and there’s very little you can do to prevent it…

What does a catalytic converter do?

Catalytic converters (cats) are part of your vehicle’s exhaust system and live underneath the vehicle between the engine and the muffler. They use a complex catalytic chemical reaction to reduce the toxicity of combustion gasses from your engine before they’re dumped into the air. Every gas-powered American vehicle produced since 1975 has had a cat. (Electric vehicles don’t have catalytic converters)

Why are thieves looking for cats?

Catalytic converters perform their exhaust magic using rare-earth metals like palladium, rhodium, and platinum. These rare metals are extremely expensive to begin with and China has been stockpiling them lately. That’s only driven the price up. For example, an ounce of palladium that cost $500 in 2016 would cost over $2500 today. Rhodium is $2750 per ounce.

Once they’ve stolen your cat, thieves can unload it easily. A quick search of Portland’s Craigslist turned up three area buyers; no questions asked.

Though there are over 10,000 types of catalytic converters and all are vulnerable, the cats from hybrid vehicles are the most sought after. Why? Because the value of a cat lies in the metals, and since a hybrid vehicle isn’t using the cat when driving in electric mode, the metals last longer. Toyota Prius’ are particularly attractive to thieves because their positioning makes them particularly easy to remove.

How are the cats stolen?

It takes less than 5 minutes to steal a catalytic converter. Thieves use high-speed rechargeable cutting tools to make two cuts in your exhaust pipe and they’re out the door. They aren’t being careful while they cut, either, so they’re likely to damage other components like fuel lines or wiring.

You’ll know if your catalytic converter is stolen. Your vehicle will run extremely roughly, if it runs at all. Every ‘check engine’ light you have will be on. A vehicle with a stolen cat is not driveable for any major distance. You’ll definitely need a replacement, and you’ll need it immediately.

How can I keep my cat from being stolen?

You can’t. If they can get to your vehicle, a determined thief can get your catalytic converter given enough time and effort. You can make it unattractive for them, though.

The best solution is parking in a closed, locked garage to prevent all access to the vehicle. If you can’t park in a garage, find the best-lit parking area you can.
Install surveillance cameras where you park WHERE THE THIEVES CAN SEE THEM.
If you want to get more aggressive, some people have steel rebar welded on the cat to make it harder to cut. However, thieves can still cut through the rebar given time. Also, if you need to have legitimate work done to your exhaust system, the legit Technician will have to cut through as well which makes for a more expensive repair.
Toyota has created a Catloc device that clamps around the converter and makes it hard to remove if the exhaust pipe is cut. They don’t have locks for all models yet, but they’re working on it.
You can stencil or etch the license number of your vehicle to your catalytic converter. This won’t prevent theft directly, but may make it less attractive to a thief because of easier ID and prosecution. Police departments are sponsoring programs like these to reduce theft; the Rocklin, CA, police department’s “Etch and Catch” program is a good example.
Here at Tom Dwyer, we can install a shield to protect your cat… but only if you drive a Prius. If you’re interested, call us at 503-230-2300 and we’ll give you all the details.