Catalytic converter why steal

There has been an alarming trend of people stealing catalytic converters from cars, trucks and buses because thieves often see value in the precious metals used to make the car parts. In New Jersey alone, two school districts have reported catalytic converter thefts from school buses not too long after dealing with the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida. Here is what to know about why potential thieves are attracted to these car parts and how you can protect yourself from getting your car parts stolen.

Thieves are motivated to steal catalytic converters because they contain precious metals, such as platinum and rhodium. Then, the thieves often sell the car parts for money on the black market. Harker added that a would-be thief can steal a catalytic converter from the underbelly of a car within 5-to minutes. Is it possible to live with an electric car even if you can't charge it at home? What Car? Catalytic converter theft - why is it so common? View all new car reviews. Car deals.

View all deals. What are the police doing to combat catalytic converter theft? Why are catalytic converters stolen? What is a catalytic converter? What are car makers doing to combat catalytic converter theft? What can car owners do to prevent theft?

Owning and running your car. News and advice. Least reliable electric and hybrid cars. Used Car of the Year Awards contenders: hybrid cars. Hybrid models like the Toyota Prius , which contain a higher percentage of precious metals, are also particularly at risk.

The Catloc can't guarantee theft prevention but it does make cutting the cat converter out more difficult. Unfortunately, if you don't park on your driveway then this can be significantly more difficult to implement. There are alternative options to keep an eye on your car when you park it up, like wildlife trail cameras - but realistically it's best to park in areas where there's possible CCTV filming anyway - like well-lit, well-traversed streets if you can't park off-street.

With the cost of CCTV systems falling an becoming an easy job to intall not requiring specialist services , it's never been simpler to keep an eye on your car. It's worth considering for peace of mind generally, not just for catalytic converter theft. This is another one that's more to do with common sense and lowering the chances of a crime being committed generally - it's not specific to catalytic converter theft.

Thieves are often opportunistic and the equipment required to cut out a cat converter is pretty heavy-duty, but once a vehicle is targeted - thieves tend to wait for an opportunity to strike as the theft itself takes a matter of minutes.

If you park in an area that's well lit, which people regularly walk past, you're less likely to come back to find your catalytic converter has been pinched. If your vehicle doesn't have an alarm and you live in an area where cat converter thefts are on the rise big cities like London , it's definitely time to invest in one.

The noise of the alarm should be enough to scare off any thieves. The CatClamp 'clamps' to the exhaust pipes, not the converter, allowing different sized and shaped converters to be protected.

This eliminates the risk of damaging the converter, heat shield or oxygen sensors. If you don't have a garage you can access, try to park alongside other vehicles or in designated parking areas - i. If you operate a small fleet, consider obstructing access to vehicles with high ground clearance by parking lower vehicles close by. Also, keep an eye out for anyone who seems to be working underneath cars nearby, they could very well be scouting out their next target vehicle.

Catalytic converters have been fitted to car exhausts as standard for almost 30 years to reduce harmful emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. The metals act as catalysts as the name suggests and convert the harmful gases into water vapour and less harmful emissions. Before the arrival of catalytic converters, exhaust fumes would exit the exhaust pipe with no filtering at all.

The motor insurer Admiral reports a recent increase in catalytic converter thefts with thieves looking for good quality parts from Japanese models such as the Honda Jazz , Toyota Prius , Toyota Auris and Lexus RX of all generations and ages.

Hybrids are at particular risk, because their catalytic converters contain a higher concentration of precious metals and are generally less corroded. As long as you have a policy that covers against theft, yes. Though this may vary between insurers, so you should check your policy. If your catalytic converter has been stolen, you'll need to contact the police immediately and, following that, your insurer who will advise you on what to do next.

Depending on the damage, you may not be able to drive your car, so it's worth getting in contact with your garage too. Plug-in hybrid cars will have a catalytic converter, but purely electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf , Renault Zoe and Volkswagen ID3 do not have an internal combustion engine and therefore do not require an exhaust system, including a catalytic converter. These claim to make it harder for thieves to hack through. But they can also create problems. Paul A. Eisenstein is an NBC News contributor who covers the auto industry.

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