Catalytic converters: A steal of a deal

They say the best journalists really live their stories, experiencing them firsthand to capture the truth. Well, that’s exactly what I (Alex) did last night by having the catalytic converter on my Prius stolen. Again. For the third time, in fact.

And it’s not just me. Catalytic converter theft is going up faster than the house in Up – in 2018, there were 1,298 thefts reported; in 2021, that number rose to over 52,000. That’s an increase of 3,900+%.

🤔🚗 Why is it happening?... For starters, they’re easy to steal. We’re talking under two minutes for someone to get under your car, saw off the catalytic converter – which converts pollutant gasses into less toxic byproducts – and bolt. The catalyst causing the reaction is almost always a precious metal such as platinum, rhodium, or palladium, each of which can fetch thousands of dollars when sold by the ounce.

• That’s also about the repair cost for consumers; without insurance replacing a converter runs between $1,000 to $3,000.

🏛 Big picture: To combat this growing problem, Congress earlier this month introduced the Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts (PART) Act. It would make the theft, sale, or known purchase of stolen catalytic converters a federal criminal offense, and require ID’ing each one that's manufactured to make them easier for police to trace.

+ In case it helps: You can minimize the chances of having your catalytic converter stolen by installing anti-theft devices such as cages, shields, locks, and alarms. Also park in well-lit areas and garages, if possible, and paint your converter a bright neon color to deter thieves. Or you can just do what I’m doing from now on: sleep through the day and camp out by the car every night🦉.