Your Car’s Catalytic Converters is in Danger of Theft – Here’s Why

From your seventh-grade science lesson about car pollution, you may have learned that catalytic converters have greatly reduced toxic car emissions. They catalyze harmful emissions through oxidation, breaking them into non-toxic gas emissions or water vapors.

Shutterstock | Catalytic converter of a modern car bottom view

Does that mean that thieves have become eco-friendly?

Unfortunately, saving the environment is the last on a thieve’s mind when they hit your car intending to steal. They may care zilch about the ozone layer, harmful gasses, and their adverse effects on the environment. Unfortunately, they are guided by other motives when they grab the catalytic converter from your car, which are as follows.

They’re easy to steal

A saw is all a thief needs to steal your car’s catalytic converter. All it takes is sneaking to your vehicle’s underside and cutting off the pipe that helps amber it to your car. It is this simple. Not even a car jack is needed to slide under the car. In fact, a novice thief might deem your car an easy and rewarding target on their first foray to prove their skill.

They can be sold off at high rates

As surprising as it may sound for you, catalytic converters have 3 precious metals in their make. Palladium is more expensive than gold, an ounce ranging at $2500 whereas gold is only for $1900. Likewise, platinum, rhodium, and other metals together make catalytic converters a good steal.

They are difficult to track in case of theft

If stolen, tracking your lost catalytic converter is next to impossible. The catalytic converter does not come with an identification code that can match your converter to your car. Also, in most regions stealing a CAT is not considered a major crime worth consideration. Thus, the black market for converters is at its peak.

Shutterstock | CATs are always in high demand

How to safeguard your catalytic converter?

Due to the lockdown, most of your cars are parked in the street, seeing no or minimal use. You are avoiding grocery runs, working from home, and avoiding going out altogether. That means if by chance someone comes and steals your car, you might not even know till days later when you decide to take a drive along the street to beat boredom.

Thus, thieves are utilizing this opportunity to their favor. In fact, the people who have started stealing as an escape from poverty brought about by the economic depression may view your CAT as an easy target.

Shutterstock | Your car isn’t safe out in the open

To protect your car, park it in a closed or safe garage space. You could also invest in a Catlock– a device that makes stealing your CAT difficult. Otherwise, you could ensure that you always park your car in a crowded and well-lit space, position it in congested corners to make sliding underneath difficult.