Catalytic Converters: The Latest Target
Car thieves used to smash windows, get inside vehicles, hotwire and drive off with them. Then, they’d either sell it outright to someone or take it to a “chop shop” to have it stripped for its parts. While that still happens throughout the nation, a new trend is becoming increasingly common: the theft of catalytic converters. Today, I’ll explain what this important component does and why it’s a target of car thieves. Then, we’ll explore how to prevent yours from being taken from you.
Why And How They’re Stolen
In the 1970′s, a federal law was passed that required all vehicles to have a catalytic converter installed. The purpose was to protect the environment from a number of harmful pollutants, such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. These compounds are produced by cars, trucks, and SUVs during operation and escape into the environment through the exhaust. A catalytic converter prevents that from happening.
The reason why thieves steal them is because they’re built with a number of valuable metals, including platinum and gold. By ripping them out from under your car, they can sell them, often for as much as $200. The component is popular with thieves because they can be taken from your vehicle within 2 or 3 minutes. The only tool needed is a wrench.
Replacement Costs
If yours is stolen, plan to spend $1,000 to have it replaced. The part itself doesn’t cost much. The majority of the expense is due to labor fees to have a new one installed. But, it gets worse. Because of how the part is positioned under the hood, it’s relatively easy for a thief to accidentally damage the fuel line. If that happens, plan to spend a lot more money to have the damage repaired.
Preventing The Theft
If you ask your mechanic how to prevent your catalytic converter from being stolen, he’ll probably mention that you can shear off the bolt heads that keep it in place. That way, someone armed with a wrench won’t be able to get a grip on the bolts and therefore, won’t be able to remove the part. There are other options.
Because this component has become so popular with crooks, a few companies have designed products aimed at preventing its theft. Most of them were created to discourage thieves by making the component more difficult remove (for example, by placing a metal cage around it). The thought is that crooks will simply leave your car alone and move on to easier targets if it takes too long to remove the thing.
In the end, park in well-lit places and shave the bolt heads that keep your catalytic converter attached. If you take only those 2 steps, you’ll likely dissuade 90% of the crooks.