Stolen catalytic converter

[gnukfu]

So has anyone had their catalytic converter stolen off their car? Mine was almost cut off my car by some thief when I was at a local mall. Because I am a fast shopper I must have come out of the mall too soon and they abandoned their "project". Apparently the catalyst is coated with precious metals and a used converter is worth about $150 at a salvage/scrap yard.

[ssutton219]

never seen one stolen off a car in a parking lot but had many visits while working for a wrecking yard..yeah depending on the market...150-500 a piece. The big thing round here is car theft...stealing broke down cars and selling them to wrecking yards for scrap.


Shawn

[aliefj96]

Never had it happen to me. I just recently read about that in USA Today. Apparently they contain platinum. Big trucks like the F250 and up are the hardest hit due to size and ease of access. From what I hear scrap yards will pay thieves around 35-50 for each one and turn around and make 500.

[The Professor]

Never; but having just got the one in my wife's car replaced, I'm wishing I would have asked for the old CC back!

[gnukfu]

I guess battery powered Sawz Alls make it easy to take in about a minute if you're a Pro. Cost $1300 bucks to replace along with the oxygen sensor and pipes they sliced through. Cost me the $500 insurance deductible.

[shaggy]

Originally Posted by aliefj96

Never had it happen to me. I just recently read about that in USA Today. Apparently they contain platinum. Big trucks like the F250 and up are the hardest hit due to size and ease of access. From what I hear scrap yards will pay thieves around 35-50 for each one and turn around and make 500.

please note that these are "scrap yards" not auto recyclers. legit auto recyclers do not buy parts off the street.

it is a big deal everywhere, vans and trucks are popular because they are easy to slide under.

[SmokeyJoe]

Had not heard about this ... wow.

[icehog3]

This has become a big thing in the town I work for the last month or two...not much you can do to protect yourself against this one away from your garage.

The other big trend is auto burglaries for GPS units. We are getting 3-5 of these a night in the apartment complex lots. My suggestion would be to have a unit that detaches easily from its mount so you can bring it inside, or at least put it in the glove box where it will be out of sight. Sometimes it costs the victim more to replace the car windows that are smashed out than to replace the GPS.

[sames]

Near my store (autoparts store) we have heard about dealerships being affected and other large trucks, due to the size of the cat converter.

We used to sell the tools the criminals are using, but now they are behind the counter and we will only sell them to reputable customers

[earnold25]

this is a big deal at my work campus. we've had multiple catalytic converters stolen in a short period of time. they tend to target the really tall SUV's and some vans (Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, etc.)

One person I know had his stolen twice in a two month period! They have since beefed up roaming security patrols, but it still sucks big time.

[Seanohue]

This happend to my parents about a year ago. They had parked at a park and ride and took a bus to New York for 3 days. When they came back, the whole damn exhaust system was stripped off. Cost them a big amount of money to fix it. Really sucks though

[Ashcan Bill]

Apparently this is a fairly big thing now. My wife works at a junior college and they hit the truck of one of the staff in broad daylight not long ago. The local PD said that college parking lots are a favorite venue for the thieves.

Some vehicles are targeted more than others. If I recall correctly, older Toyota trucks are especially popular.

[RGD]

Originally Posted by Seanohue

. . . the whole damn exhaust system was stripped off. . . .

Damn - now you guys are making me nervous - my F350 has 4" stainless steel SilverLine exhaust - not something I want to find missing!

Good thing I keep my converter in the garage -


Ron

[gnukfu]

I have a tiny SUV, a Honda Element, and yep it's real easy to slide right underneath and everything is right there for easy access. Crazy thing is I go to the darn mall maybe once per year. Just my luck.

[TideRoll]

The converter gets extremely hot while the engine is running (up to 1,600 degrees when operating normally, even higher if it gets clogged), so there is very little that can be done in terms of automakers or an after market exhaust shop moving it somewhere that is difficult to get to. It cannot be enclosed (other than the integral heat shield).