{"id":4201,"date":"2023-02-08T21:26:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T21:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wheels2025dev.wpenginepowered.com\/resource\/why-is-catalytic-converter-theft-on-the-rise-and-what-to-do-about-it\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T23:54:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T23:54:59","slug":"why-is-catalytic-converter-theft-on-the-rise-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.wheels.com\/public\/resource\/why-is-catalytic-converter-theft-on-the-rise-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Catalytic Converter Theft on the Rise and What to Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thefts of\u00a0Catalytic\u00a0Converters are on the rise dramatically. According to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nada.org\/legislative\/fight-rising-catalytic-converter-theft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Automotive Dealers Association<\/a>, \u201cThe number of catalytic converter thefts reported in insurance company claims has greatly increased over the past three years, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that these thefts increased by 1,215% between 2019 and 2022.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<h2>Areas of Growing Concern<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list -->\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Catalytic\u00a0converters are tempting to thieves because of the value of their components. The average\u00a0catalytic\u00a0converter\u00a0contains one to two grams of three precious metals \u2013 platinum, palladium, and rhodium. \u00a0These stolen units are as good as gold \u2013 actually, better. For example, as of January 2023, the price of gold is $1,880 (USD) per ounce. Rhodium is currently worth $12,300 (USD) per ounce.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>For the most part,\u00a0catalytic\u00a0converter\u00a0thefts are often \u201ccrimes of opportunity.\u201d\u00a0 Parking vehicles in driveways, on the street, in poorly lit areas, and centralized parking lots with little to no security are all ideal scenarios for theft. \u00a0A thief can slip under a vehicle, make two quick cuts, and remove the\u00a0converter\u00a0using a battery-operated saw and metal-cutting blade.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Catalytic\u00a0converter\u00a0theft is a huge headache for fleets. There is downtime and cost involved in the repair, and it is also dangerous, since the hot exhaust blowing from sawed-open exhaust pipes could heat the vehicle\u2019s fuel tank and create a potential fire risk.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<h2>Steps to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list -->\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Park in well-lit and secure areas: Park in a garage or a well-lit area with surveillance cameras to deter thieves.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Use a catalytic converter lock: These locks physically secure the converter to the vehicle and make it more difficult for thieves to remove.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Etch the converter with a unique identification number: This makes it more difficult for thieves to sell the stolen converter and can aid in its recovery.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Be aware of suspicious activity: Keep an eye out for people loitering around parked cars or under vehicles and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Get it marked with the police: Some countries\/states provide free marking service that is done by the police, this makes it difficult for the thief to sell it.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that while these steps can help deter and prevent catalytic converter theft, they are not foolproof and cannot guarantee the safety of your converter. Please be vigilant in securing your company vehicle and help deter thieves from targeting your vehicle!<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5344\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wheels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Catalytic-Converter-Theft-Blog-Post-W-768x410.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"334\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thefts of\u00a0Catalytic\u00a0Converters are on the rise dramatically. According to the\u00a0National Automotive Dealers Association, \u201cThe number of catalytic converter thefts reported in insurance company claims has greatly increased over the past three years, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that these thefts increased by 1,215% between 2019 and 2022.\u201d Areas of Growing Concern Catalytic\u00a0converters are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":2016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[17],"project_tag":[],"class_list":["post-4201","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-blog","topics-industry-insights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why is Catalytic Converter Theft on the Rise? 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