Catalytic converter theft...

[coltle6920]

It seems to be a growing problem in Aurora and Denver,CO.

Three minutes or less is all it takes for someone with a cordless sawsall. Any converter is fair game although the ones on vehicles with a lot of clearance are the easiest.

There's a mineral used in the converter which is immensely expensive making it highly profitable in the recycle market. The cost to replace the converter could be well over 1k and that doesn't include what damage there might be to the rest of the exhaust system.

My F-150 is too big for the garage and all of my time is spent in the back area of the house. I only go out about once a week and dread turning the ignition key fearing the startup might sound like something at Daytona.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I always heard there was some kind of expensive metal in them. (More than aluminum.) Something about air bags, too, but that would set off the alarm.

 

[arjay]

My sister had hers swiped off of her F 250 up in Evergreen. She heard the sawzall,but was half asleep thinking who runs a saw in the middle of the night?! Wadda jerk!

 

[metrotps]

A very big problem in the Pacific Northwest.
Q13 FOX

 

[dasnake]

I read ..........

If you are so worried look up "cat security" they have a variety of models for cars, but I figure if you can't find one for your vehicle a guy who is handy could make one.
I was looking at some means of protection as my truck is two feet off the ground, but i took mine out, put it away, redid the exhaust and computer but that is just me, I think my first suggestion is more for the average person/vehicle, good luck.

 

[lihpster]

Two words: Trunk Monkey.

 

[dasnake]

That made me laff........

Two words: Trunk Monkey.

Those ads were great, laff and laff.

 

[hsguy]

I think Red Green could do something with duct tape.

 

[dasnake]

Yaas....

I think Red Green could do something with duct tape.

Tape up the knob and throw him in the river with the sawzall and two concrete bricks, unless you need a sawzall.

 

[glenwolde]

They contain platinum, palladium, and rhodium. They are easily sold to recyclers.

Park next to a Prius...they'll take them instead of yours. The Prius has more of all those precious metals than any other car and are a prime target.

Your average catalytic converter is worth maybe $150 at a recycler. But some can go up to several hundred dollars.

 

[Stevens]

Years ago they were being stolen because some amount of platinum was a component of the converter. I don't know if that is still the case.
Steve W

 

[LoboGunLeather]

My sources tell me that many of the catalytic converter thefts are done on order for sketchy repair shops. Customer needs a replacement for a particular make/model vehicle, thieves are told what to look for, paid on delivery, stolen converter is installed in the customer's vehicle and on the road within a day or so.

Usual hunting grounds include motel parking lots. Target vehicle is spotted, thief with a cordless recip saw is dropped off, crawls under the vehicle and does the dirty deed, then he is picked up and gone within a few minutes.

Anyone who has experienced catalytic converter replacement can tell you that this is a $1000-plus exercise in normal business at a repair shop. If someone offers to replace your cat converter for much less (paid in cash, of course) you might be funding the midnight salvage operations done by a meth-head on orders by an unscrupulous mechanic.

I don't know about the recycling value of these things, but catalytic converters use fairly significant amounts of silver and platinum which are probably recoverable with the proper techniques. That would probably require a much larger operation than a back alley mechanic shop doing the occasional replacement job using stolen parts.

 

[GaryS]

It was a big enough problem for Toyota Tacomas on the west coast that Toyota redesigned the system. The cat is way up on the exhaust manifold and very hard to get to.

I haven't heard of it on the east coast, at least not yet.

 

[lihpster]

That would probably require a much larger operation than a back alley mechanic shop doing the occasional replacement job using stolen parts.

The scrap yards that take the copper wire that they strip out of vacant houses along with the copper pipes or any of the other metals they commonly steal will buy them all day long and twice on Sunday. They know they're stolen, but it's hard to prove which one goes to which car so it's pretty risk free for the scrappers.

Another thing I've heard of lately is tailgate thefts. Just pull the tailgate off a truck and take that to the scrappers. Or sell it on ebay or craigslist.

 

[LVSteve]

There's a recently opened used dealership that's been targeted multiple times because they haven't got their security systems up yet.

 

[Justin T]

It is a huge problem in the Houston area. Toyotas seem to be especially favored. And ours are not just destined for scrapyards around here either-they end up in Mexico too.

 

[dasnake]

To long in the city.........

The scrap yards that take the copper wire that they strip out of vacant houses along with the copper pipes or any of the other metals they commonly steal will buy them all day long and twice on Sunday. They know they're stolen, but it's hard to prove which one goes to which car so it's pretty risk free for the scrappers.

Another thing I've heard of lately is tailgate thefts. Just pull the tailgate off a truck and take that to the scrappers. Or sell it on ebay or craigslist.

Covered that also, put a handle lock in and your slide side for lifting the gate out I've got a wrap around lock that doesn't allow removal, over a grand for a new gate (conventional) a few bucks for restraint won't kill me, I've also got a clamp on wheel lock (Denver boot style) to keep things mine.

 

[dmn57]

It's been a big deal in Chattanooga for several months. Up several hundred percent from previous years.

 

[Kanewpadle]

The real problem is recyclers. State law requires them to obtain a valid driver's license and the VIN.

 

[zzclancy]

Governor Polis put Colorado on California emission standards.

The catalytic converter that was $600 became $1800 plus $200 to install. It cost us $2000 total to replace.

The Firestone at 136th and Huron told me one night they got six cars on the lot that were there for repairs.