You might not think about the possibility of your catalytic converter being stolen when you buy your first car, but you probably should.
As it turns out, some car models are more likely to be targeted by thieves than others and are often very expensive to replace.
In this blog post, we look at which car catalytic converters are most and least likely to be stolen. So if you are concerned about this potential threat, read on!
Why do thieves steal catalytic converters?
In many cars, the catalytic converter is easily available. With an angle grinder, it can be removed quickly, in just a few minutes. Catalyst contains precious and rare minerals that cost a lot of money.
Today, palladium still fetches $2,500 an ounce and is just one of the minerals found in catalysts. In fact, this price has skyrocketed above the value of gold.
Cars with minimal risk of catalytic converter theft
Cars with a catalytic converter in the engine compartment are much less likely to be stolen. Many American and some Asian car brands often have less valuable catalytic converters. You can also buy an electric, diesel or older car without a catalytic converter.
1. Some branded cars
American brands such as Ford, Chevy, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler tend to have less valuable catalytic converters and are therefore less likely to be stolen. Some Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru models also fall into this category.
Many brands used cat models that limited the amount of precious metals inside. Thieves usually do enough research to know to stay away from these signs.
2. Cars with inverters in the engine compartment
In many cars, the catalytic converter is installed in the engine compartment instead of being located further away from the car’s exhaust system. This design makes it more difficult for a thief to steal.
No burglar wants to do the extra work to get to these cats, so they switch to another model. Many car models such as Audi, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen fall into this category.
3. Cars manufactured before 1974
If you drive a car manufactured before 1974, you don’t have to worry about the catalytic converter being stolen. None of these vehicles have catalytic converters installed.
After that, the government intervened to clean up the emissions. For this reason, a catalytic converter must be mandatory in vehicles.
4. Electric cars
Catalysts clean gas or diesel emissions. That’s why cars that use electricity don’t have a catalytic converter.
Since no gaseous waste escapes from the car, there is no need to clean anything. By plugging into a power source to charge the battery, no gas or diesel is used. Volkswagen e-gold, Audi E-Tron and Tesla models are popular choices.
5. Diesel vehicles
Diesel vehicles use a different type of catalyst than gasoline cars. Most transformer thieves know that these are not as valuable as gas-powered catalytic converters.
Diesel converters or so-called soot filters are usually not made of rhodium, palladium or platinum. Since these are the precious metals thieves are looking for, they often pass through a diesel vehicle.
6. Cars equipped with bead converters
Pearl cats are full of pearls. More experienced thieves know which cars contain these catalytic converters because they are worthless even if they are bigger.
Chevy was known for using a heel converter. This type also has some other GM models.
Cars with the highest risk of catalytic converter theft
The cars most likely to have a catalytic converter stolen are hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. Trucks and SUVs are also highly targeted due to their large engines (valuable catalytic converters) and high ground clearance, making the catalytic converter easily accessible.
Hybrid cars
If the vehicle focuses on producing clean emissions, the inverter is likely to be more expensive. In order to keep the environment clean, the car manufacturer installs higher levels of palladium in the cats.
Also because the car already drives cleaner with the help of an electric motor, the cats are not used heavily. Of course, this design also means a higher price tag for the car. The Toyota Prius is one of those highly targeted examples of catalytic converter theft.
