If you own a Prius, please get a shield for your catalytic converter
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Anonymous
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Of the 3 Prius’ in our neighborhood, all 3 had their catalytic converters stolen in the last week.
We are in Rockville. They are not cheap to replace and you can spend $100 on a part to guard it from theft. These are very hot items for thieves right now. Please spread the word !! |
Anonymous
| Catalytic converters are being stolen off all models of cars, not just the Prius. FYI. |
Anonymous
| OK, so I basically.live I'm a mole.hole. Why would anyone want to steal.catalytic converter's??? |
Anonymous
| How is it taken? Is it just on newer models? |
Anonymous
$200 per converter at junk yards. Palladium and platinum prices are through the roof. |
Anonymous
Yes, but apparently they're particularly vulnerable from being stolen from underneath from Priuses. |
Anonymous
| How do you know it’s been stolen? Will the car not start? What happens? It’s under the car so I would not even see it. |
Anonymous
Oh, you'll know. The car (Prius or any car) will start but will be super loud as the exhaust is no longer going through the muffler/tailpipe. Generally, the catalysts are not stolen to be used on another car. It usually gets sold for peanuts to a recycler who will recover the precious metals. Someone with a cordless sawzall can remove the catalytic converter in about a minute. These things seem to go in waves as a group of thieves will hit an area until there's too much attention and they move on to another local. The part that's odd is the Prius angle. The Prius has a tiny catalytic converter. More or less, the bigger the engine the bigger the catalyst. They should be hitting F-150s. Maybe a guy learned how to get the catalyst out of a Prius easily and is just doing what he know. I have a Prius and will not lose sleep over this not-the-end-of-the-world sort of crime. This article has some ideas. https://www.allstate.com/tr/car-insurance/catalytic-converter-theft.aspx |
Anonymous
| The reason Prius catalytic converters are particularly vulnerable is that they are easily accessible under the car, and a Prius does not use its engine as often as other cars so the catalytic converter does not lose as much of the precious metal inside. |
Anonymous
| I don't understand why it's not illegal for junkyards to pay anyone for these. RV storage lots around us have been hit. |
Anonymous
Because they don't sell them to junkyards. They cut the catalytic converter honeycomb out and send it to a smelter to recover the precious metal. |