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Catalytic converter theft is on the rise nationwide. Thieves tin can steal this antipollution device in a matter of minutes and sell information technology to flake metal dealers for several hundred dollars for the precious metals it contains.

Insurance behemothic State Farm says information technology handled iii times equally many catalytic converter theft claims in 2021 as it did in 2020 — and more than 10 times as many as in 2019.

A replacement for a stolen catalytic converter tin price every bit much as $3,000 for the frequently-targeted Toyota Prius, says Colby Sandman, owner of Muffler Tech in Sacramento, California, who saw an uptick in thefts equally the lockdowns took agree. At present, his shop replaces fifteen to twenty stolen catalytic converters each day.

Such a theft is a "crime of opportunity," Sandman says, so removing that piece of cake opening will cause these cat burglars to move on to easier prey.

Here are the height tips from mechanics and police enforcement agencies to avoid a wrenching experience and a costly repair.

Your Car-Buying Cheat Canvas

Go Nerdy quick tips on how to streamline the automobile-buying process even earlier you hitting the dealership.

1. Know if you're a target for catalytic converter theft

Call a good local muffler store and ask what cars have been targeted in your area, Sandman recommends. I called a shop and, sure enough, they reeled off many vehicles affected nearby, such equally Ford trucks, Honda Elements and Jeep Cherokees, that had often been seen in the shop for a catalytic converter replacement.

"The Prius is the No. 1 vehicle for cat thefts" in the Sacramento surface area, Sandman says. As an ultra low-emissions vehicle, the Prius has a catalytic converter that contains more of the rhodium, palladium and platinum that render pollutants harmless.

Trucks and SUVs are ofttimes hit past thieves considering it's easy to slide under the vehicle rather than jack it up. Sometimes thieves unbolt the catalytic converter, but more often they only cut the connecting pipes using a battery-operated saw.

two. Install an anti-theft device on your catalytic converter

Investing in a cable locking device is much cheaper than replacing a catalytic converter, says Arantxa Chavarria, public data officer for the Long Beach, California, police department. The internet is filled with such devices to protect the catalytic converter, which is part of the frazzle system that runs along the bottom of your car. The anti-theft devices Sandman'southward shop installs range from $250 to $800.

Here are a few of the pop devices:

• A steel shield that fits over the catalytic converter, requiring time and extra tools to remove.

• Cages made of rebar or other high-strength steel that's difficult to cut.

• Stainless steel cables welded from the catalytic converter to the machine'southward frame.

Some muffler shops will custom-weld such a device to your automobile. But Sandman cautions that attaching the catalytic converter directly to the car's frame tin be noisy since the exhaust system otherwise is suspended from the car by sound-buffering hangers.

3. Pigment your catalytic converter

Some sources recommend using a high-temperature fluorescent orange paint, such as those sprayed on charcoal-broil grills, on your catalytic converter and and then inscribing your vehicle identification number in the painted surface. This makes it traceable, and in theory at least, a reputable chip metal dealer might refuse to buy information technology.

four. Set an warning or camera to grab thieves

You can turn upwardly the sensitivity of your car alert so that information technology goes off when thieves jostle your car. That's fine, merely as Sandman points out, then the alarm blares when your cat jumps on the car in the middle of the night. Other alarms are designed to be activated when the automobile is tilted, such as when it's jacked upwards. Installing a motion-sensitive dash cam can notify yous of a theft in progress or possibly record the license plate of the getaway car.

In addition to alarms, Chavarria recommends getting motility-sensitive lights and parking in your driveway or a closed garage whenever possible. She also suggests getting to know your neighbors so y'all can recognize strangers who might be casing parked vehicles. I checked my local Nextdoor.com and found almost a dozen accounts of catalytic converter thefts in the by three months.

5. Bank check your car insurance

Comprehensive insurance covers stolen motorcar parts.

If you take full coverage — liability insurance, plus collision and comprehensive policies that repair or replace your ain motorcar — y'all're covered, minus your deductible amount. It'due south typically required if you have a loan or lease. If yous have a vehicle at loftier hazard for a catalytic converter theft, you might consider lowering your deductible amount.

If you behave liability coverage just, you lot're not covered for theft.

What to practice if your catalytic converter is stolen

If you come out in the morn and start your car, you'll know past the loud exhaust noise that your catalytic converter was stolen. Here are a few steps that can go you lot going over again:

• Aftermarket catalytic converters are cheaper, merely make certain they're allowed in your state. A proficient muffler shop should know what'southward legal. In some cases, an aftermarket catalytic converter will be less desirable and prevent future thefts.

• Ask your mechanic if driving your car without the catalytic converter will further damage it. If not, bulldoze only to the repair shop.

• Contact your insurance company and accept pictures of the damaged exhaust piping where the catalytic converter used to exist.

• File a police report, which can easily exist washed online in many jurisdictions. This will assist constabulary track such crimes and might assist in arrests.

• While your new catalytic converter is being installed, inquire the repair shop about calculation an anti-theft device to prevent future thefts.

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Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/5-ways-to-foil-catalytic-converter-thieves

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