- Here's a question for you.
What do an Ford f250 gasoline truck
and a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid have in common?
Is it that they both like to weave through traffic
and then do 55 in the fast lane once the road is clear?
Well yes, but they also have something else in common.
They are both prime targets for catalytic converter theft.
During the lockdown of 2020
catalytic converter theft more than quadrupled.
But why is it this one part of your exhaust system
that many enthusiasts wish they didn't have, so valuable?
Who's stealing these things?
And more importantly, who's buying these stolen cats?
Today, we're going to look at this criminal epidemic
hitting car owners and show you what a trash fire
of a human being you'd have to be
to steal a catalytic converter.
Seriously, don't do it.
For those of you who don't know
a catalytic converter or cat
is an essential part of your exhaust system
that was added to all cars in the US in 1975.
In 1970, the EPA was formed and gave car manufacturers
five years to reduce emissions from automobiles by 90%.
That sounds like an impossible feat.
But the OEMs managed to pull it off.
Thanks to catalytic converters.
Cats use metals such as rhodium, platinum
and palladium as catalysts.
When heated up while driving these catalysts react with
harmful chemicals in your exhaust, neutralizing them
and turning them into inert, safe gases.
Well this is a pretty impressive feat.
It uses some very expensive metals
and those rare metals are what the thieves are after.
Platinum, as you might expect is very expensive
at about a thousand dollars an ounce.
But palladium is three times more expensive.
These are some crazy precious metals.
But what really makes catalytic converters
so valuable to thieves, is rhodium.
(up-tempo plucky music)
at the beginning of 2020
rhodium went for a staggering $5,000 an ounce
but the madness doesn't end there.
Rhodium has always been in short supply.
And when the global pandemic shut down the mines
the cost of rhodium went through the roof.
This year it hit its peak of over $25,000 an ounce.
That's a lot of money sitting under
nearly every car on the road.
Catalytic converters have very small amounts
of these metals. And as the cat gets older
these metals get used up
as they react to the harmful exhaust gases.
But right now, even scrap ones have enough rhodium
and palladium in them to sell for 100
200 or even 300 bucks.
And if someone steals yours, you've got to get a new one
which could cost a thousand to $1,500.
But besides material theft
how are you affected by a stolen cat?
Well, basically means your exhaust is
exiting right under the center of your car.
Not only is it excessively loud
but it also means the hot exhaust gases
are getting let out where they're not supposed to.
And depending on your car, that could melt wires
hoses and do other damage to your car.
Even a short drive to the mechanic could do some damage.
But if you find that your cat has been stolen
you're probably in good enough shape
to drive to the nearest shop. You'll probably be okay.
But what makes a car a target for catalytic converter theft?
Will a thief just go to any old car?
Well, some cars get targeted more than others
and because not all cats are the same
as some cats are worth more than others.
Generally, a catalytic converter lasts about 10 years.
So thieves tend to target newer cars.
The humble Toyota Prius has long been a target of
catalytic converter theft because it's a hybrid.
But that is not because hybrids have more expensive cats
while it's true that hybrids tend to have
a little more palladium in them than most cars
the main reason that plug-in hybrids get targeted
is simply because they use the engine less.
Most Prius owners can do their commute
all in the electric power of the car
and barely even use the internal combustion engine.
This means less gas is going out of the exhaust
and therefore more rare metal
is still in the catalytic converter.
But that's not the only reason a car gets targeted.
On the total other end of the spectrum is the Ford F250.
The F250 is a big target for catalytic converter theft
because the OEM cat can cost $2,500. It's a big boy.
And I guess the F250's exhaust needs a lot of catalyzing
to make it road legal.
Which means more valuable metals being used as catalysts.
But also with this truck and many others
it's easy to get to the catalytic converter.
Most of these can just slide right under that truck.
You don't need to lift it at all, no extra equipment.
Which actually brings me to my next point.
How are people stealing something that's welded to your car?
Well, it's actually a lot easier than you think.
All you need, is one of these.
Turns out the metal use for exhaust piping
is really, really thin.
Once a thief is under your car
it can take as little as 30 seconds to make two cuts
and be gone without anyone noticing.
Even dealerships get hit.
This Mitsubishi dealership in Texas
lost 20 catalytic converters in just 20 minutes.
I now realize, I basically gave a tutorial
on how to steal these things.
So I want to reiterate, do not do this.
Do not be a scumbag.
I'm willing to bet if someone catches you
they won't be so kind.
Once a catalytic converter has been stolen
your car is going to sound a little different.
Since the thieves have cut the exhaust piping
they essentially did a muffler delete on your car.
You'd basically end up with a straight pipe car.
I got to tell you, it's not the sound you'd expect
to come out of a Prius.
(Prius humming)
So, the question that's been bothering me is
once a thief has your cat
how do they turn that into cold, hard cash?
Thieves take the stolen catalytic converters
to local junkyards to sell them.
Which is where I found the whole thing would fall apart.
As the thief would get caught selling a cat
that had been reported stolen.
Unfortunately, this often isn't the case.
Since catalytic converters really only last 10 years
they don't have any sort of identification on them
that would tie them to your car.
There's no VIN number or anything on the cat.
It would be almost impossible for a junk yard
to tell a stolen cat
from one that was pulled from a wreck or an old car.
Plenty of people are selling catalytic converters
for legitimate reasons.
And there's no system to distinguish them from thieves.
Some of you might say
that it's the junkyard's responsibility
to find out where the cat they're buying came from
but without any kind of regulation or enforcement
the themes would just go to a different junk yard.
And the ones that were following the rules
would lose business.
If OEM started putting VINs on catalytic converters
however, that might be a start.
But it would be years before that system would be
common enough for junkyards to require proof of ownership
to sell the catalytic converters. And by then
it's pretty likely all the new cars will be electric anyway.
and the thieves will be stealing batteries or (indistinct)
or whatever, whatever the new grift is.
I'll say it again. Do not steal catalytic converters.
Not just because it's illegal
but I've heard plenty of stories of thieves that were
crushed by cars because they were in a rush.
Some might call that comeuppance.
So what can you do as a car owner
to protect yourself from the absolute douche bags
that would want to steal your cat?
Well, there's a few things that work
and a few things that don't.
Insurance companies recommend things like
parking in well lit areas or in a garage.
Wow. Thanks for the wisdom, guys.
Another suggestion is getting your VIN engraved on the cat.
Since the rise in these thefts
many local shops are doing this for free.
You can also check with your local police department.
A few of them have programs for VIN engravings.
If you want to make your cat trackable.
A lot of times, cops will sponsor an event
where you can get this done for free.
Honestly, I think VINs on cats is a pretty good idea.
But it needs to come from the manufacturer.
It needs to be something to junk yards can expect to see.
Otherwise, a thief can just file it off.
Also, it won't stop someone
from stealing a catalytic converter in the first place.
For that, you're going to need a cat shield.
A cat shield, or cat plate is just a thick piece of metal
welded on the bottom of your car
covering your catalytic converter.
There are companies that make pre-cut ones
for almost any car, or you can just cut any sheet metal
and do it yourself. Even a cage of rebar would work.
It really doesn't take much to keep your cat safe
and you can use this as a good opportunity
to work on your car or practice welding
or have a local shop do it for you.
Again, that's just adding another step.
If a thief was really determined, they can still cut through
just about anything you weld to your car.
But since speed is such a big part of
catalytic converter theft. It's more likely that
they'll move on to an easier target.
I like the idea of cat shields
because not only do they protect your cat
but they smooth out the bottom of your car
giving you more aerodynamic surface
like the floor of a race car, some extra shielding.
Like a freaking skid plate, hell yeah.
(Eagle screeches)
In fact, car enthusiasts have plenty of ways
to deter criminals from cat theft.
Are you on airbag suspension?
Drop your car to the absolute ground.
No one will be able to steal your cat
if the car is too low to get a Jack under there.
I'll say for non-California
maybe consider straight piping your car.
No one can steal your cat if it's not there.
Seriously though, I think the only way
for these kinds of thefts
is for OEMs to have some kind of serial number
or a way to track catalytic converters
and for scrapyards and recyclers to have some sort of
accountability for buying stolen parts.
If you have an idea that could #SaveTheCats
leave a comment down below.
Thank you very much for watching Wheelhouse.
If you've ever had your catalytic converter stolen
let me know down in the comments, sorry that happened.
I'd like to hear about your experience.
Luckily, my car is pretty low
and the cats are in an extremely inconvenient place.
Just watch this episode of Money Pit
to find out how we put some exhaust cutouts on my car.
And as you'll see, the exhaust system in a 2006 Mustang
is kind of annoying.
Go ahead and follow Donut on all social media @donutmedia
we've been posting a lot of fire memes lately
on the old Instagram there, it's been a lot of fun.
Follow me @nolanjsykes
Be kind, I'll see you next week.
Can I borrow someone's jack?