Catalytic converter thefts

CaptainRAVE · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:24

Thought I'd start a new thread for this (not sure if there is one already?) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-catalytic-converters-from-hybrid-cars-surges

Didn't even realise it was a thing until a load got stolen last night from my gym car park.

Apparently hybrids are most at risk as their cats aren't used much and Toyota cats are really accessible upto the 2020 model year.

A local garage near me said that there is now a 3 month wait for some of these parts and a 2000% increase in thefts. Crazy.

bazzabear · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:27

CaptainRAVE said:
A local garage near me said that there is now a 3 month wait for some of these parts .

But the local scrapyard has them available on the shelf...

CaptainRAVE · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:31

bazzabear said:
But the local scrapyard has them available on the shelf...

That's what I thought, but perhaps it is the configuration or connected parts that also need replacing that are causing the issue?

233 · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:31

common issue sadly, as they fetch good prices for what is 10 minutes work per car at most for the thieves.

most wil just be jack it up under with a battery angle grinder chop chop and away with a couple hundred quids worth of cat

Haze · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:47

Never heard of cats being stolen? Welcome to the 21st century and leaving your cave

Yaayuh! · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:47

How is this happening? I assume it's going to take quite some time to steal?

Marc2180 · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:49

It's the precious metals inside them, the theives will sell them to scrap metal merchants. Some are worth a fortune. The 2004-2006 roughly prius has got very valuable cats, worth about 400-500 in scrap, theres a few videos out there of theives jacking up the car, using a reciprocating saw and being away in under 60 seconds.

Haze · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:50

Rossi~ said:
How is this happening? I assume it's going to take quite some time to steal?

Not sure if serious..... They cut them off, takes about 5mins per cat with the right tools and knowing what you are doing

CaptainRAVE · 3 Oct 2019 at 14:51

Rossi~ said:
How is this happening? I assume it's going to take quite some time to steal?

I would have thought so until I read up on it.

Haze said:
Not sure if serious..... They cut them off, takes about 5mins per cat with the right tools and knowing what you are doing

Yup, just a few minutes apparently with a battery saw. I mean, this was done in a pretty busy car park (albeit with a few dark corners). That said, they could probably do this in broad daylight and most people would carry on with their day.

Steampunk · 3 Oct 2019 at 15:29

Couple of hospital car parks, and a few big supermarket car parks were done en masse in areas surrounding me last year. Security goes up after the fact, and the thieves move on to the next big car park. Some cars are just notoriously easy to do as the cats are right at the back and you barely have to jack the car up if at all. Quite a few manufacturers now put the cats much closer to the engine, supposedly to make them harder to steal.

ScoobyDoo69 · 3 Oct 2019 at 16:30

They'll be disappointed when they lift a tuned car and find no cats

ShiWarrior · 3 Oct 2019 at 16:39

yep they get stolen, you can buy Catalytic converter locks to stop this

http://www.catsafe.org.uk/

Dyson · 3 Oct 2019 at 16:41

ScoobyDoo69 said:
They'll be disappointed when they lift a tuned car and find no cats

Trouble is they'd probably still cut the exhaust out of spite

Nasher · 3 Oct 2019 at 16:52

I bet you don't even need a jack on SUVs. They should probably start making underside panels cover the exhaust.

Tee Hee Johnson · 4 Oct 2019 at 13:10

ShiWarrior said:
yep they get stolen, you can buy Catalytic converter locks to stop this

http://www.catsafe.org.uk/

Surely they could just take a slightly longer bit of pipe.

Havana_UK · 4 Oct 2019 at 14:03

Tee Hee Johnson said:
Surely they could just take a slightly longer bit of pipe.

Won't work the way these are installed...they effectively lock the cat to structural elements of the car. There's an installation video showing how it works.

Kenai · 4 Oct 2019 at 14:13

Rossi~ said:
How is this happening? I assume it's going to take quite some time to steal?

This 44 second long YouTube video will probably enlighten you!

The most time is probably spent jacking the car up in the first place

Quartz · 4 Oct 2019 at 14:16

Havana_UK said:
Won't work the way these are installed...they effectively lock the cat to structural elements of the car. There's an installation video showing how it works.

I watched the video: the clamp is fitted on the pipe leading to the cat so they just the pipe behind the clamp. Or they cut the cables with a bolt-cutter.

Sabitech · 4 Oct 2019 at 14:18

There was a bout of this around my area... Mostly Landrover freelanders...They were coming with a electric hand saw and zoom through.

Flack88 · 4 Oct 2019 at 14:54

Kenai said:
This 44 second long YouTube video will probably enlighten you!

The most time is probably spent jacking the car up in the first place

Bold as brass, no one bats an eyelid. Probs done them a favour with that car however.