Prius catalytic converter thefts ....

Go on youtube and search

Prius stolen

Lots of Prius cat theft info and all of the info on anti theft devices etc.

We see a lot of California reports is Seattle getting epidemic now too?

Haven’t heard of many in Florida but we are on guard with our G2.

 

Corrupt metal recyclers. And 'fences' deliberately creating a market path for thieves, to be somehow laundered into the legitimate recycling supply chain.

I talked to a sheriff's office employee sometime in the past couple months, suggesting that an item they put out picturing a failed attempt (interrupted) at Prius wheel theft, was more likely an intended converter theft. Nobody wants Prius wheels.

She responded that converters are being taken from all vehicle models, that there was no special pattern of Prius cat thefts around here. I'm not convinced. But at least, I've noticed only a single Prius cat theft called out on NextDoor, months ago.

 

Toyota put more rare metals in the gen2 cats making that generation (04-09) more likely to be stripped. Unfortunately, once a market has been created, less knowledgable thieves jump in and don't know enough about makes and models and cut off others. With battery operated recip saws it takes a minute or two to cut through the thin pipes. You can buy steel cages that would take a long time to cut. This extra time makes them more likely to be caught. So they move to another victim. The bad thing is insurance, if you still have full coverage, will usually total the car if oem cats are mandated in your state.

 

Just this weekend I had a guy come to my home and introduce himself as an owner/employee of a local auto mechanic shop who would pay me to remove my current cc and replace it with a new CC AND pay me $300 of top of replacing my old cc for FREE. I thought I was having a bad dream when he was telling me all this through my screen door. He even wanted to do a free check in my driveway to make sure my cc was still on my car...i declined...it all seemed kinda shady to me at first. I then messaged a local Prii guru who confirmed that this a 'legit' service some shops are offering now. I guess I wasn't dreaming

 

Time to install protection...

 

After market cat is like $150. Plus his $300 plus his labor to remove and install it lets call that $150. So he's got at least $600 out of his pocket which means he's got to be making at least $1000+ on the deal.

He must have a way of harvesting the rare metal not just recycling it.

.

 

You would get an ineffective cat that would not pass inspection in states that test them and might throw codes.

 

Absolutely true, this is extremely common. Avoid these scams at all costs. You're better off cutting it off yourself, listing it for 1k, and putting for 200 installed put in an after market one

 

Regional TV new has a conflicting claim -- 514 Prius cats reported stolen so far this year in Seattle alone:

Catalytic converter thefts spike in King County | KOMO

 

Yet another conflicting claim in the pot: a different news outlet (KING TV) gave this number as the total cat thefts over all vehicle models, then mentioned Prius as a common target. No other models called out.

I'll be on the lookout for other reports.

 

Sadly, I am the latest victim of a Cat theft. I have a 2007 Prius. I live in Midtown Sacramento. Was parked out on street directly in front of my apartment. Paying 2500.00 to a local specialist to replace it with Cat Shield. Worth it considering the long life I will get out of my beloved Prius.

 

I bought an aftermarket cat to put on my 07.

My cat on my 07 @145,000 miles is fine so I bought a replacement cat on Amazon for $125 to swap in and sell my oem.

Then had my oem cat removed and put that new cheap one on then put my oem cat on eBay it’s at $960 right now with 5 days to go. All California bidders. Expect it to hit $1300. Maybe more ....
250 views 45 watchers.

Just googled Olathe Toyota a new cat is $1551 + tax + shipping. Over the dealer counter is even more.

$125 for the new cat cost $120 at the muffler shop to get old one removed and new cat installed so I have $245 all in. Florida has no emissions testing.

I painted the new one orange with header paint and where it connects it needed a bushing to mate the 2 sizes of pipes which is no big deal for a muffler shop they got all that stuff and that bushing is right at where the thieves cut the pipe so its now going to be difficult for them to cut it there and hoping if they hit me they will see its painted and its got a big welded bushing where they usually cut it and will quickly see its not a factory cat and split and not tear my car up.

I preemptively bought a new oem manifold donut gasket because I thought mine would be toast but mine was fine so re-used it. The gasket that came with the new cat was garbage half the size. New donut was $86 so I returned that.

Big side benefit is I make $1000 on it and alot less worry about the cat. It was wearing on my wife when she went out.

Side note the VHT orange paint is still on the cat didn't burn it off.

 

This is what I was wondering. OEM O2 sensors can be up to $250 a piece, OEM cat as much as $2150, then add labor. If the car is worth under the total of all that (KBB) then it's "totaled".

Probably the only insurance that would pay for something like that is an agreed value "classic car" insurance. But that would exclude a daily driver.

 

Here is two fellas that got busted for CC theft in my neck of the woods.

Not mentioned on what type of vehicles, but I assume they stole a sh*t load for being able to pocket an assumed $100k

Two Men Charged – One a Fugitive – in $100K Theft Spree of Catalytic Converters | Susquehanna Regional Police Department

Actually there is another link in that link, which shows
"The pair targeted larger vehicles – box trucks, SUVs and pickup trucks – because those vehicles were easier to work under and contained larger, more valuable convertor devices."

 

It says "selling them at a location in Harrisburg" but nothing more. Hopefully they put the buyer in jail too. This problem would be reduced if there were not scummy people willing to buy hot cats.

 

Im sure. They found the evidence of $100k shelled out to the thieves,

So I would guess receiving stolen property at minimum.
Possibly much more.
I cannot find anymore info about the location tho with web searches.

 

Had our cat. converter stolen from our 2002 the morning of 12/24/20. About 1 to 1 1/2 minutes with a reciprocating saw.
Called all over and found a Gen 1 Calif. Air Resources Board OK (CARB) OEM CC at Livermore Toyota and talked them down to the MSRP $1204 for the part. Art's Automotive in Berkeley installed it (& all of the other needed parts).

We thought the car was too old to carry comprehensive. I haven't gone back to compare years of insurance $ vs. CC replacement.

Berkeley Toy. wanted $600 to install "Cat Clamp" brand steel cable CC protector.

Art's does its own CC protection; it welds 3/8" steel cable in numerous places and winds it around. $210 labor + $50 parts = $260.
We also had Art's Automotive install CC protection on our 2005 Honda CRV.
Of course, there is no guarantee, but it might make a reciprocating saw wielding, 1 minute, street thief bypass this car!

Suggest checking out hybrid specialists in your areas to see if any do their own cable welding CC protection. Or do it yourself if skilled.