We are now getting rash of Gen2 Prii cat converter thefts here in Northern Virginia. Is this just a Gen2 issue? I forget.
For sure Gen 1, 2, and 3. Not sure if a gen4 has been. But many other vehicles are being hit, small and big trucks, civics, you name it.
Legislation is coming to Virginia to make catalytic converter theft a felony. Police in Virginia among those struggling to deter rising catalytic converter thefts
Legislation is being proposed in my state to create a task force to look in to the problem and explore various solutions, then report back in October 2023. Since the Legislature won't be in session then, they'd take up any proposals during the 2024 session, where a very fast track bill might go into force as early as July 2024. By then, nobody will have any original catalytic converters left to steal. Soon after the Legislature is actually likely to get around to it, nearly everyone will be buying BEVs instead. Problem solved. Washington looks for solutions to catalytic converter thefts | king5.com
For a bit of perspective there's this from KVVU-TV in Las Vegas: "LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -- Recent numbers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department show a large jump in reported catalytic converter thefts in the last few years. Information provided by the department shows only five reported thefts in 2018, 30 in 2019, 494 in 2020 and 1,894 in 2021...." It's a quickly increasing problem but considering the number of residents and visitors to the southern Nevada area it's still a very small percentage of the total number of cars around here. It's terrible for those unfortunate few who fall victim to the thieves though. Our Prius is garaged when home but it often sits for an hour or two in parking lots and parking areas near the heads of hiking trails so we had a Miller stainless steel shield installed. So far, so good.
New car dealers are getting hit hard. Most don’t have guards. Multiple car dealers hit in my 33765. Tundra is a big favorite as there are very large cats And more than one, and no jack needed they just slide under there and cut away. A while back a local Toyota dealer got hit for 60 cats. They are so cheap no guard on duty just cameras that are not monitored all thieves wearing Covid masks. Tundras have another issue too where you can just walk away with its Bed gate. It just unplugs for easy removal. Many many stolen. Super easy to remove. By by.
At least the thieves have apparently been distracted away from stealing the Gen3 HV batts! Must be most of the Gen2's off the road so less need, and and I always thought Gen3 was better than Gen2 for bad batts. Also the newest Gen3's are what? 5 years old now.
Where in NoVA? A handful in my neighborhood were taken. Someone directly across the street! I ordered a shield the next day.
Fairfax County Police: The other car crime that’s on the rise: catalytic converter theft, which Davis said is “driving our crime.” It’s relatively easy with the right tools, and it’s lucrative, the chief said. “The precious metals that are contained in these catalytic converters are worth a lot more now than they had been in the past,” Davis said, and stealing one “takes about one to two minutes depending on the skill level of the thief.” The most targeted vehicles? Toyota Priuses made between 2004 and 2009. Fairfax Co. chief on police reform and the crime that ‘scares me the most’
That has been the most targeted for probably something around 5 years now, starting in London, then spreading out to other English cities, then coming to America.
And with all of that some owners don’t even carry comprehensive insurance or if they do, they have a high deductible.
Near you Bradlee...I was probably quoting some newsletter from Supervisor Walkinshaw or McKay...our 06 Prius died in 2020 so we have a RAV4HV now, which probably gets as good MPG as our 2006 for our driving style.
