Catalytic Converter Thefts Are Skyrocketing Throughout The Country
The nation is facing a catalytic converter theft pandemic, leaving motorists with enormous repair bills. Over a 1,000 of them are stolen each month in London alone…
Huge Rise In Catalytic Converter Thefts
There has been a huge rise in the number of catalytic converters being stolen, according to police forces. Figures in London have skyrocketed, rising from 1,674 in 2018 to 2,894 for just the first six months of 2019. A car’s catalytic converter is responsible for cleaning up harmful emissions before they leave the exhaust system. They’re often made of precious metals, including palladium and rhodium; these are currently worth £1,300/oz and £4,000/oz respectively. Thieves are able to remove the converters in minutes and many gangs operate in broad daylight.
There are thousands of different kinds of converters, but the cars that are most often targeted are hybrids. Because these cars use both an electric motor and petrol / diesel the catalytic converter is used less frequently; this means the metals are less likely to corrode, making them more attractive to thieves and criminals. Whilst London’s become a hotspot for the thefts, others areas are reporting their own problems with the phenomenon. More and more thefts are being reported in the Midlands, with cars parked at car parks and train stations being targeted.
How You Can Protect Your Catalytic Converter
Whilst there’s no full-proof way of protecting your car’s catalytic converter, there are some effective steps to reduce your risk. First of all, drivers can get their converters inscribed with a serial number to make it distinctive; thereby making it harder to sell once it’s been stolen. Some garages will also fit protective metal nets, making accessing the converter challenging; these often cost around £200 – £300 and take a few hours to install. You can also invest in a variety of clamps for your converter, these vary in size and cost; but make it extremely time consuming to access the converter for thieves who otherwise count on a quick getaway.
Toyota vehicles have been particularly affected by the thefts. A spokesman for the company acknowledged the spike in crime, “although ‘cat theft’ is not new, or limited to Toyota products, it has always been comparatively rare; however, the recent rise in the value of such parts for recycling has meant that police forces have seen a very significant rise in these offences in the last few months”. He stressed that the company makes no money from replacing stolen converters and has developed a ‘CatLoc’ device to protect them.
Reforming The Scrap Metal Trade
Dafydd Dylan, commercial manager of the catalytic converters division at FJ Church and Sons, has weighed-in on the rise in thefts. He told the BBC that his company, a specialist metals merchant, is regularly receiving calls from people enquiring about how much they can get for catalytic converters. Most of these come from models like the Honda Jazz, Totoya Prius and Honda Accord. He said, “we do what we can to discourage it – we don’t purchase any units from these models unless they come from a reputable dealer”. He added, “when we get a packet, usually there will be a range of low-end and high-end catalytic converters in it. We have refused to work with some suppliers for certain packets containing a disproportionate amount of high-grade scrap converters”.
Ultimately, Dylan believes the problem lies with people who pay for scrap metal with cash. He said, “the police needs to start to put people in jail for paying cash for scrap metal – as soon as they do that, the trade would slow down and stop”. This is also the official view of the The British Metals Recycling Association. Until their advice is acted on, however, drivers should ensure that they secure their car’s converters; especially if they live, or drive, in an affected area.
Parking At Train Stations? Car Thefts Have TREBLED There – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/parking-train-stations-car-thefts/
Car Theft Is Becoming Epidemic, Here’s How You Can Protect Your Car – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/car-theft-is-becoming-epidemic-heres-how-you-can-protect-your-car/
