The theft of catalytic converters in Las Vegas is a plaguing problem.
You’ve seen the stories on the news, maybe you know someone or maybe you’re a victim of this trending criminal activity: Catalytic convertors are being stolen at a high rate.
And it seems like in the past five years, a rush of more catalytic convertors have been plucked out of cars and sold as scrap metal. In 2022, catalytic convertor thefts were 540% higher across the country compared to 2020, according to USA Today.
It’s a relatively “easy” crime that requires a sly person to slip under a car, to saw off the pollution-controlling device and to ultimately sell off the metal from the converter.
It’s a costly item that ranges in the thousands to get replaced, and most insurance doesn’t cover theft of catalytic convertors.
Catalytic convertors help clean a car’s exhaust and filters out harmful pollution coming from the car’s tailpipe.
Precious metals, such as platinum and palladium, are used in the catalytic convertors, which are some-what valuable when sold off as scrap metal. The disrupted supply chain has also increased the prices for these metals. Someone who sells a catalytic convertor and its metals can get anywhere from $50 to $1,000 depending on the quantity and quality of the metal.
But despite this increasing trend of stolen catalytic convertors, there are a few ways to protect your car.
The most common way is to park in a manner where thieves are unable to climb underneath. Keep your car in a garage (if you have one) and avoid street parking if possible. If you must park in the street, or in a public parking lot, then try to stay in a well-lit area near buildings or anywhere that may have a security camera.
Also, a AAA driver once told us to spray paint your catalytic convertor with a bright color like neon orange, bright pink, red, etc. This will deter a possible thief for a few reasons. It’s harder to sell a spray-painted catalytic convertor, and the thief may think that the convertor is linked with a specific car, per the AAA worker’s recommendation.
8 News Now published an article that outlines the 10 most popular cars that thieves target when it comes to stealing catalytic convertors. Scroll down below to see if your car is on the list!
