Catalytic Converter Theft: 10 Cars Thieves Target

May 22, 2023

Catalytic converter theft continues to run rampant throughout the United States.

Catalytic converters: You never think about them until the day you go to start your car and discover the one that was once attached to your vehicle is gone. The biggest clues your catalytic converter might have been stolen? An excessive amount of engine noise and noxious fumes coming from underneath the car.

So, what are catalytic converters and why are they suddenly popular with thieves looking to make a quick buck? To start, catalytic converters are located within the exhaust system and help clean the emissions of a gasoline- or diesel-powered engine. They have been a federally mandated requirement on every new vehicle since 1975.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), catalytic converter theft has spiked dramatically due to three precious metals found inside them: palladium, rhodium, and platinum. How precious are we talking about here? At the time of this writing, an ounce of rhodium costs about $8000. For comparison, an ounce of gold rings in at around $2000.

Using data compiled by the NICB and service reports from car repair shops around the country, Carfax determined the 10 vehicles most commonly targeted for their catalytic converters.

It shouldn't come as a surprise the best-selling vehicle in North America is the one that's most commonly targeted by crooks stealing catalytic converters. With millions of Ford F-series pickup trucks on the road, there's no shortage of them sitting in garages or driveways around the country. One purely logistical reason the F-series is a common target is the simple fact that it sits higher off the road than a typical vehicle. This means it's quicker and easier for a thief to slide under an F-series and remove the catalytic converter.

MORE ABOUT THE FORD F-SERIES

An extremely popular pickup truck is followed by an equally popular sedan. The Honda Accord has been one of the best-selling mid-size sedans for decades, not to mention a regular winner in our annual 10Best awards. While we’ve routinely complimented the Accord for its agile handling and fuel-efficient powertrain, thieves are more appreciative of the fact that stealing a catalytic converter takes only minutes when using a small reciprocating saw.

MORE ABOUT THE HONDA ACCORD

The Toyota Prius is especially attractive when it comes to catalytic converter theft. This is partly due to the fact its gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain's internal combustion engine doesn't run as hot as it would without the powertrain's associated electric motors. Ironically, given its Earth-friendly image, this means more precious metals were needed in the catalytic converters used to clean up the Prius's cooler exhaust (this was lessened in the third-generation model). NICB notes that because a hybrid, such as the Prius, puts less wear on its catalytic converter, these vehicles’ cats remain especially valuable even after years of use.

MORE ABOUT THE TOYOTA PRIUS

The Honda CR-V helped create the compact crossover SUV when it arrived for the 1997 model year. Despite the nameplate's more than 25-year history, the public seems to still hold an affinity for the CR-V, which remains one of the best-selling SUVs today. Now, if only the CR-V were able to hold onto its catalytic converters as well as it has held onto its customer base. Alas, thieves love the CR-V for its reasonably easy-to-snag cat. While there are some products worth looking into that either help shield a car's catalytic converter or bolt it more firmly to a vehicle (each with the intention of discouraging thievery), oftentimes the best advice is the simplest: park your car in a trusted and secured location.

MORE ABOUT THE HONDA CR-V

Ford Explorer owners may want to take extra precautions to keep their catalytic converters safe, as the mid-size SUV is a common spot catalytic converter thieves like to ... ahem ... explore.

MORE ABOUT THE FORD EXPLORER

Call it the work van that time forgot, or a practical workhorse that continues to tackle difficult tasks thrown its way. The Ford E-series van (also known as the Econoline) has been around in some form or another since Kennedy sat in the Oval Office. It's still here, though only in fleet-special cutaway chassis form and in E-350 or E-450 configurations. Speaking of cutaways, once a catalytic converter is stolen how much is it actually worth? The NICB says a typical catalytic converter can fetch anywhere from "$50 to $250" apiece. That might not sound like much, but consider that a quick-working thief needs a few short minutes to remove one—a hard day's work stealing catalytic converters can yield thousands of dollars in illicit profit.

MORE ABOUT THE FORD E-SERIES/ECONOLINE

During one of our early encounters with the then-new 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, we called it "a wonderfully people-friendly tall car packing a great list of standard equipment at an inviting price." Over the years, the Equinox has continued to evolve, with the latest iteration of Chevy's five-passenger SUV improving upon its forebear's most consumer-friendly features. Apparently, those shopping for a roomy and reasonably priced compact SUV aren't the only ones impressed by the Equinox. Its sixth-place ranking in this list gives the Chevy the dubious honor of residing one place ahead of one of its fiercest rivals the compact SUV segment.

MORE ABOUT THE CHEVROLET EQUINOX

Pickup trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado are great when it comes to towing and hauling, or traversing rugged terrain. Like other pickups in this list, the go-anywhere capability and extra ground clearance afforded by the Silverado means it's easier for crooks to slither under this full-size pickup and remove its catalytic converter. For 1999, the long-running Chevrolet C/K truck lineup passed the torch to the newly-introduced Silverado. Over the years, the Silverado has been available with a wide range of four-cylinder, inline-six, V-6, and V-8 engines. That variety is great for truck buyers. It's also no less enticing to catalytic converter thieves.

MORE ABOUT THE CHEVROLET SILVERADO

Like the Ford F-series and Chevrolet Silverado, the Toyota Tacoma has two key flaws that attract it to would-be catalytic converter thieves: its ubiquity (it's consistently a best-seller in its segment) and its ride height, the latter of which only makes it easier to steal a Taco's catalytic converter.

MORE ABOUT THE TOYOTA TACOMA

Chevrolet may have discontinued its Cruze after the 2019 model year due to its lagging popularity among car buyers, but the bow-tie brand's compact car remains popular among catalytic converter thieves.

MORE ABOUT THE CHEVROLET CRUZE

Depending on the type of vehicle you own, there are several anti-theft devices on the market.

DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM CAT THEFT

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