Some areas were hit harder, with figures showing that parts of the country saw an increase in thefts by nearly 300%. The vast rise in thefts still occurred, despite the various national lockdowns during 2020, when most of the population and their vehicles were at home.

London predictably had the largest amount of recorded cases, with 13,716 recorded incidents happening during 2020. However, even areas such as Dorset and Suffolk saw a 187% and 272% increase respectively in 2020.

Even during daylight hours, thieves will brazenly get underneath vehicles left on owners’ driveways. In some sickening instances, criminals target vehicles parked at hospices and hospitals, knowing NHS staff will be parked for a prolonged amount of time, giving thieves enough time to take out the flask-shaped components and sell them for a profit of £400 to £500.

Unfortunately, this crimewave of catalytic converter theft has left several thousands of drivers across the country facing average repair bills of £1,300, with over £900 of the cost being replacement parts. In some cases, thieves are taking a ham-fisted approach to stealing converters by sawing them off from the underside of a car, causing such irreversible damage that the vehicle is written off.

What is a catalytic converter?

A catalytic converter is normally found near a vehicle’s engine. It is one of the most vital components of the exhaust system of modern vehicles, and it helps clean the vehicle’s exhaust emissions.  The converter takes the gases that are produced and converts them into water vapour and less harmful emissions via a series of chemical reactions.  

Which cars are targeted for catalytic convertor theft?

Thieves tend to favour stealing catalytic converters from hybrid models because not only do they contain a higher concentration of high-value precious metals, but they don’t work as hard compared to other vehicle types and are far less corroded.

Figures from Which show that the vehicles most susceptible to being targeted by organised criminals include the Toyota Auris, Toyota Prius and the Honda Jazz, which is popular with older motorists who drive fewer miles, meaning that the convertor will be in a better condition.

Although, Admiral Insurance have also reported that the Lexus RX is also singled out. And it doesn’t matter what age or generation of these models are.

Why is there such an increase in thefts of catalytic convertors?

The rise in catalytic convertor theft is due to the growing costs of the precious metals palladium and rhodium, which are packed into catalytic converters, as well as the increasing popularity of hybrid cars.

Prices of palladium and rhodium continue to rise. Palladium was once the cheaper alternative to gold, but it’s now valued at around £60 per gram, which is approximately 25% higher in price than the yellow metal.

Rhodium, however, is currently the most costly metal in the world. At £543 per gram, it is thirteen times the price of gold.

Fleet UK Sales Manager, Ash Jackson, said: “When the prices of these metals increase, it often means a rise in scrap prices, and unfortunately, this often leads to an increase in thefts.”

Do I need to get my catalytic convertor replaced if it has been stolen?

Yes. While vehicles can still be driven once a catalytic converter has been removed, it can trigger a warning light on the dashboard, reduce fuel economy and will be loud enough for other people to notice that something is amiss.

In addition, a fine of up to £1,000 can be issued by the police to a motorist if they drove a vehicle knowing the convertor had been removed.

What is being done to tackle catalytic convertor thefts?

In 2013, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act was introduced to make life harder for criminals to sell stolen metal parts to dealers by requiring firms to conduct identity checks on sellers and also ban cash sales.

While local councils are tasked with inspecting licensed metal part dealers and closing down any they find buying stolen parts, BBC 5 Live investigations in 2018 and 2019 found that enforcement levels are virtually non-existent. Their report found that out of 240 licensing councils contacted in England, as many of half of them hadn’t visited any scrap metal dealers in the previous 28 months, and many others had only been inspected once or twice.

Many local councils have called on the government to provide them with greater enforcement powers to tackle the issue, as they currently have limited powers and resources.

What can I do to reduce the risk of having my catalytic convertor stolen?

• Park your vehicle in a locked garage where possible, but if you’re unable to do this, you should park in a well-populated and well-lit area
• If you see someone behaving suspiciously underneath a car, obtain as much information as you can, including the car registrations and report it to the police
• Is your vehicle fitted with an approved Thatcham alarm? If not, speak to a dealership or garage about fitting an approved Thatcham alarm and tilt sensor that activates if a thief tries to jack your vehicle
• Avoid parking your car or van half on the road and half on the pavement, as this will make it easier for a thief to steal your catalytic converter
• Park your vehicle as close to walls, fences, or a kerb with the bonnet being closest to a wall, fence or kerb to make the theft more challenging
• If you park your vehicle on a driveway, you should consider using a Secured by Design approved driveway sensor and alarm, as it will alert you if an intruder enters your driveway or front garden
• When parking in a public car park, try to park alongside other vehicles, and if possible, point the bonnet of your car towards a wall, as this will make it difficult for thieves to steal the converter which is positioned near the front of the vehicle
• Ask your local garage to check if the catalytic converter is bolted on, and if so, ask them to weld the belts to make it more difficult for thieves to remove
• You can purchase a ‘cage clamp’ which is a device that locks in and around catalytic converter to make it tough to remove. It normally takes a couple of hours for a mechanic to install it
• If you own a Toyota, speak to a dealership, as Toyota have their own cage device called a Catloc. The Catloc costs between £200 and £250, which includes VAT and fitting by a Toyota dealership. The Catloc has over 45 bespoke fitments and should fit most of the models in the range. This may seem like an expensive option, but it pales in comparison to replacing a catalytic converter, that can cost around £1,300 for fitting and replacement parts.