3 Ways To Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

2 of these suggestions have a proven track record for helping to prevent catalytic converter theft. The 3rd suggestion is my own, and one I plan to employ on my 2003 Honda Pilot to prevent the catalytic converter from being stolen. I hope it works.

FYI if you have full coverage insurance on your vehicle and your catalytic converter is stolen, you may be able to file a claim for the repair. Check with your insurance company to find out if that’s the case.

I hope you find this video helpful.

Thanks for watching!

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[flashesbuck]

Plain and simple. Recycling company's need to be held accountable. They need to force anyone turning in material to have a current VIN number and record identification for every one. Otherwise no payment.
Nothing wrong with taking a cat in on donation to be recycled cleanly, but if someone wants to sell scrap, then they need to cough up a vin.
And if the recycling company's don't want to comply, hit them with e healthy fine.

[dinahcharles]

Also the companies buying these converters should be held accountable as well.

[ls]

First I've rarely seen a converter thief caught. The guys buying these things should be prosecuted. It's just enabling the thieves.

[jasonoshima]

Every state needs to increase the penalties/jail time/fines for thieves who get caught doing this and recyclers who get caught accepting stolen property.

[ZippoVarga]

Option 4. Manufacturers need to start stamping VIN numbers on an inaccessible area of the converters so they can easily be tracked.

[Steven_VESY]

A buddy had 3 stolen in as many months.. He took a cheap motion detection unit mounted it above the converter, and wired it to his horn.. It's gone off twice now, and he still has the latest Catalytic Converter he put on.. Bet the attempted thief soiled himself!!!

[gabrieljohns]

Best way to stop it? Outlaw acceptance for recycling of any catalytic converter not removed by a dealership. That or make the penalty for metal theft death. (I prefer the last one).

[brggmc]

Perhaps we should punish thieves as they do in some eastern countries; Can't imagine a one-handed thief doing very well.

[sabrinamendes]

Just happened to my mothers car, this is just so frustrating these thiefs need to be prosecuted

[jackpinesavage]

It wasn't a catalytic converter, yet, years ago a friend of mine in town had a problem with a person stealing gasoline out of his truck. My friend got one of those electric cattle fence chargers, along with a pair of handle insulators and the wire. He secured one end of the wire to the frame of his truck, ran a short length of wire from the frame to a pair of handle insulators that allowed the wire to be disconnected. He disconnected his "system" when he had to go somewhere in his truck. Before he went to bed, he plugged that cattle fence charger in. A few days later he saw the person he suspected of stealing the gas from his truck at the grocery store. The guy had burn marks on his fingers. So endeth the lesson.

[nunyabiznes]

I protect my catalytic converters with several high velocity projectile emitting devices.

[StLProgressive]

Someone tried to steal mine in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon, car parked in my driveway. My neighbor just happened to be on the way to his car and scared the guy off. Ran off without his jack. It’s mine now.

[jasonr.]

I have a converted shuttle bus, and had mine stolen because it’s high off the ground. After that I installed a BLINK outdoor security camera underneath stuck to the side pointing at my converter. It gives me an alert at any motion detected within that area when I arm it. Since doing this I’ve interrupted THREE attempts! The alert gives me time to run outside, or the TALK function on my camera allows me to talk through my camera telling them they are being recorded and police on way - the reaction by the way is priceless! Cameras aren’t too expensive and even without a plan to save recorded clips, you get real time notifications free. Highly recommend this technique.

[reallyrandomrides]

I remember a long time ago I had a sudden issue with my vehicle seemed like fuel delivery or tune up related. The mechanic immediately said my catalytic converter was plugged. I doubted it, but he convinced me to cut it out and weld in some straight pipe, for a better sound a more power, so he said. It didn't solve the issue, but I'm sure he took my perfectly good catalytic converter to a junkyard and got some good money for it.

[elinorhawke-szady]

Mine was stolen 2 weeks' ago; I'm in Canada. Catalytic converter theft is on the rise all over the place. Thieves were caught on our apartment security cameras; police were contacted/report made, but who knows if the a**hats will be apprehended or not. Thanks for posting this and yes - recycling companies should be held accountable; so should manufacturers - VIN number needs to be on them when they come off the assembly line.

[johnblack]

Also, if you wrap a tow chain around front and rear neck of converter and use padlocks to lock it through frame holes on both sides, you can use key to take the chain off for servicing… Better than welding cage around it.😬👍🏼

[jaredlyons]

I have been a scrapper as a side job for 20 yrs taking everything from literally the kitchen sink to cars and trucks and scrapping them and you are absolutely correct nobody asks questions they just inspect them at the salvage yard if it's OEM equipment it could net as much as $500 each aftermarket one's are smaller and only net about $5 each of course thats up here in Western Massachusetts

[samcripes]

Another idea I had when we got hit last time with 5 taken was to get some thick steel cable and weld it tight at both sides leaving the center flexible. Think those saws jar your teeth lose with just cutting through pipe. Wait till they try and saw thro steel loose cables. Hope that saw jerks them forward just in time for it to go backwards and finishes the job.

[reesebobby]

would love a DIY complication where viewers submit their cages or homemade cages and you analyze it

[vikingshark]

I'm the crime analyst for the PD in my city, I'm gonna show this video in our TUE morning brief. This is a problem here and these people are bold af. We had a converter stolen from a Honda Element in a grocery parking lot at 2PM. Honda Elements are a pretty common target but there can't be a Tacoma or a Tundra left in this city that still has a catalytic converter.