Home How To Catalytic converter theft: how to protect your car

Catalytic converter theft: how to protect your car

By LEXUS UK

Catalytic converter theft from cars isn’t a new crime, but it has increased significantly in recent times.

Police forces around the UK are advising owners of any car fitted with a catalytic converter to take precautions. In Toyota’s case it is second and third-generation Prius models (2004-2009 and 2009-2016 respectively) and second-generation Auris Hybrids (2012-2018) which have been particular targets for thieves.

Below we’ve gathered the best advice for Toyota owners who may be concerned.

What is a catalytic converter? 

The catalytic converter is part of the car’s emissions control system. It cleans up the exhaust gases before they are expelled from the car through the exhaust pipe. Its internal elements react with the gases, breaking them down into less harmful substances and water vapour. All new cars sold in Europe since 1993 have had to be fitted with a catalytic converter by law.

Why are they a target for thieves?

Clearly the police are best placed to offer advice on the motives behind this crime. But we understand that the value of the catalytic converter for recycling is the main attraction to thieves, because it contains precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium.

What can owners do to stop their cars being targeted?

Some owners have chosen to tag their catalytic converters with an invisible yet traceable forensic marking solution, such as that provided by SmartWater. This means that a stolen catalytic converter can be traced to a specific crime, helping police in their attempts to fight the organised gangs responsible. It also raises the risk to all those handling the devices along the criminal chain, from theft to eventual disposal and recycling. Mechanical theft prevention products such as Catloc devices can also deter thieves.

However, it must be noted that catalytic converter theft is a criminal operation and the scope of owners is therefore limited. Police forces are taking action, so it is important for anyone who is a victim of this crime to report it as quickly as possible.

In the main, older cars are more likely to be targeted. This is because advances in efficiency and technology mean the latest generations of catalytic converters contain vastly lower amounts of precious metals, while still doing their job just as well or even better. This means their value for recycling is very low and they are not attractive to thieves.

Does a mechanical lock give my car 100% protection from thieves?

Sadly not. It can make theft more difficult but thieves are using high-powered cutting tools to remove catalytic converters and because of this it is not possible to make them ‘unstealable’. A mechanical locking device makes it harder to steal a catalytic converter because it slows down thieves and therefore acts as a deterrent.

If I’m worried about my Toyota model, what should I do?

If you are worried about potential catalytic converter theft from your Toyota, we recommend you use our locator tool to find your nearest Toyota centre and contact them to discuss the best way to protect your car.

This article was last updated on 2 November 2024, so some of the responses to reader comments below have been superseded by more recent information.

2,460 comments

  1. I’m very disappointed in toyota, they failed to protect catalytics on their cars, and I believe all cars at least whit some warranty left, should be fitted with catloc, free of charge.
    I own toyota 2nd gen Prius, I’m just about to upgrade to 4th gen. Prius, and now I’m not sure if I need sleepless nights?

    Reply

  2. I hear you! Had ours stolen 6 weeks ago. If it wasn’t for my husband hounding Toyota sometimes on a twice daily basis (they never returned calls) we would’ve been car less for the whole time. However after lots of stress (I’m pregnant aswell, so that is not needed) they finally gave us a hire car. We lost earnings as I’m self employed and a holiday plans had to be cancelled. We picked up the car yesterday from the garage after having paid for a full service, MOT and a catlock, totalling just under £900. We go to drive it for a day out today and something is hanging off the bottom of our car and scraping along the ground. Now this is either due to something not being fitted correctly by the Toyota garage which is appalling or the thieves have actually targeted us again on the very night we got the car back. We are frustrated and furious and the garage hung up on me today as they were due to close. If I hadn’t been on hold for 30 mins this wouldn’t have been the case. So back to not having a car. Toyota are useless. The very least they could do is recall all at risk vehicles and fit them with complimentary cat locks. However they can still get them off and cause more damage. We are now taking this to WATCHDOG as something needs to be done. Toyota continue to coin it in and people like us are having to fork out hundreds of pounds and lose our no claims bonus on our insurance. Definitely SHAME ON YOU TOYOTA, YOU’RE A DISGRACE.
    P.s we are still waiting for your customer service team to contact us after our initial complaint and my tweets. So don’t fob customers off with that line.

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for your message. We know you don’t want to hear this, but we are incredibly sorry you have been a victim of this crime and for the distress this may have caused. We can see our customer relations team were in touch with Mr Aird on the 23rd September by email. We will email you directly with the case number in case you would like to recontact them and discuss this further.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. Not correct thieves only need 1-2 minutes a jack and a socket rench. Mine was stolen and caught on cctv they even left behind the 3 bolts and the thin aluminium plating.
    This is a joke that Toyota have not done anything about this. But the dealer keeps calling to service my car but never told me about this issue

    Reply

  4. so sadly.i found my auris catalytic converter in broad daylight between4-6pm on sunday 10/11/2019 .it’s in tesco car park.i read all comment that also relate to cat converter been stolen.huge amount of the incidents happened.is toyata going to do something for their customer?

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been impacted by this crime. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details and put you in touch with our customer relations team.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  5. So many complaints yet I was told nothing about this problem when I bought my car last week!!!
    Just 3 days after buying my car, my catalytic converter was stolen!! 2016 Hybrid estate model!
    Getting an aftermarket (cheaper) EURO 6 cat now but what if it happens again? Already £700 down the drain (not including the protection bracket).

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for your message. We are so sorry to hear you have been a victim of this crime and for the distress this may have caused. We will email you directly in order to put you in touch with our customer relations team.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  7. My 2009 Lexus RX400H has had its catalytic convertor stolen on 13/09/19. I am still waiting for the repair company that Admiral insurance use to source a replacement. I have spoken to catloc and they don’t have a product for my car.

    Do you have any suggestions on how I can get a catalytic convertor and have it protected ?

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      At this time we don’t have a Catloc available for RX. However in order to see how we can support you further, we will email you directly in order to put you in touch with our customer relations team.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    2. My 2009 Lexus RX400H had its catalytic convertor stolen on 22 October and I have just been told that the part has arrived. Apparently CatLoc the company are working with Lexus to create a similar lock to the Prius/Auris. But in 2 minds as to whether get one or sell the car which is the perfect car for me.

      Reply

      1. Hi Martin,

        Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been impacted by this crime. We currently have no information to reveal at the moment regarding a Catloc for RX. Regarding your theft that occurred in October, have you been in touch with our customer relations team to discuss how we can help you further?

        Thanks.

  8. My Cat Convertor was stolen on Friday 08/11 from my 2016 Auris Hybrid while in my work car park. I am currently going down the insurance route to get the convertor replaced and I have been advised there is a 5 week lead time due to a shortage of new parts. I cannot believe how widespread this problem is. The police have told me that there are at least 2 happening each week in the local area and the Auris is the most common car. The insurance company told me that is happening right across the country.

    I bought the car back in July from Toyota Sandhurst and if I had known about this problem I would not have bought this particular car.

    Toyota, what are you doing about this? The catloc is not a proper solution. If they are determined and brazen enough they can still get to the cat convertor. Might just take them a few minutes longer with the trusty angle grinder.

    How can I protect my car? I am considering trading it in but that is going to come at cost to me which is totally unfair. This is complete crap. What’s that saying – “let the buyer beware” …..

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for your message. We are so sorry you have been impacted by this crime. Our customer relations team are best equipped to talk you through your questions and we will email you directly in order to put you in touch with them.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    2. Traded in the my Auris yesterday – no point in taking any further risks. It will be targeted again and again. Cut my losses while the car still has some value. Such a shame really. Toyota – totally useless to be honest.

      They rang me to follow up on my first comment but I just eventually hung up on them. Basically I should have known about this before I bought the car was the primary part of their response and it wasn’t the dealers place to highlight it to me.

      I would never buy Toyota again. They have a problem with these cars and it wouldn’t cost them much to help us poor suckers out that bought them. They couldn’t care less. I have lost at least £2k due to this earlier than expected trade in but I can’t take the risk that scumbags will come onto my property and target the car again. I have small kids, etc.

      Toyota, please don’t have your customer relations team call me again. I can’t be wasting anymore time on this with you. I just wanted to post this message so people are aware.

      Reply

  9. It is apparently trivially easy to steal these catalytic converters; I left my car for under 5 minutes and it was taken during this time. It has taken nearly 3 months to get the car repaired as sourcing a replacement converter is apparently very difficult. In addition to the immediate costs and ongoing costs from having lost my no-claims bonus, there is absolutely no guarantee this won’t happen again.

    So apparently Toyota’s response is to make a protection device which may or may not deter thieves – but I have to pay up to £250 for the privilege! This is so frustrating. I can’t see why I’d ever buy a Toyota again.

    Reply

    1. Hi Paul,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry to hear you have been a victim of this crime and for the distress this may have caused. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details and put you in touch with our customer relations team.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  10. I’m an UBER driver in London , after I installed a catloc from Toyota I can say that I’m the most stressed person! I hit almost every speed bum especially with more than 2 people in the car and make a nasty noise by touching the catalyst!I regret that I installed this type of catalyst protection with Toyota. It gives me more stress than the catalyst thieves! Toyota people are experimenting with us being lazy to raise the issue.Now I have to wait for the appointment date without being able to make money and another day lost by leaving the car at them!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To be the first to hear about all of our latest news, offers and events, check the box below, we’ll send these communications by email, phone, SMS or post. Be assured that Toyota will only share your personal information with companies that are an integral part of fulfilling the services we deliver. If you would like to find out more about how we process your data please visit our privacy policy for details.

I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time.

Related Posts