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Catalytic converter theft: how to protect your car

By TOYOTA 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.

2,452 comments

  1. It’s a lie, my catalyst converter just got stolen last night (3 others in the area) and I have been told by a Toyota dealer it will cost £1,500 to get a replacement.

    Reply

    1. Hi Amina,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry you have been a victim of this crime. Please note that the price specified by dealers may also allow for any damage to the car.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  2. I couldn’t find a way to comment without tagging on the end of another victims comment.
    Our Prius+ had it’s converter stolen from my place of work on Friday 31st Jan. Not only am I now £250 out of pocket via an insurance claim for the privilege of coming to work in the NHS, but the insurer won’t request or pay for a catlock. We have opted (probably foolishly) to have one fitted at our expense, but not only am I without a car for now, I will be worried about returning from work to find my car in the same state.

    I strongly feel that Toyota should do the right thing and provide their customers with a free catlock device, particularly if they have had one bad experience rather than leaving us innocent customers picking up the bill on Toyota’s behalf. I know you say you make no profit from fitting these but I find it hard to believe, if this is the case, that you would not put this on as standard! Doesn’t add up! Imagine how much workload would be freed up at your bodyshops!

    We, the customer, are picking up the tab for a known design “flaw” that exposes us to criminality through no fault of our own and Toyota should hold their hands up and help customers who have been penalised unfairly.

    Reply

    1. Hi Helen,

      Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. Our Catlocs are designed as a preventative measure against this type of theft and are manufactured out of marine grade stainless steel.

      Please also be aware, we are currently engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

      If you would like to discuss your situation further, we would recommend getting in touch with our customer relations team whose contact details you will be able to find via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. For everyone who’s had their catalytic converter stolen, could you all reply with what model / year the car was? As well as if it was a Hybrid or not?

    Wondering if newer cars such as the Corolla Hybrid are also being targeted?

    Reply

    1. The Catalytic convertor of my Toyota Auris hybrid , year 2015, just been stolen at Bannatyne car park at 11:00am today in Tamworth! In the bright day light! I’ m so scared to drive Toyota Now!

      Reply

      1. Hi Vicky,

        Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. We would recommend contacting your nearest Toyota centre to discuss preventative measures against this type of theft and having a Catloc fitted to your Auris. You can find your nearest centre via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms/forms?tab=pane-dealer

        Please also be aware, we are engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

        Thanks.

  4. A few counter-measures did the job here (so far):
    1. Installed a tilt alarm. Google Tesor TE D1 and some 50 pounds will get you one. It also detects near motion. Two alarms since the car came back 2 days ago. Still have the cat.
    2. Installed a cctv and put a warning sign behind the rear windows (on both sides). If you can’t park in front of your own house, consider a concealed dash cam (e.g. installed in / on the headrest) with motion detection aka parking modus. Note this may drain the relatively small battery so check the power consumption first.
    3. Contrary to other advice, park the the car with 2 wheels on the edge of the curb. Make sure both tires are in full contact or the local pressure may distort your tire. In this situation, jacking up the car from the road side will require a larger jack before the thieves can get underneath. Jacking it up from the curb / sidewalk has now become risky since most jacks require a large and flat ground surface. We wouldn’t want the jack to slide from underneath the car, would we?

    Hope this helps.

    Reply

  5. I really stressed with my car toyota auris hybrid, I got it on 2018 brand new, last December 2019 before Christmas my car catalytic converter stolen on first time I reported to the police but nothing happened and claimed to the insurance, no offer help or support to toyota, after few weeks, it happens again to my catalytic converter some one stolen again on February 6,2020, its 2nd times happened to me, so I reported to the police but said no sufficient evidence so they cannot do anything and again I need to claim to insurance 2nd times, again no support and help to Toyota, I’m fed up and stressed what if the criminals come back again and they say cats lock its not 100% prevent stealing your catalytic converter and some one told me even a alarm is not effective because it will takes few minutes to cut your catalytic converter and leave your alarm on for your battery to drain, so I need to change car now.

    Reply

    1. Hi Dom,

      Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are incredibly sorry you have been impacted by this crime for a second time. We can see our customer relations team contacted you in December. However, as you may not have received this, we will add your new comment into the case and request they recontact you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. Toyota UK,

    You state that you have ‘worked to reduce the quantity of precious metals used in your catalytic converters by 84%’. Does this apply to all new catalytic converters that are being ordered and replaced by you as a result from all these thefts (ie. to every existing Toyota car model) or to only specific model(s) and age of vehicle? Can you clarify and elaborate where this new design is being deployed to and how a potential thief will be put off from stealing your ‘new design’ catalytic converter? It’s costs? I assume the high content of precious metals in your previous design were to increase the vehicle’s fuel efficiency or performance in some way. So, how does it now affect the vehicle performance and in particular the fuel efficiency? Has it been tested and proven to offer at least the same, if not better results?

    Manish

    Reply

    1. Hi Manish,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Systems in cars generally improve with each generation, and this is also true of our catalytic converters and the engine management systems they work with. Developments in technology have allowed us to use far less precious metals in our current generation catalysts than in most previous generation models, whilst maintaining or improving the efficiency of the catalyst. Of course these systems are designed to fit specific vehicles, and to work with the engines and engine management systems of those vehicles, so they can’t be fitted to previous models they weren’t designed for. With regard to the motivations of the criminals carrying out these crimes, we can’t speak for the police, who are best placed to deal with this, but Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Simms, the national lead for vehicle crime, has made clear recently that she regards catalytic converter theft as “serious organised crime” and it seems clear that the gangs involved understand the catalysts used in our most recent models are worth far less and therefore do not target them.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  8. Catalytic converter stolen from my Toyota Prius, year 2009 make

    First theft – Oct 2018
    Second theft – Nov 2019
    Third theft – Feb 2020

    I am giving up on a perfectly functioning Toyota Prius because I have no doubt that there won’t be a fourth, fifth, sixth….theft!! Neither the police nor Toyota is doing anything about this unfortunately!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Liza,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are incredibly sorry you have been a victim of this crime on so many occasions. We would recommend visiting your nearest Toyota centre to discuss preventative measures against this type of theft and having a Catloc fitted. You can find your nearest centre via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms/forms?tab=pane-dealer

      Please also be aware we are engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

      Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your situation further, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team whose contact details you can find here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

      Thanks.

      Reply

    2. Toyota has disappointed me and so many other customers. I believe they do nothing because they make money off the sale of spare parts. It’s a shame.
      I’ve had mine stolen twice now

      Reply

    3. I fully agree with you and those Customer Representatives at Toyota don’t give a money, they are rude and of no use, what a way to represent a prestigious Japanese brand which manufactures such a good car.

      Reply

  9. Had Catalytic converter stolen from my Toyota Prius, three times in a row now!!
    Parked in well lit area with CCTV camera in operation, all to no use.
    Have to scrap my perfectly functioning car, because my insurer no longer wants to insure the car.
    The CAT thefts are just soaring and it’s a shame Police nor Toyota are taking any actions on this.

    From Kingston (London, UK)

    Reply

    1. Hi Ben,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime on multiple occasions. We would recommend visiting your nearest Toyota centre to discuss preventative measures against this type of theft and having a Catloc fitted. You can find your nearest centre via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms/forms?tab=pane-dealer

      Please also be aware we are engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

      Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your situation further, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team whose contact details you can find here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. Only became aware of this through the recent article in the newspaper. Toyota should immedicately notify all owners as they do with recalls. Charging for the catloc is wrong and should be offered free to owners of targeted models. Finally although I have loved my prius if my catalytic convertor is stolen I will not replace it with another toyota. This is very very bad for customer relations.

      2. Hi Celeste,

        Toyota is very concerned with the recent sharp rise in the organised theft of catalytic converters from vehicles in the UK which is affecting its customers. Toyota’s first priority is to do all we can to support its customers who have been victims of this crime and we have taken measures to increase replacement parts supply as quickly as we can.

        Catalyst theft has existed as long as catalysts have been fitted to cars – many years – but it has always been rare. We first became aware of a growth in this crime in late 2018, when we issued urgent guidance (where we could), including police advice, to our customers and our dealer network.

        Recall notices are sent to customers using personal data provided by the DVLA. As this is a criminal issue, not a safety issue, we do not have access to those personal details, hence we cannot write to all owners of targeted vehicles.

        We are not the police, but we are doing all we can to try and help prevent this crime being committed, and have taken the following actions:

        Engaged with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current scrap metal legislation.

        Toyota Great Britain has also moved to ensure that the cost to customers of replacement catalytic converters supplied and fitted through our approved service centres is as low as possible, and that TGB doesn’t profit from this.

        We treat all cases on a one by one basis and our Customer Relations team will look at a customer’s case and consider offering a courtesy vehicle FOC where insurance providers will not cover this cost. We have developed and are supplying theft deterrent devices at zero profit such as CatLocs, bolt caps, component etching and tilt sensors/alarms (available soon) to protect consumers from further attacks. We are also working with insurers to minimise the impact on consumers.

        Thanks.

      3. I think I will never buy Toyota or Lexus again just because of this nightmare.
        I have to pay £1500 for a new one. This is ridiculous

  10. It sounds like I should brace myself for more of this, since the first-time stolen a couple of weeks ago. By some fluke, a transport police officer was in the car park, took notes and I got a crime number. Because that is going to make all the difference (ha, ha)!

    Where Toyota really failed was at the point of sale. I wanted a hybrid and I would have bought the car, but I would have appreciated the dealer flagging this issue to me and telling me about prevention options. None of it was even mooted. OK, I should have done some research but I am not a petrol-head and the onus should not be on the customer.

    Luckily I have a second, petrol car that I now take when parking in public car parks etc. but that is hardly a solution to the problem.

    Having been a Toyota customer for over 15 years now, I do feel let down over something that the company and dealearships MUST have been aware of for a LONG TIME now (not to mention production!!!!).

    Reply

    1. Hi Masa,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime and that you were unaware of the situation. We would recommend recontacting your nearest Toyota centre to discuss preventative measures. We have developed and are supplying theft deterrent devices at zero profit such as CatLocs, bolt caps, component etching and tilt sensors/alarms (available soon) to protect consumers from further attacks.

      Please also be aware, we are engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. You mentioned the ’tilt sensor’. (Available soon) Can you be more specific than ‘soon’? Which month?

      2. Hi Andrew,

        Thanks for getting in touch. We can’t confirm specific dates at this time. However, please be aware we are urgently working on this and we will share more information as soon as possible.

        Thanks.

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