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.
I was unable to create a new comment so adding here.
My Toyota Prius was fitted with a Toyota Catloc and chain to protect the converter from theft. However, on 8 May, I parked with my disabled son in his wheelchair in a busy area, and when I returned 5 minutes later with him, two males had jacked my car up and were sawing out the converter with a huge electric saw. I confronted them by going up to them and telling them to stop and they pushed me to the ground and injured me, and ran and got into a getaway car parked next to mine and drove off. My disabled son was sitting in his wheelchair watching. He has physical and learning disability and has been and still is very distressed to see me injured by this group of men. Passers-by who witnessed the incident immediately called the police, who turned up about 5-10 minutes later and took a report from myself and witnesses. Although the reg plate of the getaway car was noted, it turned out to be false plates/stolen car. I was very shaken up and felt faint. The Met Police have now written to say they’ve closed the case as they have been unable to identify the criminals.
As I’d interrupted them, they didn’t actually get away with the converter due to the delay of the Toyota Catloc chain, but in doing so, had sawn it off and wrecked it so it had to replaced anyway. I was able to get the car to a garage and they said not only did they ruin the converter but they also damaged the lambda sensor as they were trying to extricate the converter from the Catloc. I’ve therefore had to get both the catalytic converter and lamda sensor replaced.
So the Catloc may have slowed them down in stealing the converter (they would have got it out if I hadn’t returned so quickly) but it did not prevent me from needing to replace the converter anyway. Not only that, but because they hacked at it so much because of the Catloc and chain, they destroyed the Lambda sensor too. So the Catloc in fact caused more damage than if they’d just got the converter out easily.
The only reason I have a car is because my son is not mobile and I need to drive him with his wheelchair. He has a Blue Badge and is permanently disabled since birth. I am his main carer and receive Carer’s Allowance benefit. I can send evidence of this if you need.
I have seen the many comments here from others who are victims of this crime, including NHS workers in hospital car parks! These organised crime gangs don’t care about doing this crime in broad daylight in busy areas or assaulting or threatening to attack people! I’m now too too scared to go out and park anywhere in the car with my disabled son and worried about this happening to the car when parked outside my house.
I believe, like many of these commenters, that this is a fault of Toyota’s. I’m now worried as I have no protection on the new catalytic converter.
I have seen from all the other comments on your site that people are demanding that Toyota take responsibility for this design fault and crimes. I have been a victim of crime as a carer of a disabled person for no fault of my own, only the fault in the design of your car.
I would ask you to consider refunding the amount I’ve had to pay to repair my car. And to recommend and supply (plus pay for installation) a protective plate that would perhaps be more of a deterrent to this theft happening again than a Catloc that they can’t see until they’re under the car and sawing already.
I have also sent this to your customer service email.
MT
Hi all “lucky” Toyota owners,
This problem is not only in the UK. I am living in the Netherlands and my Cat has stolen twice already for the last 6 months.
Please sign the “Stop catalytic converter theft” petition and share among your friends
http://chng.it/Ytyt8s94SB
We should make this problem as much as possible public!
Hi Atul,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are incredibly sorry you have been a victim of this crime. Please be aware, we are doing all we can to support our customers who have been impacted by this crime.
We have developed and are supplying theft deterrent devices at zero profit such as CatLocs, bolt caps and component etching to protect consumers from further attacks. We are also working with insurers to minimise the impact on consumers.
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.
We appreciate you are already consulting with your insurance provider, however if you would like to discuss your situation further with our customer relations team, you can contact them here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us
Thanks.
Hi there,
Thank you for contacting us. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. We can see you have a case open with our customer relations team. The case manager has now been in touch with you directly and is the best point of contact if you wish to discuss your situation further.
We appreciate the severity of this situation and have developed and are supplying theft deterrent devices at zero profit such as CatLocs, tilt alarms, bolt caps and component etching to protect consumers from further attacks. We are also working with insurers to minimise the impact on consumers.
We have also 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 legislation.
Thanks.
I have an idea. Firstly why should we pay to put a catlock on our cars when Toyota should do it when they build them? Also a catlock won’t stop them I refuse to pay £250 just so the thieves can steal it again.
Right now back to my idea. Only way to stop them is to rig a wire up to the main battery to the cat converter and when they go to remove the cat then they get a big electric shock which hopefully punishes them.
This crime is serious now i’m very scared because i got Toyota Auris Hybrid 2018 and on Monday 18-05-2020 3 oclock in the afternoon my car was parked outside my home in north west london. 3 guys parked their car in my street and came out to steal my cat but i was very lucky my downstairs neighbour saw them and knocked on my door i rushed out my door but they ran away. Toyota hybrid cars are not safe think 100 times before you buy them.
I live in North West London and around 5:20pm yesterday (20th May 2020) a black BMW was parked across my driveway directly infront of my Toyota Auris. Luckily, I spotted the BMW blocking my driveway so I went outside which I think prevented them from stealing my cat converter. I have read all the other comments on here about cat converter thefts and really don’t have any confidence in Toyota now. I also paid £250 to Toyota to get the catloc fitted but it seems it does not stop the theft – so that was a total waste of money. I have always trusted Toyota cars and have been buying from Toyota dealers over the years but now, unless Toyota does something to help out its customers, I certainly won’t be buying from any Toyota dealers.
Very disappointed to read about so many thefts from Toyota cars and the nightmare situation Toyota owners have been put through.
You are absolutely right Raul, this is not a new crime. As a matter of fact the thefts of catalytic converters from hybrid vehicles, like the Prius, have been prolific in the US for over 10 YEARS. Toyota have had ample time to react to this crime (secure / change design / re-position the CC, etc) and have instead done NOTHING about it.
Instead, they sit here writing their same stock patronizing responses to every CC theft victim, claiming to be totally oblivious about this crime whilst profiteering from our misery and losses.
It even makes you wonder if Toyota are part of the same criminal syndicate that are stealing the CC’s? After all, many victims here claim they were never informed about this current crime spree and that they had their CC’s stolen from their vehicle merely a few days / weeks after visiting the said Toyota stealership. It certainly doesn’t seem implausible that Toyota could be passing customer details onto criminal gangs to go after and steal the CC’s. After all, it is Toyota who profit from all this.
It is time that current and potential customers are made fully aware about these issue through mainstream and social media since Toyota, sure as hell, are not going to inform any of their customers about these issues; Toyota’s MO is to clearly profit whichever way they can, even at the expense and loss of their uninformed and unwary customers.
Toyota’s long built reputation for reliability will quickly evaporate when more people come to realise about this scandal and stop purchasing Toyota products and services.
Hi All,
Bought a Gen 2 Prius recently and am quite worried about it reading the reviews!!!. Is there any benefit in starting a petition to the gov/dvla/anyone regarding this issue and getting is sorted with either police or TGB in the future. It does seem ridiculous that this has been happening for a few years now and TGB hasn’t been aware and have not done anything about it and the Mets as well not being concerned too much in spite of the fact that the people have had it stolen 2-3 times in a short span. Both me and wife work for NHS in different places and it is going to be a big issue if it happens. Rogues don’t stop as they are not even tailed by the police! [i suppose insignificant for them]. But is a major hassle for the owners. Could any one give a bit more detail on the alarm system please, its a 2006 prius.
ta
I don’t have a Toyota, but I do have a Honda Jazz, nice car, like the Toyotas.
Some scrap metal scumbag thief cut the cat converter from underneath in the early hours of one morning a week ago, and apparently my Jazz (2002-2008) is the softest target of all for this kind of cat theft.
I sympathise with you Toyota owners, it would appear that both Honda and Toyota having got everything right about their cars, quality, design, manufacture, super reliability, and comfort, but, managed to fail miserably at protecting a very valuable piece of equipment which is vital to the engine management system of the car, the catalitic Converter.
It would appear the removal from my car was virtually like picking a apple from a tree. A very expensive apple from a poorly designed tree.
Yes, Toyota and Honda are to blame for a car design which allows the Cat to be removed so easily, so they were caught with their pants down on this and should come up with a RECALL solution.
Thieves will only steal Cats if they can sell them to someone.
The government know that the scrap metal dealer market is not honest and it will never be completely honest because of the type of people who sell to them. There’s always a backdoor into any scrap dealer. Car breakers, Gipsy Travellers, opportunists, drug dealers, low life scumbags all looking for easy cash know about that backdoor.
Only the Government can stop the Cat thefts. The police are well aware of the problem, and they know it’s the buyers at the end of the chain who turn a blind eye to stolen metal, but do nothing.
I am very sorry to hear about NHS and care workers who have had this happen to them, it’s both inconvenient and expensive and can affect your car insurance, but most of all, when you are working to save lives, you end up victims of ruthless low life scumbags and it adds to your stress.
I have looked after my family’s cars for over 30 years, so I am going to sort the Honda Jazz exhaust and cat converter in the coming week, but even doing it on a 2006 jazz is probably going to cost me £300 in parts, so it’s easy to see that an insurance company would write off the car for that kind of parts plus labour cost. So, I am not claiming on my insurance.
I have looked at the various physical protection methods and locks available, and yes, they are all designed to slow down the scumbags, but they come at a price. The very fact that Toyota are offering to sell you one of their ‘Afterthought’ Locks to prevent Cat converter theft is an admission that they are responsible and liable for the costs of these thefts.
Like baldrick, I have a cunning plan to thwart this human scum.
Knowing how the scumbags cut the cats from the exhaust, when fitting the replacement I may well wrap the exhaust pipe either side of the new cat tightly with barbed wire several times, and then wrap the cat so it ends up looking like a hedghog on heat. I can spend a couple of hours doing this, where as the thief will only want to dwell a minute or so trying to remove it.
The sight of a formidable barbed deterent should put him off, but the scene could be bloody.
What the MOT tester will think I am not sure, but his comments might be interesting.
Barbed wire = a few £quid
Toyota lock = a few hundred quid.