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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

  2. My catalytic converter got stolen last week and it’s now going through the insurance claim. Even if I get the car back fixed, I’m certain it will get stolen again as it is extremely easy. It takes 2 min max for these people to steal the part. Design flaw for sure, and until there’s a fundamental fix to this I can’t risk buying Toyota Hybrid. Also Toyota’s comment on Catloc…and they are not profiting from this and so on…it is not a fix…as these people still will jack up my car (who know what kind of other damage it will cause?!), and if they were really up for it, they will take if off.
    Sadly once I get the car back, I am going to sell the car and move on to some other brand.

    Reply

    1. Hi David,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are really sorry you have been affected by this crime and please be aware we are doing all we can to support our customers who have been impacted. We appreciate you are dealing with this through your insurance provider, however if you would like to discuss your situation further with our customer relations team, you can do so here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

      Our team treat all cases on a one by one basis and are best placed to discuss any queries you may have.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. Hi
    my catalytic converter was stolen during the lockdown.
    I have been surprised to see all these comments from other Toyota car owners and nothings has been done by Toyota to tackle this issue, not even a warning to owners to be cautious of this.
    What surprised me the most is that I took my Toyota Auris 2013 to the dealer every year for maintenance and they have’t ever mentioned this issue.
    Toyota are always in contact with me to promote their products, and I would have expected Toyota to offer the Catloc as solution to protect my vehicle and I am extremely disappointed that this was not offered nor discussed.
    I contacted the dealer several times but they were closed during the lockdown. This resulted in undue distress and financial loss to repair that would have been avoided had Toyota took the initiative to warn its customers.

    Reply

    1. Hi Naji,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We’re really sorry to hear how you have been impacted by this crime. We have tried to ensure as many of our customers as possible are aware. We published police advice on this crime as soon as we could online, wrote to our dealer network to brief customers and wrote directly to owners of a number of our vehicles where we had details to do so.

      Please aslo be aware, we have 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.

      We appreciate you have now dealt with the repair, however if you would like to discuss your situation further with our customer relations team, you can do so here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

      Thanks.

      Reply

  4. I just had mine stolen in Redwood City.California and will certainly not buy another Prius without a safe place to park it. However I do own a Mirai and I don’t think the platinum is accessible to thieves but I wonder if anyone else knows? Thanks

    Reply

  5. Hi, it has been mentioned to me, after I had my cat stolen recently, that during the lockdown my dealer had 18 cats stolen from the cars in their forecourt! I have the same concerns regarding getting the car fixed then thieves returning for easy pickings. I was thinking of having a camera put up in the residential area where I park my car, but thieves would probably ignore it anyway. I might just leave the car with the dealer, ask them to get rid of it, then I could get a bike instead.

    Reply

  6. Hi Toyota Uk,
    I cannot believe how many people have had catalytic converters stolen, this is an absolute disgrace! Mine was stolen from my Toyota Auris hybrid this morning. I am now going through my insurance which will put my premium up and I also have to pay £350 excess which I cannot afford. I am asking for you, Toyota UK, to pay this cost for me.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jenny,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are really sorry you have been affected by this crime. We would recommend contacting our customer relations team to discuss your situation further. Our team treat all cases on a one by one basis and are best placed to offer support in any way we can. You can email them directly here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

      Please also note we have 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. We are also working with insurers to minimise the impact on consumers.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  7. I have an idea to stop this catalytic converter steeling. If someone from Toyota can contact me for a discussion. It may be wrong, or it will work.

    Reply

  8. Second time within 6 months (SO50) on my Toyota Prius 2007, are these things fitted with quick release fittings !!!
    During lock down the car had hardly been used since the first instance

    Very disappointed that when I was sold my car that this was not bought up as a part of the running costs, considering the amount that are stolen (might as well as stuck a sign on the vehicle free money for scum and less than 5 free time on their hands).

    Certainly think twice before buying another hybrid vehicle from Toyota

    Reply

    1. Hi Paul,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We’re really sorry to hear about this. We have tried to ensure as many of our customers as possible are aware. Toyota published police advice on this crime as soon as it could online, wrote to our dealer network to brief customers and wrote directly to owners of a number of our vehicles where we had details to do so.

      We are doing all we can to help our customers who have been impacted by this crime. Our customer relations team treat all cases on a one by one basis in order to provide support in any way we can. If you would like to discuss your situation further with our team, you can find their contact details via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

      We are also 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

  9. Mine today, san jose ca. This is recall time am I right. Its crazier than anything and Toyota wants me to pay 460 for a guard that might help. Please offer better solution than that.

    Reply

  10. My toyota auris hibrid Cat converter has been stolen this morning, second time in 6 months time.Really disappointed. I have to make claim from insurance again. I am sure insurance premium will go up like rocket. I will surely sell this car as soon as its fixed. I cant take risk for this poorly design.

    Reply

    1. Hi Maung,

      Thanks for getting in touch with us. We’re sorry to hear you have been impacted by this crime for a second time. We are doing all we can to help our customers who have been affected by this situation.

      Our customer relations team treat all cases on a one by one basis in order to provide support in any way we can. If you would like to discuss your situation further with our team, you can find their contact details via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. Hi there,
        We have just had the cat converter stolen from our Toyota Approved 2012 Toyota Prius (T Spirit) which i bought in December 2019
        The insurance company is saying it is going to take 3 months to get hold of a replacement part. In the meantime I have to move house. It is absolutely unbelievable that I am going to have to pay to tow this car to my new address because Toyota have made the CAT so easily accessible to criminals. Tried to do the right thing by going for a hybrid car and went for Toyota as it is a reputable and huge company – how can there possibly be a 3 month waiting list for this part. Absolutely furious – it will be costing me so much money just to have an undriveable vehicle parked in London.
        Is there anything that can be done to get this part quicker?

        Rosie

      2. Hi Rosie,

        Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are really sorry you have been impacted by this crime and for the distress this may have caused. We are doing all we can to increase replacement parts production with our suppliers and reduce current backlog as fast as possible. To support our customers who have been impacted by this situation we are also assessing cases on an individual basis and making alternative vehicles available in some cases.

        To discuss the specifics of your situation further, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team as they are best placed to provide support in any way we can. You can contact them directly, here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

        Please also be aware, we have 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.

    2. just had the 2 converters on my land cruiser stolen so easy for them Toyota should recall all cars and put protectors on. I am about to change cars was thinking of another Toyota but will now look elsewhere

      Reply

      1. Hi Sandee,

        Thanks for getting in touch. We are incredibly sorry you have been impacted by this crime. We are doing all we can to support our customers who have been affected by this and we are assessing cases on an individual basis. If you would like to discuss your situation further with our customer relations team, you can do so here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

        Thanks.

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