Catalytic converter theft from cars isn’t a new crime, but it has increased significantly in recent times.
Police forces around the UK, including those in West Yorkshire, London and Suffolk, are advising owners of any car fitted with a catalytic converter to take precautions.
Any car fitted with a catalytic converter could be at risk. 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 cars sold in Europe since 1993 have had to be fitted with 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 in the main, the value of the catalytic converter for recycling is the main attraction to thieves, because they contain precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium.
What is Toyota doing to stop its cars being targeted?
In May 2021, Toyota (GB) announced that it would be covertly marking more than 100,000 catalytic converters in order to combat theft. By working with police and Smartwater, catalytic converters can be tagged with an invisible yet traceable marking, meaning 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.
It is free to get the catalytic converter marked, all customers need to do is call their local Toyota or Lexus retailer to arrange a visit.
In addition to this, Toyota has issued 20,000 Smartwater kits to police to support their local anti-catalyst theft initiatives. The company is also working with the AA, Toyota’s roadside partner, so its patrols can point customers to where they can get a free kit.
We have also developed and reduced the price of a ‘Catloc’ device which can deter theft and make it more difficult. Toyota teams in the UK and other countries are urgently exploring new technical possibilities to deter criminals as well.
We are working with the police, as well as talking to government about changes in the law around scrap metal sales that would make it harder for criminals to sell stolen catalysts for cash.
However, these are criminal operations and our scope is therefore limited. A number of police forces are taking action and some forces, such as Nottinghamshire, are also starting awareness campaigns. It is vitally important for anyone who is a victim of this crime to report it to their local police force as quickly as possible.
In the main, it remains older cars that are targeted because advances in efficiency and technology mean the latest generations of Toyota catalytic converters contain vastly lower amounts of precious metals, whilst 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 Catloc 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 catalytic converters ‘unstealable’. A Catloc makes it harder to steal a catalytic converter, slowing thieves down and acting as a deterrent. As mentioned above, we’re doing all we can to seek further technical options for customers.
Is Catloc available for my Toyota?
Catloc devices are available for a growing proportion of our range, but not all. We recommend speaking to your local Toyota centre.
How much does it cost to replace a catalytic converter?
Toyota’s first priority is to do all we can to support our customers who have been victims of crime.
We have moved to reduce the prices of replacement catalytic converters and Catlocs to a level where Toyota GB does not make any profit from supplying them to customers.
Your nearest Toyota centre can advise on exact costs after inspecting your vehicle.
Is it true that there is a long wait for replacement catalytic converter parts for Toyota cars?
The rapid rise in this crime in 2019 is one we could not have envisaged, set against many years of low incidence of catalytic converter theft. This initially impacted our ability to source enough of the parts we needed in some cases, for which we sincerely apologise.
Toyota has restarted production lines in Japan and France that made catalysts for many of the older models targeted in order to supply affected owners, developed a Catloc security device which helps deter theft (and has been granted a “Sold Secure with Gold Status” security ranking) and ensured it makes no profit at all from the sale of replacement catalysts or from Catlocs, providing them at cost.
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 13 May 2021, so some of the responses to reader comments below have been superseded by more recent information.
Looking at this blog, I can see that I am certainly not the only one but I am the latest victim.
I loved toyota for reliability, hybrid technology and 0% finance options. But after CC of my auris hybrid got stolen, I feel let down.
Car manufacturers should be made to advise the customers of issues like car parts which can be so easily stolen (took 60 seconds for my Auris hybrid 1.8s CC to be cut off the car) and which are that big an expense. The sales people mention this when pushing upgrades on us but noone had told us on the original sale!
This feels like fraud rather than theft.
Adding the expense of replacing the CC, Toyota is not really cost effective compared to other brands and we’ve lost trust.
Hi RazaSat,
Thanks for your comment. We are truly sorry that you’ve been a victim of this crime.
We published Police advice online as soon as possible and have also engaged with many different organisations, such as the Home Office, Local MPs and the National Lead for vehicle crime, to try and raise the crime’s profile and identify issues with existing legislation.
If you would like to raise your situation further, our Customer Relations team are best place to offer advice and support.
They can be contacted here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre/email-us
Once again, we are so sorry that your vehicle has been targeted by criminals.
Thanks.
From when did you do this, my dad has a 2018 Yaris Hybrid, is that at risk?
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment.
CatLocs have only been produced for vehicles considered to be most at risk, and this does not currently include the 2018 Yaris.
Thanks.
Can someone tell me if the Y20 Yaris Hybrid is at risk? I had a Cat-lock fitted on an Auris after AA recommendation at a non-related call out. No advice before this from Toyota and the Auris is vulnerable. Not impressed.
Hi Jax,
Thanks for your comment.
We only produce CatLocs for vehicles considered to be most at risk, and this doesn’t currently include the Yaris.
Thanks.
Hi,
Are Toyota working on redesigning their cars so that the catalytic converters are no longer easily accessible or even using a lower quantity of precious metals within the part so that it’s less likely to be targeted by thieves?
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for getting in touch.
We have reduced the precious metal content of the catalytic converters in our newer hybrids by up to 84%, meaning that these are less attractive to thieves.
We have also 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.
Thanks.
Hi
I got a toyota yaris y20, normal automatic not hybrid but still? So any one have encountered stolen catalytic converter on yaris I’m very concerned? 😔🤔
Hi Dom,
Thanks for your comment.
We only produce catalytic converters for vehicles considered most at risk, and this does not currently include the Yaris.
Thanks.
Hi Toyota. It sounds like you have decided to NOT design out the problem as Jennifer asked. Really you should redesign the underside so the cat converter is inaccessible so almost impossible to steal. It can be done. Sloppy if you don’t try. Thieves are repeatedly going back to the same car to steal the cat converter after it has been replaced, so they don’t care if the metal content has reduced by 84%! It’s easy money for them. I was going to trade up my Prius to a Lexus but unlikely to happen now. Sorry guys but Toyota is losing its edge here. It used to be so customer focussed, but this is a real problem. Even if you subside the catloc and tilt alarm, it is the inconvenience which irks. Just solve the problem via a redesign.
I’m yet another another victim of Toyota and their lack of transparency on catalytic converter theft just to sell another car. I’ve owned my Auris hybrid for 16 months the cats. been stolen twice and from my place of work. The car now sits in my garage without leaving as I’m petrified of it happening again. Why can’t the cats. be replaced by less desirable ones? to stop it happening repeatedly. There is no support from Toyota just “I’m sorry that must be terrible”. Once everyone is aware of this issue the resale of these cars will make them worthless losing many thousands of pounds. With us victims being left pennyless and with huge insurance premiums.
Thank you Toyota you have ruined my life!
Hi Robert,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry to hear you’ve been affected by this crime.
If you would like to discuss your situation further, you can contact our Customer Relations team here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre/email-us
Thanks.
I took delivery of a brand new Toyota Prius 1.8 on October 7th 2020.Within 5 weeks, the catcon was stolen in the space of 90 seconds from a public road, in broad daylight by 3 well-rehearsed thieves. I am having the car returned to me today following a replacement catcon being fitted. So no car for 48 hours until a courtesy car is supplied and all the bloody inconvenience that goes with it. What angers me as much as anything is the blatant dishonesty of the Toyota sales rep, who forcibly denied that there was a problem on the latest models, when I asked the question. I’m disgusted and feel deceived. I doubt I shall ever purchase another Toyota and would recommend others to look elsewhere. Hybrids are a poisoned chalice and as ever the retailers and manufacturers are ‘economical with the truth’ and are only interested in flogging them.
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are so sorry to hear that you’ve been affected by this crime.
Our Customer Relations team are best placed to advise should you wish to discuss your specific situation in further detail, and they can be contacted here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre/email-us
Once again, we are so sorry that your vehicle has been targeted by criminals.
Thanks.
Has anyone else had problems with noise after having a Catloc fitted? Toyota Auris Touring Sports
Hi, in January 2020 I had the catalytic converter stolen. I subsequently had a Catloc fitted by Jemca Reading when they replaced it. In August when going on holiday with a fairly loaded car I noticed knocking coming from the car, especially when going over bumps but it also occurred when cornering. Concerned that there was a problem with the suspension I asked Jemca to look into it. They told me that it was a known problem with the Catlocs knocking against the catalytic converter and Toyota were looking into a solution and they would contact me when there was one. No update was received. Recently the knocking got much worse. I took the car to Jemca Reading and they told me that the Catloc had been bent, which was causing the knocking and they couldn’t repair it. They expected me to continue driving the car. As far as I’m concerned the noise is unacceptable making the car undrivable. I had noticed that the ground clearance of the car had been impaired since fitting the Catloc. As I’m retired I’m really not a fast driver so clearance problems have involved very low speed driving. I spoke to the designer of the Catloc for the Auris at On Board Defence this morning and he assured me that there had not been any problems with the Catloc causing noise and that there was no design activity ongoing on the Catloc and no problems had been reported by Toyota. I’m clearly getting different stories from the garage and the manufacturer and I’m left with a vehicle that I don’t believe is drivable in the long term. Since the garage could not offer a solution I have asked them to remove the Catloc to at least allow me to have a car that is usable. The problem is of course that it is now more vulnerable to theft of the Catalytic Converter. What is your suggested solution?
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. We’re so sorry to hear this.
We can see that you have been in touch with our Customer Relations team, and they are currently working on your case.
They will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks.
Has anybody here actually had a useful response from the ‘customer relations team’? That seems to be all that Toyota can advise. I have just ordered an Auris for my wife (obviously not new but only a few years old) and am now thinking of cancelling, probably with the loss of a significant deposit, as it seems you cannot park these anywhere with any confidence. You cannot even get replacements for the cat. Why do they not at least redesign so that replacements have the cat in the engine bay or somewhere less accessible?
I have now cancelled my order. Toyota are now losing customers hand over fist as this becomes more widely known. If the Catloc is their engineered solution and they have confidence in it why can they not say that if you pay to have it fitted they will indemnify you against further cat loss, even if they add £50 to put into an insurance pot. That would give some peace of mind and confidence in buying the cars. Of course, they would also need to be able to supply the replacements when necessary!