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.
My catalytic converter was stolen whilst parked at the Alton Towers car park on Monday 26th August. The theft was captured on video by a member of Alton Towers staff whom reported this to park security and the police, it took approximately 2 minutes to steal the cat. We were informed by Alton Towers security team that this has happened to a number of other Toyota’s whilst parked on the grounds. It appears that this issue is affecting Toyota’s more than any other brand and Toyota appear to be doing very little about it. Toyota have informed me and my insurance company that there is a 6 week waiting list for Cats which are on back order. Toyota are charging customers £250 for a Catlock to fix their own design flaw! Up until now I have always held Toyota in high regard and recommended them for the quality build of their vehicles and the high levels of customer service they have offered. However, its the way a company deals with its customers when things go wrong that defines their quality and quite frankly, Toyota have failed in their response to this crisis.
Toyota, when are you going to take responsibility for your own design/security flaw and recall all models affected by this problem? Catlocks should be fitted as standard as part of a recall program and not be charged to customers. If a cat is stolen from a vehicle that has a Catlock installed then it has failed its purpose and Toyota should cover all repair costs.
Hi Amjid,
Thanks for getting in touch and we are extremely sorry to hear you have been targeted by thieves. We are working hard to support all our customers who have been impacted by this situation whilst working to take greater action against this. As a result of this, we appreciate the difficulty of the situation and have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case on your behalf.
Regarding your other queries, from a manufacturing perspective, this is not a design fault as most vehicles have their Catalytic Converter in a similar place due to the nature of the part.
In addition unfortunately, due to the unforecasted demand in these parts we have been unable to keep up with replacements. However, please be aware we are doing everything we can to ensure parts can be found as quickly as possible and working with our European counterparts to make sure this is resolved.
Once again, we are deeply sorry you have been impacted by this situation and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss your case further.
Thanks.
My catalytic converter was nicked this week. 2014 Auris hybrid parked on the street in North London. Waiting to find out when it will be repaired and how much it will cost. The repair shop had four this week, all Toyotas. They also service VWs, Hondas and Audis. Almost all of the catalytic converter thefts are Toyotas.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for getting in touch and we are extremely sorry to hear you have been a victim of this type of crime. We are trying to support our customers as much as possible through this difficult situation and have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case on your behalf.
Thanks.
Just had my cat stolen from 2014 Auris– and I hold Toyota responsible. After reading through all these comments, it is clear that Toyota knows there is a problem, has not warned customers, and the cat-loc recommendation has proven to be ineffective– or, even worse, resulted in greater damage when the cat converter was stolen anyway. We were meant to leave today on a driving holiday, but now instead stuck at home sorting through insurance and hoping the car can be fixed in the coming weeks– have lost money on hotels booked and events missed– will Toyota make this up to us? Don’t tell me to contact customer service if all they will do is tell me to get a cat-loc. I bought this car two months ago, trusting Toyota’s reputation for good hybrid cars. Now I will tell anyone: steer clear from Toyota. There should be a class action suit.
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch and we are extremely sorry you have been a victim of this type of crime and the impact it has had on your plans.
We are working to support all customers impacted by this crime whilst we work to take action against this issue and therefore have emailed you regarding opening a case with our team on your behalf if this is something you would be interested in, in order for us to discuss your case further.
Thanks.
How are you supporting us? At most it seems to be a recommendation to fit a catloc, which is not effective anyway against a thief with a power tool (generally this will be the case).
Hi John,
Thanks for getting in touch. Our customer relations team are working hard to assess each case as we continue to react in a proactive manner to this development we have no control in. If you have experienced this issue and would like to discuss it further, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team whose contact details can be found via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/
Thanks.
My Toyota Prius 2006 model Catalytic converter was stolen last week on 22nd August 2019 and to date we are still waiting for news as we were told it was ready to collect on 28th August from the garage only to find out the warning light to had come on and had to go back to the garage and have use of the courtesy car until the insurance decide if they can continue with the work, when the garage did a diagnostic check the thieves had damaged the CPU (the brain) in the Pruis by doing what they did! So angry with them…….. then a neighbour on our street told us his Cat/Conv got stolen the day after ours and his car was on his drive!! Still waiting for the MET police to contact us!!
Hi Christine,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are extremely sorry to hear both you and your neighbour have been targeted by thieves. We appreciate this is an incredibly difficult situation and have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case on your behalf in order for us to discuss your situation further.
Once again we are deeply sorry to hear about your experience and for the stress this may have caused.
Thanks.
We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience Christine. Unfortunately, we have been unable to email you using the email address associated with your account.
In this case, we would recommend either contacting our customer relations team directly whose contact details you will be able to find via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/
Or, if you would prefer to, feel free to private message us on Facebook or Twitter and we would be able to open the customer relations case on your behalf.
Thanks.
Yes I wonder if you can help me I am waiting for my new car a Chr I have been looking at all these cat’s but they don’t seem to be anything about other models in the Toyota range please can you let me know thanks yery much Robert Gladman thanks
Hi Robert,
Thanks for getting in touch. Most vehicles have their Catalytic Converter in a similar place due to the nature of the part. The valuable metals and location of the part make it susceptible to thieves. Unfortunately, because of this, this is a general theft issue across all cars. We are currently working to continue taking proactive action against this development we have no control in.
Thanks.
Apparently they have notified the owners of the Prius, but mine too was Auris, why have they not notified Auris owners?
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for getting back in touch. At this time, we are working with all areas of the business on this issue and are still trying to react to the rise of thefts in a proactive manner with the development of this crime we have no control in. Please be aware, we are continuously monitoring and working to take action against this situation.
Thanks.
Anything on that class action suit? Would like to be part of it!
Is the new UK Corolla 2019 at a high risk? Just ordered a new one for delivery in September
Hi Iain,
Thanks for getting in touch. Most vehicles have their Catalytic Converter in a similar place due to the nature of the part. The valuable metals and location of the part make it susceptible to thieves. Unfortunately, because of this, this is a general theft issue across all cars. We are currently working to continue taking proactive action against this development we have no control in.
Thanks.
My Cat Converter got stolen today and I heard so many other toyota cars have same problem. I don’t know why Toyota not doing anything. Im thinking going BBC watchdog.
Hi Yasir,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are extremely sorry to hear you have been a victim of this type of crime and have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case with our team on your behalf. We appreciate this is a difficult situation and would like to discuss you specific case further.
Thanks.
I left a comment about mine getting stolen last week, and the comment was removed. I also called the customer services and their reply was not satisfactory. I wanted to know if they were notifying all their customers at point of sale, to which they didn’t really reply. Would have happily had a catloc fitted. BBC Watchdog here I come.
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for getting in touch. We monitor all the blog comments before they are published in order to send effective responses to any comments or concerns. Unfortunately, this can cause a delay, however your comment has now been responded to. In regards to you other query, we have notified all of our Toyota network within the UK of the Catalytic converter theft issue and advised them to make contact where they feel it is necessary.
Once again, we are sorry you have been a victim of this crime and for the inconvenience this may have caused.
Thanks.
We appreciate the
And yet another… Auris Sporting 2016. This week.. directly outside my house. Taken away to repair shop who then call me to tell they have 14… repeat 14! In their yard Auris or Prius. Does this not imply a non fitness for purpose if they are so easily removed? And now there is an estimated month wait for replacement part. Toyota.. you make a good car but this is a serious flaw that needs addressing if you want to keep your name and customer retention. £350 excess! Insurance quote will go up! Self employed so miss two days work before courtesy car arrives! (With a month delay good job I pay for one). Then…. sleepless nights in case it happens again! £250 for security lock… (does it work?). Not good! not good at all.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for getting in touch. We are extremely sorry you have been targeted by thieves and for the stress this may have caused. From a manufacturing perspective, this is not a design fault as most vehicles have their Catalytic Converter in a similar place due to the nature of the part.
Unfortunately, due to the unforecasted demand in these parts we have been unable to keep up with replacements. However, please be aware we are doing everything we can to ensure parts can be found as quickly as possible and working with our European counterparts to make sure this is resolved.
Our bespoke Catlocs are designed to prevent opportunist theft and is made of marine-grade stainless steel and attached with anti-tamper fixings. It has also been included in the International Security Register, approved by UK police and accredited by Thatcham Research.
We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your case further and have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case with our team.
Thanks.
Hi everyone!
Sorry Toyota, but I do not trust you any more as catalytic converter were stolen first in May from my Toyota Prius and now in August from Toyota Auris.
I want to get rid of Auris as soon as it will be repaired.
After almost 20 years driving Toyotas different models I do not want to be involved with it .
It’s really pity as I and my husband used to love our Toyotas.
Hi Ava,
Thanks for getting in touch and we are deeply sorry to hear you have been a victim of this crime. We are working hard to support all our customers who have been impacted by this situation and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your case further with our team. With this in mind, we have emailed you regarding opening a customer relations case on your behalf.
Thanks.
I’ve got my 07 Prius CAT stolen from just outside my house in Brentwood Essex in the early hours of Monday the 19th of August; Right before driving down Cornwall for my summer holiday. Got a courtesy car only 2 days later and after pushing so much for it otherwise they had asked me to wait until Friday (That would have been the entire week)!
Struggling to sleep since I got my car back repaired. Decided to sell it after reading and watching freaking videos on YuoTube. There does not seem to be anything to do. The Police are treating these as minor crimes. I look at it as one of those situations where they are waiting for someone to get hurt either them thiefs themselves or us victims. It’s just a matter of time. Then I wonder whether they will finally catch them. I don’t think they ever have been. Frankly I doubt, at least not here in the UK! From those videos you can see it’s pretty much always the same guys. Although, I’m pretty sure it’s a big criminal organisation and it should be treated and fought against as such!
Toyota UK,
I had my cat stolen in July which cost me about £1000 in uninsured losses and £250 for the Auris 2 catloc (when it eventually became available).
I’m happy with the catloc and hope that it will deter these organised criminals who are specifically targeting the Toyota Auris and Prius (confirmed by insurance and recovery company), due to the high content of platinum/palladium in the cat and its accessibility to be removed quickly.
Now that you have this solution available, I do believe you should be contacting all customers to inform them of developing security risk so they have the opportunity to install the catloc before becoming a victim and unhappy customer.
Thanks,
Shaun.
Hi Shaun,
Thanks for getting in touch and we are extremely sorry you have been a victim of this type of crime. Our network are aware of the situation and have been advised to contact customers where they feel it is necessary. We have also contacted registered owners of generation 2 Prius customers directly are also regularly updating our blog post. We are working with all areas of the business on this issue as we try to react to the theft in a proactive manner with the development we have no control in. Regarding this, we appreciate your feedback and we will pass your comments along to the relevant teams.
Please feel free to get back in touch if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
Can you tell me if the new Corolla Touring Sport is also vulnerable?
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch. Most vehicles have their Catalytic Converter in a similar place due to the nature of the part. The valuable metals and location of the part make it susceptible to thieves. Unfortunately, because of this, this is a general theft issue across all cars. We are currently working to continue taking proactive action against this development we have no control in.
Thanks.
Do you have a catlock for this vehicle?
Hi there,
Thanks for getting back in touch. At this time, we don’t currently have a Catloc available for this vehicle. However, please be aware we are continuously monitoring this situation in order to take proactive action against vehicles deemed most at risk.
Thanks.