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.
Hi I hve recently had my catalytic converter stolen from my toyota auris hybrid 2015 from a secured car park ncp birmingham new street. This has thrown me off balance. Its costing me dearly with insurance. Now I hve to pay my excess with insurance and a high premium in insurance. Not even mention the inconvenience and unplanned expenses I m making without having a car atm. I m so vexed with the situation. Having read the catloc don’t protect the catalytic converter Which cost me thousand to fix one will ask why own a Toyota hybrid. I love my toyota. Please what can you guys do to prevent this theft. Or support the pple who are victims.
Hi Nonso,
Thanks for getting in touch.
We’re really sorry to hear that you’ve been affected by this crime.
We have tried to make sure that as many customers as possible have been informed through publishing police advice about the crime online as soon as it was received, writing to our dealer network to inform customers and writing directly to vehicle owners where details have been available to do so.
We have also engaged with the Home Office, Local MPs, the Met Police and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims), who is also the National Lead for Vehicle Crime. This will raise the profile of the crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.
As catalytic converters contain precious metals, any car containing one is in theory at risk of theft. Over time, we have reduced the precious metal content of our catalytic converters by up to 84% and currently produce CatLocs for vehicles considered most at risk, but criminals are using high-grade power tools that are difficult for any manufacturer to completely protect against.
Please be aware we are constantly monitoring this situation and are doing all we can to support our customers that have been impacted by this horrible crime.
We are very sorry to hear that your vehicle has been targeted by thieves and for the distress that this crime has caused.
If you would like to raise your situation further, we would recommend contacting our Customer Relations team directly. You can do so here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Many thanks.
I have a Toyota CHR (November) 2020 “orange edition” What advice can you give so that I may try and protect the Catalytic converter on my car. Recently, theft of “CATs” is on the increase in my area.
Hi Les, thanks for your question.
Please may you provide your Vehicle Registration so that we can look into this for you.
Thanks.
Hi,
My Auris -68 plate catalytic converter got stolen yesterday and when we enquired for Stock, the answer is no ETA….this is very frustrating apart from the ruined half term and not able to get to work scenarios…
Toyota being a trusted brand should do more on this and ensure that the dealers have enough stock available for them to reduce the pain for customers… Having owned 4 Toyota’s till now, this situation is making me to think seriously on why Toyota knowing the vulnerabilities did not do a recall on all the cars that are considered to be risky, very disappointed…
Can you at least provide some ETA for the catalytic converter availability?
Hi,
We are really sorry to hear that you have been affected by this crime.
Firstly, we understand the frustrations the part delays are causing, so we thank you for your patience at this time.
Please be assured we are doing all the we can to ensure that these parts are being delivered as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an ETA at this time.
Your Toyota Parts Centre will be best placed to provide an ETA when it becomes available.
Thanks.
Hi,
My 2013 plate prius+ cat was stolen on 27th October. Car not being picked up for repair until Monday 31st. Car needed for work and as primary carer for an elderly parent the inconvenience is massive. No hire care available for this type of claim.
The car was in for service the week before but not a peep from the garage about the current level of hybrid cat thefts. Guidance should be being issued by the dealers. Forewarned is forearmed and all that. Maybe I’ll get the thing back within the next 6 weeks, who knows. Then what happens, they steal it again ? The catlock just adds a bit of extra time, nothing deters a determined thief.
This will hasten our move to electric and unfortunately away from Toyota, who have no purely electric car available in the UK, which is in itself shocking.
Hi Simon,
We are very sorry to hear that you have been affected by this horrible crime.
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 and also wrote to our dealer network to brief customers.
Please be assured we are constantly assessing this situation and are working hard to support all of our customers who have been impacted by this terrible crime.
If there is anything else we can do to help, please let us know.
Thanks.
** Update **
3 week wait for a new cat.
We only have a very small classic car as our second car.
Prisu + being traded in on return for a Citroën e-berlingo.
Shame, the car had done 93k miles without a technical fault. But I can this being done on a regular basis. It’s not so much the cost, but the inconvenience.
Ah well.
Sayōnara Toyota, bonjour Citroën.
Best of luck to all the new members of this unfortunate club.
Hi
I own a 2009 Prius and on Thursday 27th October, after several previous attempts, my catalytic converter was stolen for the second time in 3.5 years. It had a CATLOC fitted by Toyota, that I had to purchase for £200 in May 2019. Not only do insurance companies refuse to pay for a CATLOC to be fitted, Toyota don’t provide a courtesy while your car is being fixed if you choose to use them. I love Toyota cars, but I’ve had enough! I had to witness my catalytic converter being stolen because the criminals had crowbars and waved them at us as we shouted at them from our first floor window. We were totally helpless! I called the police and but they were far too busy at 10:30pm to answer and by the time they did, the thieves were long gone. The whole incident was caught on my door camera and a neighbour videoed what happened from her window and also filmed them running to their getaway car, which they parked around the corner. My insurance company are saying that they are probably going to write off my car because of its age and mileage and I was furious at first. However, after much thought, this might be a blessing in disguise. If Toyota have no intention of redesigning how to reposition the catalytic converters in their cars to better protect them from theft, I’m going to take my loyalty elsewhere. My car could easily have done another 200,000 miles and I’m very upset and disappointed in Toyota. The impact financially and mentally is immense. This has totally ruined my half term!!! If I can afford to, I’m going to buy an electric car. Toyota should be looking at how to protect their catalytic converters and not wasting thousands of hours replacing something that will just get stolen. Not making a profit on replacing a part that is at high risk at being repeatedly stolen is very noble, but false economy.
Hi, thanks for getting in touch.
We are really sorry to hear about your experience. We understand the distress and frustration this may have caused.
Organised criminal gangs have been targeting some of our older hybrid models due to the higher amount of precious metals within the Catalytic Converter. These materials were fitted to make the Catalytic Converter more efficient at removing harmful emissions, making the car cleaner. There was no way we could have envisaged the value of these materials rising so high in the last few years. Please be assured, our newer models have much reduced precious metal content in the Catalytic Converter by up to 84%, making them less attractive to thieves.
This is a criminal issue, and we are working with various agencies, including the Police, to try to put a stop to it.
Once again, we are very sorry that this has happened to you and hope you are back on the road soon.
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact our Customer Relations Team here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Many thanks.
I had my catalytic converter stolen from my Toyota Auris hybrid 2012 yesterday from my drive way. I have video camera installed as well, It only took them 50 seconds to cut it and go. I am not sure what Toyota is doing to avoid this. Until today I was planning to big Toyota hybrid car again, as in terms of running and maintenance there is no issue. But after this incident I am thinking now. And have no idea how much it will cost me now to fix this one.
Those guy took one another convertor from one of my friends car at same time next street.
Heard this incident a lot. One of my other friend got Toyota Prius and he had this stolen twice with in a month of getting it fixed.
Police don’t do anything in such cases, even though I have called them provided them all details with videos evidence as well. They still not turned up, its been more than 24 hours incident has happened. Even they said its normal for Toyota cars
No Idea what we can do as a customer rather than going for any other car than Toyota in future
And No idea it will be safe again even after fixing. Anything Toyota doing on top of fixing to prevent it in future
Hi Sunil,
We have reduced the precious metal content of the catalytic converters of our newer hybrids by up to 84%. Additionally, we have engaged with the Home Office, Local MPs, the Met Police and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims), who is also the National Lead for Vehicle Crime. This will raise the profile of the crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.
Thanks.
Hi Sunil, thanks for getting in touch.
We are very sorry to hear about this experience. We apologise for the inconvenience it has caused.
Please be aware we are constantly monitoring this situation and are doing all we can to support our customers that have been impacted by this horrible crime. We have also developed and are supplying theft deterrent devices at zero profit to Toyota UK such as CatLocs, tilt alarms, bolt caps and component etching to protect consumers from further attacks.
Please be assured we have taken action over time to reduce the precious metal content of the catalytic converters of our newer hybrids by up to 84%.
If you would like to raise this further, please contact our Customer Relations Team here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Once again, we are very sorry that this has happened to you and hope you are back on the road soon.
Many thanks.
Catalytic converter stolen from Toyota Auris in driveway on 30 Oct by weapon wielding thugs. Reported to police who have no interest save to confirm that the car can be collected for repair. Approved garage will not fit a catloc because, “they are not a deterrent and do not work”. I imagine the car is now on a ‘list’ for a return visit. Is there anything practical that demonstrably prevents theft other than locking the car in a garage? No future Toyota for us sadly.
Hi there,
We are very sorry to hear that you have been affected by this horrible crime.
Have you had the chance to make contact with your nearest Toyota Centre regarding this?
Thanks.
Why? What will they do? Will they compensate us for poor design? Upgrade, free of charge, our hybrid for one of those models promoted here with 84% less precious metals? In the years of servicing the Toyota garage has never recommended any measures to prevent theft (and we now know, from a Toyota-approved garage, that a catloc doesn’t work anyway).
Hi, thanks for your comment.
We understand your frustration and apologise for the inconvenience this situation has caused.
Please contact our Customer Relations Team regarding this. You can find them here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Many thanks.
Hi,
Similar situation to a lot of people – owner of a 2012 Toyota Auris hybrid, had the cat conv stolen over the weekend. My question is, what can I do to protect it if I get a new one installed? Seeing a lot of answers about the fact that your new models have less precious metals etc but unfortunately buying a brand new car isn’t a great solution for a lot of people.
What practical things can I put in place to make it a lot harder for thieves the next time round?
thanks
Hi Duncan,
Thanks for your comment. We are sorry to hear you have been affected by this awful crime.
Your Toyota Centre would be best placed to assist you with protective measures for your catalytic converter.
Smartwater Marking is available for free but a CATLOC and Tilt Sensor may also be available for your vehicle.
We hope this helps.
Thanks.
Toyota-approved garage already informed us it is not worth having a catloc fitted as they do not work to prevent theft. Obviously, SmartWater marking does not deter theft, it merely allows for any marked catalytic converter, once recovered by police, to be identified and traced back to the specific vehicle it was taken from. Great.
Tilt sensor _might_ be more helpful but as others have noted the thugs responsible for the thefts don’t care about being seen or heard (and the police will never respond quick enough). In the 50 seconds that it takes them to steal the device, they just wave a crowbar and shout threats at anyone in the vicinity.
Therefore, I think we can only conclude that there is NO demonstrably effective preventative measure available, except not buying Toyota hybrids.
Hi, thanks for your comment.
As catalytic converters contain precious metals, any car containing one is in theory at risk of theft. However, please be assured that we have taken action over time to reduce the precious metal content of the catalytic converters of our newer hybrids by up to 84%.
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact our Customer Relations Team here – https://www.toyota.co.uk/help-centre#/iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fcontact-us.
Thanks.
I have a C-HR model 2022. Is the catalytic converters is installed near the engine ? Do you have any protected products provide for my car such as catalytic converters alarm….
Hi Tom, thanks for your comment.
Please provide your Vehicle Registration so that we can assist you with this query.
Thanks.
Looking to buy a RAV4 Plug in hybrid – please could you confirm if it has a catalytic converter that is exposed and if its at risk ?
Hi,
Thanks for your comment.
Over time, we have reduced the precious metal content of our catalytic converters by up to 84%.
Meaning that our newer vehicles, such as the RAV4 Hybrid are not as attractive to thieves.
We hope this helps.
Thanks.