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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

    1. Hi Melanie, thanks for getting in touch.

      According to our records, this vehicle is identified as ‘low risk’.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt should be available.

      Please contact your local Toyota centre to discuss.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  2. Hello, and thank you for so so kindly checking our vehicles on here through the comments. I don’t know if you are still looking at them, but I would appreciate knowing what if anything I need to do to protect our vehicle, which we just bought! It is LB18NVP, a 2018 Yaris hybrid. Thank you so much and appreciate your support.

    Reply

    1. Hi Bea, thanks for getting in touch.

      According to our records, this vehicle is identified as ‘low risk’.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt should be available.

      Please contact your local Toyota centre to discuss.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    1. Hi Keith, thanks for your comment.

      Please can you provide your vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  4. Hi my vehicle is 2020 yaris (GU70UXM) I’d like to protect this car against this crime any advice direction would be appreciated

    Reply

    1. Hi Cevat, thanks for getting in touch.

      This vehicle has been labelled as ‘low risk’ according to our risk matrix.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, the following measures should be available: a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt.

      Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      Thanks.

      Reply

  5. My toyota yaris sport very rare car my catalytic converter is stolen by mechanic he replaced with very old one about 4 months ago I just found out because of noise, what can I do now please help,

    Reply

    1. Hi Adam, thanks for getting in contact.

      We are very sorry to hear you have been a victim of this awful crime.

      Your Toyota centre is best placed to support you with this and provide information on future protective measures.

      You can locate your nearest centre here:

      https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      We would also suggest contacting the police to report this, if you have not done so already.

      Please let us know if we can provide any more information for you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. We have a 2015 Audis Sport. In recent weeks a local authority speed ramp has twice bent our Catloc causing the exhaust to rattle against the Catloc requiring a visit to our local Toyota garage. It appears the Catloc reduces our ground clearance to a level which cannot accommodate highway approved 5mph speed ramps even though we crawled over the spee ramp.

    Reply

    1. Hi Peter, thanks for your comment.

      We are sorry to hear you are experiencing this.

      Your Toyota Centre are best placed to provide support with this. We would recommend re-contacting them for advice.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  7. Hi I have just bought a auris 2018 reg yo18tge I would like to know if it’s at risk and what I can do to safeguard it

    Reply

    1. Hi, thanks for getting in touch.

      According to our risk matrix, this vehicle is categorised a ‘high risk’.

      The following protective measures should be available for this vehicle:

      -CATLOC
      -ISR Marking Kit
      -Tilt Sensor
      -Bolt

      Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss your options further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      Thanks.

      Reply

      2. Hi Talal, thanks for getting in touch.

        This vehicle has been labelled as ‘low risk’ according to our risk matrix.

        Should you wish to protect your vehicle, the following measures should be available: a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt.

        Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

        Thanks.

  8. Hi I have just bought a corolla 2019 reg DG69VFM I would like to know if it’s at risk and what I can do to safeguard it. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi Tajul, thanks for getting in touch.

      This vehicle has been labelled as ‘low risk’ according to our risk matrix.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, the following measures should be available: a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt.

      Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      Thanks.

      Reply

    1. Hi, thanks for getting in touch.

      This vehicle has been labelled as ‘high risk’ according to our risk matrix.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, the following measures should be available: a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, Tilt Sensor and Bolt.

      Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      Thanks.

      Reply

  10. Is my Corolla 2020 icon tech model considered a high risk for catalytic converter theft? LT69 ZSU my insurers seem to think so! What can I do?thank you Kathryn

    Reply

    1. Hi Kathryn, thanks for getting in touch.

      This vehicle has been labelled as ‘low risk’ according to our risk matrix.

      Should you wish to protect your vehicle, the following measures should be available: a CATLOC, ISR Marking Kit, and Bolt.

      Please contact your local Toyota Centre to discuss further here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

      Thanks.

      Reply

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