The number of catalytic converter thefts in Brabant has risen explosively over the past three years. Toyotas in particular are popular among thieves. That’s because the Japanese car brand uses more precious metals in its catalytic converters than other manufacturers. As a result, they are also worth more on the black market.
In Brabant, only 68 reports of catalytic converter theft were made in 2020 and in 2022 this happened no less than 763 times. Our province is now the national leader with 325 declarations in the first quarter.
Toyotas are by far the most common target. Since 2020, 700 catalytic converter thefts have been reported at this car brand. A Lexus was also a victim relatively often. This is a luxury sister brand of Toyota that uses many of the same parts, including the catalytic converters.
Five grams
Toyota catalytic converters are popular with thieves because they contain about five grams of platinum, palladium and rhodium. For other brands, this averaged about three grams. More precious metal means cleaner exhaust gases, a better emission class and therefore less tax. Anyone who sees the prices per gram understands why thieves steal Toyota’s catalytic converters.
- Platinum: €30.23
- Palladium: €41.75
- Rhodium: €195.87
Not all Toyotas are of interest to thieves. These are specific hybrid models. Nowadays, precious metals are hardly used in their catalytic converters, but these older models are still used:
- Toyota Prius 2 and 3 from 2003 to 2016
- Toyota Auris from 2010 to 2018
- Lexus CT200H from 2011 to 2018
Difficult to deliver
At ABS Autoschade De Kade in Eindhoven, they know everything about the many catalytic converter thefts. “Fortunately it was not too bad last month, but a few months ago we had several cases per week,” says claims adviser Ben.
Particularly when thieves struck at up to ten cars per evening in the region, this also presented challenges for the refinishers. “It was difficult to get hold of the catalysts for a while, but the suppliers are now prepared and the stocks are sufficient.” After a theft, a car is now repaired within two to three working days.
Total loss
If the catalytic converter is stolen, about a meter and a half of the exhaust system must be replaced. “That is a job of one and a half to two hours and the costs of the repair range from 1500 to 2500 euros.”
According to Ben, this can lead to, for example, an older Toyota Prius being declared an economic total loss, while ‘only’ the catalytic converter has been stolen. “And driving on without this part is really not an option.”
Countermeasures
Toyota now has several countermeasures available. “These resources are installed in the car at the lowest possible cost, because it is not the intention that we profit from theft,” the brand writes on its website.
One of the measures is a Catloc. That is a protective cover or extra clamps around the catalytic converter that are attached with a chain. There are also inclination sensors that set off an alarm if thieves jack up the car. You can also have the catalytic converter welded to the body and have carriage bolts installed that you cannot just unscrew.
All this should delay theft and deter thieves. Last year alone, 193 Toyota Aurissen were stolen in the Netherlands so that criminals could tinker at ease. Because 141 of these stolen cars were found, but without a catalytic converter.