Amid a Spike in Catalytic Converter Theft, How to Protect Your Car From Having This Expensive Part Stolen

A crime wave is sweeping the country as crooks jack up cars and slide underneath them with chainsaws, all to snatch catalytic converters. 

Catalytic converters reduce the amount of pollution that comes out of your car. Theft of such parts has gone through the roof because the value of some materials that go into making converters has skyrocketed. 

Palladium, which is found in catalytic converters, goes for $2,900 an ounce, while Rhodium, another material in the part, costs $27,900 an ounce. Gold, another part, is $1,833 an ounce. 

Fernando Ayala was shocked when he discovered the catalytic converter was stolen from his Honda Accord. 

“There were two people that pulled up to my car,” he told Inside Edition. "One was the leader doing the operation and one stood guard.” 

They used a portable power saw to cut the catalytic converter out of the vehicle. 

Footage of the incident shows one of the men holding the converter in his hands as they jump back into their own vehicle and drive away. 

We spent two days with Sgt. Tracy Hicks of Houston’s auto-crimes task force to track catalytic converter theft. 

Brittany Burns recently woke up one morning and started her car to find it making a concerning noise. Now, the $1,000 price tag for a new converter is causing havoc in her life. 

“I'm in the process of trying to find a job right now and it's hard to get to and from if I can't use my car. It's a lot,” she told Inside Edition. 

Steve and Karen Adams had their converter stolen for the second time, but it will be a while before they get it fixed, since it’s a hard part to find now, they said. 

So what can be done to avoid becoming a victim of this crime?

Hicks recommends you get your mechanic to etch your VIN number into your converter to help track it if it gets stolen. He also suggested spraying it a bright color, which will make it harder for thieves to sell. Last, get a protective shield to cover your converter. 

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