catalytic converter thefts rising

[mark page]

Since I'm back in the automotive field again and manage a commercial aftermarket auto parts store/warehousing store, I am receiving more and more calls from commercial accounts wanting cat. converters. Since my location is a warehousing store, I am more or less centrally located in the KC area, meaning smack dab in the center of the city. Not an area that is geographically or demographically where I would want to reside. Well it seems that the thefts of cat converters is on the rise for the minute quantity of platinum and other precious metals that are used in the manufacture of them. On to the root of the story, I was watching out the front windows, and damned if a car didn't pull up, several suspects jumped out, and used a battery powered recip saw and cut the converter off a Ford 1/2 ton sitting in the front parking lot. This was appx 2:30 PM in broad daylight and they knew we were watching, not to speak of the noise the recip saw made. Jeez, someone blowing a moose call couldn't of made a bigger racket. Of course I called the police with license number and description, and did my duties as a good citizen.
One Monday morning alone, I had a call from a local national account needing five converters for Ford Ranger pickups. All had been stolen.
Just curious if this theft is hitting anywhere's else. I googled about purchasing salvaged cat converters and there was a place in Texas that would buy them in lots of 1000 for $245.00 each. That's almost a 1/4 mill. People stealing 3 a day for a year could theoretically hit that 1/4 mill mark. It seems pickups are the big targets as the thiefs can crawl under them easy and newer ones have multiple converters.
I'd keep a watch on your own vehicles if parking in obscure places or possibly carpool lots, etc. Cat's are not cheap to repair to factory OEM levels. What the heck's the world coming too?????

[Joe Pelonio]

I have a Ford Ranger, and with 4WD and the heavy duty suspension for towing it sits high. Around here it's been more common for people to punch the tank and drain the gas, than to take the converter, but there have been a few. Just the other day a Tahoe on a main road had was being loaded on a tow truck while a guy was putting absorbant onto a puddle of gas on the side of the road.

Either way, though, it's a costly repair. Glad I have comprehensive, though it's $100 deductible.

The cat is easier to enforce if people stopped buying them with proof of ownership they'd stop stealing them. We've also had rolls of wire taken from construction sites.

[Mike Armstrong]

. . . What the heck's the world coming too?????

Cat converters, rolls of wire, copper plumbing, anything of value from foreclosed houses. . . it's all fair game nowadays.

Just got an email from our HOA people about the increase in thefts in So. California of backflow devices from local water systems. You can steal one in about 2 min. Supposedly they're $1200-2000 to replace (they're worth $50-75 as salvage) and then another $600-900 to secure them with anti-theft devices and concrete.

I don't see anything but an ongoing increase in these kinds of thefts.

Mike

[Chris Padilla]

Well, I just had my mountain bike stolen out of my open garage this evening. Man, I had just about EVERYTHING in my bike bag: wallet, car/truck/house keys, digital camera, cell phone, not to mention all the accessories on my bike including some expensive wheels (Phil Wood hubs, Mavic rims) that were fairly new.

Man, I'm just SICK about this. In 10 years living here, never had anything remotely like this happen to us but I guess our luck just ran out. Looks like I'm going to have a busy morning....

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Gee Chris, that's disappointing. Especially loss of your wallet. Perhaps homeowners insurance can offset the loss a little bit.

I'm having a hard time putting a happy face after my name these days.

-Jeff

[Justin Leiwig]

Most newer cars/trucks don't actually have any precious metals in them. A frew hold over fords and some chrysler products. GM has been too cheap to use precious metals for quite a few years. That's why they have went to multiple cats because they aren't as effective.

[Gary Whitt]

Lots of converter thefts around Charlotte.

Mercedes and BMW ones lead the list.

They still use precious metals.

Scrap aluminum prices are up, too.

Lots more aluminum wheels being stolen now.