If the inner workings of automobiles aren\u2019t your strong suit, the title of this article alone might have you wondering: what on earth is a catalytic converter? What does it do? Why would someone want to steal one?<\/p>\n
If this is the case, you\u2019ve come to the right place. In this article, we\u2019ll answer all the questions above, as well as explain how you can protect yourself from catalytic converter theft.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, a catalytic converter is an integral part of a car\u2019s emissions system. They reduce the amount and severity of the pollution that comes out of your car\u2019s tailpipe whenever you go for a drive. Catalytic converter designs vary slightly among different car manufacturers, but in general they are oblong or cylindrical in shape and bear a resemblance to mufflers. As for where your catalytic converter is located in your vehicle<\/a>, it sits between the engine and the muffler, typically a bit closer to the engine.<\/p>\n First introduced on U.S. vehicles in 1975, catalytic converters convert carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons \u2014 all highly toxic \u2014 into water vapor and carbon dioxide. It\u2019s not a perfect solution, but it beats the alternative!<\/p>\n The catalytic converter\u2019s proximity to the engine means that it can heat up more quickly \u2014 this is ideal, as they are most effective at higher temperatures. In fact, modern vehicles emit the majority of their pollution in the first few minutes after starting up. This is because neither the engine nor the catalytic converter can reach their ideal operating temperature in that short amount of time.<\/p>\n If you were to open up your catalytic converter and check out what\u2019s inside, you\u2019d find a piece of ceramic coated in various rare, precious metals. These metals include palladium, rhodium, and platinum.<\/p>\n In catalytic converters, these rare metals are used as catalysts to create a chemical reaction that converts harmful emissions (nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons) into safer substances (water vapor and carbon dioxide).<\/p>\n The description above of the materials used in building catalytic converters is a pretty big hint! As of mid-2020, platinum was trading at $944 per ounce, palladium for $2,190, and rhodium at nearly $10,000 per ounce. Nope, that\u2019s not a typo: as of just last year, rhodium was worth $10,000 per ounce!<\/p>\n While there\u2019s not much of each of these metals in each catalytic converter \u2014 typically only a few grams of the three combined \u2014 depending on the exact amount inside, one catalytic converter can be worth anywhere from $200 to $1,000.<\/p>\n Simple cash value aside, we\u2019ve also seen rates of catalytic converter theft rise during (and due to) the pandemic. At face value, COVID-19 doesn\u2019t seem like something that would affect the theft of auto parts<\/a>. But the pandemic has led to difficult financial times for many, and desperate times can call for desperate, illegal measures. Finally, the pandemic has changed the way we drive<\/a> \u2014 with many companies having made the shift to remote work, fewer people are commuting, which means more cars sitting in driveways, vulnerable to opportunistic thieves.<\/p>\n In response to the ongoing spike in rates of catalytic converter thefts, state legislators have taken various measures to deter thieves and prevent the sale of stolen auto parts. These have included beefing up criminal penalties for this particular crime, tightening recordkeeping requirements for scrap metal dealers, and instituting bans on the sale of converters without accompanying proof of ownership.<\/p>\n Many of us might assume that thieves are more likely to target expensive luxury vehicles for theft. And that\u2019s correct, to some extent \u2014 if a thief is looking to steal the entire car, they\u2019ll probably look for something a bit on the fancier side.<\/p>\n However, if they\u2019re aiming to make off with just the catalytic converter, just about any car will do. In fact, the most likely cars to be targeted for catalytic converter theft<\/a> are just average, ordinary makes and models. These include the Honda Accord, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Prius, and Lexus SUVs. Lastly, low-emission vehicles<\/a> are more likely to be targeted, as well \u2014 the catalytic converters on these vehicles contain more precious metals than others.<\/p>\n If you drive one of the cars mentioned above, there are a few things you can do to try and prevent having your catalytic converter stolen.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be able to tell that your catalytic converter has been stolen if you start up your car and hear a low, loud rumble. You can check underneath your car to confirm that it\u2019s missing. If that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll want to make two calls: one to the police, and one to your insurance agent.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re off the phone, try to avoid driving as much as you possibly can. Without a catalytic converter, you can still get where you need to go, but your trusty car or truck becomes a toxic emissions factory on wheels. In addition to the detrimental effect on the environment, driving without a catalytic converter is illegal. What\u2019s more, if you\u2019re caught driving without one, you could end up paying thousands of dollars in fines.<\/p>\n As with many insurance questions, the answer is: it depends. However, if your auto insurance<\/a> policy includes comprehensive coverage<\/a>, you\u2019re likely covered in the event that some enterprising thief makes off with your catalytic converter. You can talk to your insurance agent and go over the details of your policy to be sure.<\/p>\n To sum things up, make sure to park your car in a safe spot (locked up inside, if you can), consider adding a cage over the top of your catalytic converter, and be as vigilant as you can to try and prevent theft. And if you don\u2019t already have comprehensive coverage for your vehicle, reach out to Elephant and get a quote<\/a> today.<\/p>\n The post Catalytic converter theft: what you should know<\/a> appeared first on Elephant Insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If the inner workings of automobiles aren\u2019t your strong suit, the title of this article alone might have you wondering: what on earth is a catalytic converter? What does it do? Why would someone want to steal one? If this is the case, you\u2019ve come to the right place. In this article, we\u2019ll answer all…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":379,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378\/revisions\/379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/shapegreatness.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How do they work?<\/h2>\n
What are they made of?<\/h2>\n
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Why are thieves stealing catalytic converters<\/a>?<\/h2>\n
What is being done about catalytic converter theft?<\/h2>\n
What kind of cars are being targeted the most?<\/h2>\n
How can you avoid having your catalytic converter stolen?<\/h2>\n
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What should you do if your catalytic converter is stolen?<\/h2>\n
Does your insurance cover catalytic converter theft?<\/h2>\n