Catalytic converter theft has victims fuming

Replacement part proves costly



EASY TARGET—The converters are valued for their metal content.

EASY TARGET—The converters are valued for their metal content.

There are many things that can break on a car, but when the engine turns over and it sound like a drag racing machine, the problem might not be what’s there, but what’s not there—like a missing catalytic converter.

A catalytic converter is a device connected to a vehicle’s exhaust system that reduces toxic gases and pollutants from an internal combustion engine and converts them into less-toxic emissions.

Unfortunately, the catalytic converter is an easy target for thieves trying to make a quick buck. The 2-foot long device sits exposed on a vehicle’s undercarriage and it contains valuable precious metals. It can be separated from the car in a matter of minutes.

Agoura Hills resident Alex Jallabert’s 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee was the target of a theft last week. She started the vehicle the morning of Sept. 9 and quickly realized something was wrong.

“I hadn’t driven my car in a while because I’m working from home. It could have been missing for a week,” Jallabert said. “I turned it on and it made noise so loud, it scared me so bad. It sounded like a speedboat engine or something out of the Fast and Furious movies. My roommate took a look under the car and saw there was a part missing.

BAD LUCK—The Jeep belonging to Alex Jallbert of Agoura Hills had its catalytic converter stolen. Courtesy photo

BAD LUCK—The Jeep belonging to Alex Jallbert of Agoura Hills had its catalytic converter stolen. Courtesy photo

She took her car in for repairs and said it cost $423 to replace the stolen part. She said she didn’t bother reporting the crime to her insurance provider because her deductible is $1,000, and would have had to pay for the repair anyway.

Jallabert said she wasn’t sure why her 20-year-old car was targeted, but still felt “violated.”

She shared her story on the NextDoor social media site and said many neighbors commented to say they had also been victims of catalytic converter theft. She heard from friends as far away as Culver City that cars in their neighborhood had been targeted as well.

Sgt. M. Escalante of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station said the rate of catalytic converter theft is on the rise. Detectives are investigating recent several cases and believe the crimes are being committed by the same group.

“It’s a concerted effort. You’d have to know where to unload them and when we’ve had people caught doing this, not just our agency or station. It’s always been multiple people caught at one time,” Escalante said. “I know a lot of the thieves are from the Los Angeles area.”

Catalytic converters date back to 1975 when the Environmental Protection Agency mandated they be installed on all cars and trucks. The device converts pollutants into less harmful exhaust before they exit the vehicle.

But the device also contains precious metals including platinum, gold and rhodium. Depending on the metal in contains, a stolen converter can be sold for hundreds of dollars.

Escalante said thieves used to target trucks and vans—vehicles that are higher off the ground and make it easier for perpetrators to get under the chassis and cut the converter away from the exhaust housing. But smaller vehicles, especially the Toyota Prius, are targeted more frequently, Escalante said. The catalytic converter system on a Prius, which uses two converters as it tries to attain super low emission levels, can cost a hefty $1,500 or more to replace.

Mark Hollon, owner of West Valley Smog in Simi Valley, said the value of the converter depends on the model and year of the car. A converter from an older model sedan could be worth $200 or $300, but on a newer car such as a BMW or Mercedes, replacements can cost upwards of $2,000.

Hollon said in stealing the converters, thieves are creating a demand for replacements, which some shops can satisfy by selling illicitly purchased merchandise.

“People will steal them and sell them for a couple hundred bucks to people who need them, chop shops or whoever, and those folks will sell them back to people who need a replacement,” Hollon said. “One of the reasons is because of the availability on the market and the demand for converters. Hybrid cars don’t have a high demand because they don’t go through them very quickly.”

A catalytic converter can be stolen in a matter of minutes using either a power tool or a hand saw. The culprit can cut the part off and escape with relative ease unless they are caught in the act.

Escalante recommends owners park in their driveways and set up motion-activated lights to reduce the risk of being targeted. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has also recommended that owners mark their catalytic converters with their license plate number or their vehicle identification number so that it can be tracked if it is stolen.

Follow Ian Bradley on Twitter @Ian_ reports.