How much does it cost to replace stolen catalytic converter?

With catalytic converter theft, it's important to look into catalytic converter replacement immediately to get your vehicle back on the road. The costs might be part-covered by your insurer, but with parts and labor, the total can range between $900 and $2500 depending on your autobody shop and your vehicle type.

Does insurance cover stolen catalytic converters?

Is a stolen catalytic converter covered by insurance? If you have comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy, then you're typically covered against catalytic converter theft. Comprehensive coverage will typically pay to replace the stolen catalytic converter and repair any related damage from its removal.

How much is a catalytic converter worth when stolen?

Thieves can make anywhere from $25 to $300 for a standard catalytic converter, and ones from hybrid vehicles can sell for up to $1,400. These parts are also relatively easy to access from under the vehicle.

Can a catalytic converter be replaced if stolen?

My vehicle's catalytic converter was stolen and/or needs to be replaced. What do I do? Take your vehicle to a licensed Smog Check station to have a replacement converter installed.

How long does it take to replace a stolen catalytic converter?

Experienced thieves can remove a catalytic converter in one to two minutes using basic tools. What can net a thief hundreds of dollars at a scrapyard or recycler can then cost you thousands of dollars to replace, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.

How To Install Catalytic Converter *MINE GOT STOLEN!*

Which cars have the most stolen catalytic converters?

What do thieves do with stolen catalytic?

Catalytic converters contain platinum, rhodium, and palladium. The metals are expensive, and thieves sell the converters to scrap yards for several hundred dollars per piece, depending on the size of the converter and the current rate on the metals inside it.

Is a car drivable without a catalytic converter?

As part of a car's exhaust system, the catalytic converter helps to reduce air pollution. You will not harm your engine or your car in any way by driving without a catalytic converter.

Why do thieves steal catalytic converters?

Why are people stealing them? Thieves target catalytic converters because of the value of the metals found inside the devices. Catalytic converters are typically made up of three precious metals: platinum, palladium and rhodium. The value of all three metals have risen sharply in price in the last decade.

How do I stop someone from stealing my catalytic converter?

Who would buy a stolen catalytic converter?

In the current market, catalytic converters can be resold to recyclers for as little as $50 or to precious metal dealers for as much as thousands of dollars per ounce, reported the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Where do thieves sell catalytic convertors?

Thieves target vehicles like Toyotas, Fords and Hyundais getting under the car to cut the catalytic converters, sometimes in less than a minute. The converters are then sold to junkyards and scrap yards for a couple of hundred dollars.

How much will a junkyard pay for a catalytic converter?

This varies by car and the condition of your catalytic converter. Still, on average, scrap catalytic converters are worth between 300 $ to 1500 $ when sold as scrap at your local wrecking service. In today's world, catalytic converters are no longer being sold as part of a car.

How much does a new catalytic converter cost?

Catalytic converter replacement isn't cheap. For most vehicles, the average cost of a catalytic converter repair is between $945 and $2475 including parts and labor. The catalytic converter cost itself can be up to $2250 of that. That might be close to your car's value or more!

Why are catalytic converters so expensive?

Catalytic converters are primarily expensive because of the rare and precious metals they use in their construction. The global pandemic has also made mining precious metals and constructing the converters more expensive.

Why are Toyota catalytic converters stolen?

Thanks to higher prices for platinum, rhodium, palladium and other metals found in the components, catalytic converter thefts rose from about 100 a month in 2018 to more than 1,200 a month in 2020, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Which cars are least likely to have their catalytic converters stolen?

American brands such as Ford, Chevy, Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler tend to have less valuable catalytic converters and are therefore less likely to get stolen. Some Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda, and Subaru models also fall into this category. Many brands used cat designs that limited how many precious metals were inside.

Why are people stealing catalytic converters from Toyota?

Currently, Prius is being targeted because catalytic converters of hybrids need more of the precious metals to work properly because they don't get as hot as those installed on conventional vehicles, since the combustion engines of hybrids only run part of the time.

What cars have the most expensive catalytic converters?

According to data from 2020, the most expensive catalytic converter belonged to the Ferrari F430, with a mind-popping $3,770.00 price tag. Moreover, the F430 needed two of them, so a full replacement would run car owners $7,540 before labor costs.

How much is a catalytic converter worth on the black market?

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, a global non-profit organization with a focus in public policy, criminals typically sell stolen catalytic converters for $50-$500 to internet buyers or scrapyards.

What year cars have catalytic converters?

To comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new regulation of exhaust emissions, most gasoline-powered vehicles starting with the 1975 model year are equipped with catalytic converters.

What part of the catalytic converter is worth money?

Small amounts of rhodium are also found within a catalytic converter. Rhodium, like platinum and palladium, is very rare and valuable. Even though the monolith is the most valuable part, recyclers are almost always buying the full converter and extract the ceramic themself in order to avoid depreciation or fraud.

Why is selling catalytic converters illegal?

These regulations require new aftermarket catalytic converters to comply with requirements of Title 13, California Code of Regulations (CCR) section 2222(h) in order to be exempted from California's anti-tampering law (Vehicle Code section 27156), thereby allowing them to be offered for sale, sold, installed or used in ...

Why do recyclers buy stolen catalytic converters?

In California, the state's Business and Professions Code requires recyclers who buy used converters to keep records on the seller and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the car the converter came from.

What is the street value of a catalytic converter?

While the “street value” of a catalytic converter can range between a mere $100 to $700 depending on the type of vehicle it's stolen from, replacing a stolen one will cost you a lot more. With labor, a catalytic converter replacement is estimated at between $1,000 and $3,000.