My catalytic converter was stolen
- Thread starter mclasser
- Start date
- Status
Scrap yards are complicit in the crime happening. They benefit .
Free performance upgrade, time for a straight pipe! just kidding,
I'm surprised that they were able to get to the cat on a Honda Accord I would have thought it was too low to the ground. These thieves must know cars with easy-access cats to cut. The cat on my Mazda3 (and most newer cars I believe) is built into or very close to the header near the engine block, not easily accessible from the bottom.
I'm surprised that they were able to get to the cat on a Honda Accord I would have thought it was too low to the ground. These thieves must know cars with easy-access cats to cut. The cat on my Mazda3 (and most newer cars I believe) is built into or very close to the header near the engine block, not easily accessible from the bottom.
Last edited:
Here in Louisville we also have had a bunch of them stolen also...The one thing that helps them is that most people are purchasing trucks or SUV.. They sit higher off the ground and make the job much easier...Most of the vehicles you see on the local news that have had them stolen are trucks and SUV's.
So, in cases like this one, what does the thief do with the rear O2 sensor?
I have this non-functioning catalytic converter from an old car I repaired and it just sits in my metal recycle bin because I can't get anyone to take it. From the posts in this thread it sounds like many here don't want people to be able to recycle the items they replace because a few bad apples have caused trouble. It sounds a lot like the gun lobbyists to me. Punish the many because of the few. Oh well,,, it's a $200 door prop to my shop and at some point I'll find a buyer.
There was a story in the news some months back about a discovery of thousands of converters in a barn somewhere. I think it was outside Auburn.
It’s a problem everywhere.
Luckily this has not happened in my little village. Probably cause the cops look for speeders and druggies that like hanging out at ball field parking area near me
Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear this!
I hate thieves.
Maybe the newer vehicles with the cat mounted right on the head will make cat theft more difficult
I hate thieves.
Maybe the newer vehicles with the cat mounted right on the head will make cat theft more difficult
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Would be nice for them to get a 220,000V "surprise" when attempting one of these thefts. I abhor thieves.
Hey, at least with the EV's they won't be able to steal these, lol.
Hey, at least with the EV's they won't be able to steal these, lol.
I believe this will be covered under car insurance comprehensive coverage.
They did that in Ohio when I lived there. And I'm talking about ALL scrap, aluminum cans included! You have to give them a valid drivers license, which they noted on a receipt stating what exactly you brought in.
But they did give cash unless it was for a huge amount that they couldn't cover easily. Some places issued checks exclusively.
A local TV news had a story about these thefts and quoted someone from the police who said (I'm paraphrasing) "the reputable scrap yards aren't buying these", there are unreputable ones buying them. Which means the police know who these unreputable places are....
Will we see battery pack theft in future?
I've mentioned this here before, I believe, but years ago, I had a 1/2 gallon bucket of random scrap metal from plumbing (copper pieces), brass valves off of a water heater we replaced, etc. I took it to a scrap yard and had to fill out a form with my home address, phone number, provide my driver's license details, and they took a picture of my car's license plate. These same scrap yards take aluminum freakin' siding from guys in jean shorts, no shirt, pushing it in in a grocery store cart !!! Or people with a trunk full of 4-6' long pieces of copper piping !!
Blame the advent of cordless tools!!
The police could crack down on whomever is buying these from the thieves. The thieves are not melting these cats up themselves for the rare metals.
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 4,904
And those cordless tools have probably been stolen too. I was at Lowes and a lady with a food delivery box, looked like Uber eats or something, timed her exit with mine so that when the security alarm went off it appeared to be one of us. I stopped, she kept going. This was before masks so maybe facial recognition will put the store on alert next time, or maybe this is just the cost of doing business not to look...controversial.
I had basic plumbing parts that fit in 1 bag where as she had a huge box that was apparently filled with tools. Employees were onto her it seems and the cart boy took a pic of the getaway car. Maybe she sold the stuff on eBay or a flea market, pawn shop.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2026
Appliance non-turbo vehicles are super easy to steal CAT from.
GON
$175 Site Donor 2026
I try to think of things to make the thieves pay a price. My not deeply thought out idea is to have some skunk or like smell in a large quantity, and when they get under the vehicle they get covered in the stinky stuff.
Of course, there many flaws in my stink idea, to include if it worked the vehicle would also smell, lot of work to install and remove the stink every time one drove, exhaust heat while placing the stink, etc.
- Status
Similar threads
