HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Ron Seay said it happens all the time.
“We see cars almost daily; someone out there has a car that they start up, and it sounds very loud in the morning. They make a phone call to us turns out the catalytic converter was stolen,” said Seay, AAA Car Care’s regional manager.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the number of catalytic converter thefts jumped more than 1200% in recent years. In Hillsborough County, cases have jumped 50%.
The main reason catalytic converters are being targeted is the precious metals inside. The costs of those metals, like platinum, have skyrocketed in value in recent years, partly because of supply chain issues.
“You’ve got polonium, radium, and platinum that’s inside of that converter. So just a couple of ounces that’s inside of that converter actually thieves can get a lot of money for them,” said Scott Stillwell, AAA’s Care Care director.
And stealing the catalytic converter can take just minutes for thieves.
“You start your car up in the morning. You are ready to go to work. You’re going to the grocery store. Now all of a sudden, it makes this horrendous noise. Your day is completely changed because you have to get someone to tow your car to take a look at it,” said Seay.
AAA offers a free etching on the parts when you come in for service to deter thieves from stealing catalytic converters. They will mark the parts with an ID number that goes into a national database.
Other ways to protect your car include parking in a well-lit area or garage or using an anti-theft device. Those can cost hundreds of dollars but replacing a catalytic converter if your insurance does not cover it can cost thousands.
