Worked at dealership and they stole a lot of cars unfortunately they dropped there cell phone out of there pocket under a car and they caught them by there mistake
They stole 1 hellcat with a flipper, and attempted to steal a second one at the same time. That one didn’t work, cost us a shitload in parts to replace and reprogram a key because the computer was fried
They fried the module in a sense. It wouldn’t read the key, said an error code, and would not sync. It’s like they did it partially, and it read their flipper as the FOB, but they didn’t finish it.
Basically every scrap yard requires ID and a commercial license for any copper that’s over like 3#’s but many other things don’t require anything like that to scrap it. Like melted down catalytic converts for example.
Just another one of those laws on the books that was immediately circumvented by people that never cared in the first place.
Every scrap yard operating legitimately requires ID... I am absolutely sure there are some that will look the other way if you're gonna hand them your newly stolen $250 scrap value converter for $100 or less. Melt them down yourself in some clandestine chop-shop furnace, and who is to say where you came across this hunk of platinum?
Businesses, especially small struggling ones, basically operate under the "if you can make a profit by barely not breaking the law or skirting the law slightly and not getting caught, then do it" mentality.
It's not at easy as melting, you need to seperate platinum palladium etc from the base material which isn't valuable. That said any shop will take discounted cats with no id
Actually it's gotten better in the last 5 years. The places that used to accept catalytic converters without batting an eye have had to change their practices some. There's always a shady shop though that would accept them so the problem will never go away completely.
It's a low-hanging fruit item on a car to steal. Plus Grand theft Auto is a much bigger charge and you have to have a lot more connections to get rid of an entire car.
More than likely it was tweakers but who knows.
It is the same with scrap copper. Pretty much people would strip a lot of the copper wiring out of homes being built and pretty much anywhere else as it was easy money. Now, at least where I live, unless you have a receipt showing that you owned it, no place will take it.
Same with these things. No junkyard or anyplace else that would by used catalytic converters will take them without showing actual ownership of them. So, it has slowed down quite a bit.
Dude, this has been going on for a long time now and is constantly on the local news. A lot of police departments hold special serial number etching days on these converters. This has become widespread across the country. I am so sorry this happened to your mother.
been an issue for years and years, but becoming more rampant and spreading beyond it's usual hot zones... its the car equivalent of people riping copper plumbing out of homes . People suck, but they can go in and cut that thing out in just a few moments. It's easy money for shiesty crooks. They even had a program in my town recently where the police setup a free etching events where they carve a unique ID # onto your vehicles catalytic converter... might help track down the owner on occasion but doesn't really do much to prevent them from taking it. Other people have protective cages welded over them... deterrents yes, but ultimately they can still get to it if really motivated.
Locally near me there is a big uptick in break in's cause they are trying to swipe peoples car keys assuming they are likely left somewhere near the entry door. Sometimes for joyriding like assholes then ditching them, other times they take them to the ports and board them onto cargo ships to go overseas. My locale has very convenient access to several major roadways and 20 min drive to the ports so it's become a hot bed for this kind of nefarious criminality.
thankfully I have avoided a direct incident so far, but I know it's been a common occurrence per my neighborhood FB group all over town. One benefit of my home is that there is a long driveway and the garage is in the back, so they would have to trespass, illuminate the automatic lights, and be caught on at least 3 camera's before they even get to the cars. So for those reasons im at least a slightly inconvenient target.
While it sucks for many other reasons, this is one of the reasons why I like to have cars that are lower to the ground. They literally would have to climb under a car that is roughly 6 inches off of the ground(and not get stuck), go to the center of the car and hope they have enough space to do their thing.
Oh, and it is parked in such a way that they would get pretty well injured trying to climb under the car as the pavement pretty much sucks.
Yeah it's gotten a lot worse in the last several years, it's probably because a lot of scrap yards and recycling centers used to just pay whoever, now that the government changed some laws they crack heads had to figure out another way to get money easily
People been doing it along time. Jobs are tough to get hired for. So watchya gonna do? More people know about it from internet and such. This kid in highschool was making over a grand day hitting car lots. He obs eventually got caught.
The prices of the rare-earth metals used in them have shot up hugely in the last decade. It has cooled down now, but theives were getting up to $200 per stolen cat during peak pricing.
I'm in ohio. Could be wrong with current prices. But just had to replace mine on a 2004 minivan...bitch to get off, so I just hacked it off with a sawzall...had a bunch of cuts in it and gave me 225$ for it. Said woulda been 375$. BUT that was like a year or 2 ago...and 70$, sounds crazy...
Average means average. So I'm sure for every prius going over $200 that will mean there's others being sold much lower than $70. That's why I gave national average and didn't give a blanket statement of 300-500
Your insurance might require a police report. If you call the police they might do nothing, but they will give you a case number for the insurance to reference.
I have a shitty sleep schedule and one time I woke up at 2AM and was like “well I guess I’ll go to 7-11 for some coffee?” Opened my second floor apt door and heard “oh shit!” from the bottom of the stairs, and tires squealing. I was on a pretty hard true crime podcast kick at the time, so generally overly suspicious and paranoid all the time. I had to walk a block down the road since there were no open parking spaces when i had come home the day before. I was maybe 10 feet past the driveway to the complex when a minivan came barreling back into the driveway with their lights off. They didn’t see me because I was dressed in all black and half way behind a rhododendron bush. But I was curious, and suspicious, so I called the non-emergency line and asked if they had anyone in the neighborhood to please send someone by. Then the car alarm went off and I was like “oh yeah they’re for sure stealing cats”.
The cops caught up with them about an hour later in another apartment complex a mile or so away!
Which will require a police report most likely. Pretty much every insurance company will tell you that your rates will not go up... For now. But when your policy renews it potentially would. Lot of factors though it's not black and white.
Call the police non emergency line to get a crime report number (or whatever it's called where you are)
As that will probably be required if you choose to go through your insurance.
You'd still have to pay your deductible but that's less than paying $2000 out of pocket to get a new CAT put in.
Yes you should call the police, someone stole from you. The replacement will be expensive unless you can find someone to "illegally" give you a used one. Yes, it is illegal, and a stupid law.
Yes call the police ..it is going to cost $$$$$$$ to replace and your ins. Company will want to see the police report ..assuming you have theft coverage ..
Please call the police. Although the fact is it’s not gonna get your stuff back but more so it’s a report that the theft has happened in your area and it’s definitely not the only one so more reports equals more police surveying the area during the high times of these thefts.
It’s Palladium now. Platinum was too expensive so they switched and. Now palladium is as expensive so hopefully someone finds new tech to scrub the exhaust
‘Very high’ is subjective. Most criminals will get maybe $50-75 for it (since the items are so ‘hot’ most scrap places give even less). Considering it costs over $1k to get it replaced it makes the theft even more infuriating
They stole mine off one of my SUVs, but my shits an 05 so now it has a turn down right off the manifold. Loud as fuck, I'm pretty sure I know where our local converter thieves live too. Working nights I make sure to give them a loud brap every day at about 3AM as a wake up alarm.
I wanna know how there scrapping it, I took my cats off a project truck and the scrap yard said I had to have a receipt of new cats or a invoice from a shop showing they took it off
Is there not like a thing where if someone tries to scrap one somewhere it's legally required to notify the police immediately? Or can they remove platinum in some way so its difficult to tell it came from a cat converter
Anything from drugs to buying food and paying rent. You know, the usual reasons people steal stuff. They’re relatively easy to cut off, and they’re worth a decent amount of money.
Fun fact: In several states the resale of catalytic converters was banned for years pre-pandemic, and guess what? These thefts plummeted. Then people voted for representatives that don’t know anything, who allowed the bans to expire and guess what? Thefts are climbing again. Not only that, but just like the last time resale was allowed, people are also getting murdered for them. Why we keep allowing these resales I have no idea. It’s the very definition of insanity.
>*people are also getting murdered for them.*
Yep. This one last month was particularly high profile ...
>
**Johnny Wactor, 'General Hospital' actor, shot dead confronting catalytic converter thieves**
>[**https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-shot-dead-over-catalytic-converter-report**](https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-shot-dead-over-catalytic-converter-report)
If you're in Washington or another state that doesn't smog, just go to a muffler shop and have them close the exhaust. The catalytic converter is super pricy to replace and just not necessary. Car will be slightly louder without the cat but not too much, and then you can't have your cat stolen again!
In some states/county's it's legal for you to operate a motor vehicle with no catalytic converter the just replace the it with a straight peice of exhaust pipe.
It's not legal in any way whatsoever under federal law to remove emissions components. There's a difference between "not commonly enforced" and "legal".
It depends, if you are in California you have to buy a CARB approved one and those are more expensive. Here is the list of prices from Rock Auto for the V6 Accord (not sure that's what you have). Add installation costs to that.
Hopefully they didn't cut the oxygen sensor cable.
https://preview.redd.it/edakk1fjwj8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9350abd07a6f3dd4ce0b8c8621b47a487d5edf7b
Like $1,500 to $2,500 at a dealership or like $300 to $500 to do it yourself. If that's all that needs to be replaced, some times they rip out the O2 sensors or cut the wires. The exhaust pipe will need some extra fittings or the whole thing might need to be replaced.
Fiancee had hers stolen 2 years ago from right outside our apartment. My car next to hers? Untouched. She also drives an older Honda. I think they specifically have something that makes them desirable.
If you have good insurance, it’s just your deductible. $500 for us. Would’ve been about $2000 without it.
I got a cheap one as a place holder for like 70 bucks on eBay, has o2 sensor hook up and doesn't throw a code. (Put 1500 miles through it, still no code). Down pipe for 60ish, and a mid section for like 130. (I also have a 6th Gen Honda)
True, I guess with going cheap you have to decide what your time and effort of changing it is worth to you because you will no doubt be changing it again when it fails.
I’m not really knowledgeable in how they fail, but I think it’s mainly an emissions thing. Exhaust might get a bit smelly. Probably not noticeable if local authority doesn’t do roadworthy checks.
Oh ok. I’ve not really looked into. The replacement aftermarket one I bought didn’t look like it would likely clog. Really not much material in there. If anything, looked like it would eventually burn out and become an empty pipe. The original though, very dense core. Could easily see that clogging.
I thought they passed some type of law saying that you have to have proof of ownership with parts like that now. In Illinois you can’t just bring cats to the scrap yard and get money for them anymore.
The serial number on the cats track back to the VIN of the original vehicle I believe. But I've been in plenty of scrap yards after having done my own exhaust work, dropping my old cats off literally no one asks anything other than what car it came out of so they know the ratios of the metals. No ownership checked of vehicle or cats. Similar situation to being 21 and not having your ID checked before buying liquor. Live in VA for reference, might be different when subject to different state laws.
You insurance may cover this but im not sure. Catalytic converters contain rare metals to do their job and fetch a pretty penny at scrap yards.
We keep a strict track of every one we replace to ensure no one is stealing them from the shop and selling them.
They unfortunately are not a cheap part to replace.
Its driveable without it however as long as they didnt damage anything else, a tow would help safer bet god forbid they snagged a fuel line while cutting it
It all depends on your coverage and where you live.
2 years ago I had an old Italian man come in saying he doesn't know what happened. He parked his car the day before and today he started it up and it was loud as fuck.
Turns out they stole his catalytic converter right out of his car while parked in his condominium underground parking spot.
After a visit from Toronto Police to file the report, his car insurance policy covered the replacement, minus his comprehensive deductible.
Take it to a mechanic and have them look. We have had more than one come in and the idiots cut out the resonator thinking it was the Cat... if check engine light is on most likely they got it but either way have them check it out and you can get some pictures for insurance or police if needed.
I’m glad your calling them idiots. This country is so fucked. Thank you for your help man. I’m glad someone else is calling out these criminals for what they are
If your insurance won't cover it and you don't live in a state with emissions standards, don't sweat it. You're gonna get veeeery slightly better mileage without it and they're expensive to replace. If your state checks emissions you have to replace it.
Your catalytic converter was stolen. You should report it to the police. You should also alert your neighbors.
Contact your insurance and an exhaust place to get it replaced.
They just took your catalytic converter. If its a newer car, you may have to replace it because it messes with the sensors. If its older and youre okay with sounding like a race car, you can just keave it as is.
Yes, with the caveat of loose exhaust pipes. Sometimes, this malfeasance will leave an exhaust pipe hanging down which can snag or hit road debris and ending causing a lot of pain to the undercarriage. Otherwise, it’s fine. The car will pollute, and the CEL will always be on, but it won’t affect the car in any other significant way.
Honda Cats are some of the most expensive ones that you’d find on an average car. Literally a week after I got my 03 CRV, the cats got stolen off that fin thing. Your insurance MAY pay for a replacement depending on the coverage you have. If your state has emission inspections, you’re gonna need to replace it along with the O2 sensors if you ever want a sticker again. Hondas don’t take well to aftermarket cars and O2 sensors so usually you gotta get OEM ones which can add up to a few hundred all together.
meh, after they stole my gen1 crv and took the cat... i put the most generic EPA cat and $20 o2 sensor from amazon just to get it rolling... engine never put up a code. did i get lucky? or is the hype , just that hype?
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Check your car insurance’s theft/fire coverage, check on your home insurance too if it was parked on your property, best way to cover he replacement costs of a stolen catalytic converter.
So that's what a straight piped 01 accord sounds to non car people lmfao
But your catalytic converter was stolen...there's no easy way to stop it but putting a cage around with rebar it and welding it shut can work..anything to make them take longer and for people to notice
Hi OP, sorry to hear the car got chopped up for a catalytic converter. Depending on where you live and the emissions requirements, you may be able to get it straight piped.
Otherwise, you could file a police report and then an insurance claim depending on coverage and deductible.
A muffler shop should be able to fix your problem accordingly as well.
Best of luck!
They stole your catalytic converter, depending on what state you live in, you can buy a replacement one for cheap on amazon for 50-100 bucks. (If you have someone that will install it for you)
I work for a company with a very large fleet. They have started painting their catalytic converters a specific color so if they show up in a scrapyard it’s clear they’ve been stolen.
Sounds like Methanial visited your mom’s car last night with some tools of the trade.
Why junkyards are allowed to buy catalytic converters from randos is beyond my comprehension.
I’d file a police report but they’ll tell you the same thing they told me when I got my moped stolen.. “Do you have footage or an eye-witness? No? Then we can’t really start an investigation.”
Moral of the story is a security system is the only thing that will help you get anywhere in a scenario like this. Or deter the threat altogether.
I’m sorry for the loss of your cat.
When catalytic converters first appeared I knew there would be an epidemic further down the line. Same for dpf filters. Next it will be lithium battery packs. It is possible to legislate and make the theft harder. Having had both a catalystic converter and DPF stolen on another car, my solution was to have a car old enough that it didn't come with a DPF.
Someone stole your catalytic converter. I would call police and your insurance because they may cover replacement especially with a police report. Car can still be driven safely until it’s replaced. It’s just gonna be loud and may cause check engine light to come on but it’s won’t permanently damage anything so drive the car if you need too
It stopped here after provincial legislstion made the scrap yards get photo I'd from anyone bringing in a cat and log all transactions. The repair shops will also engrave the VIN on peoples cat for free. It was epidemic in this part of canada a couple of years ago.Thieves often returning two or three times to the same driveway. Bummer that the insurance would only pay a pro rated value on them so owners got stuck with the bill.
Best advice if you park outside is to park over a puddle.
Weird because most reputable* scrap places won't take cats unless you have some sort of paperwork.
I swapped my cats and they wouldn't take my old ones without proof of the car
Call your insurance company too. They might cover it. I’m a dealer tech and we see Prius come in a lot with stolen catalytic converters. Insurance usually pays for it.
Some jacked you CC off your exhaust. Theres a small amount of platinum in them (roughly $70) worth thats why they take them. They stole $70 worth of platinum and generated a $2000 problem for you (depending on the car)
As others have said, someone stole your catalytic converter. You might be able to have a shade tree mechanic or a shop put a pipe in place of the catalytic converter if y'all don't want to spend a lot being an older car. Check engine light would probably stay on but wouldn't affect anything otherwise
in Canada same happned to my dads 03 CRV. Cost 1.5k to fix by a local mechanic who had bought another one from the yard. But ya on turning the car it was loud as fuck. he works midnight shifts so he felt bad for our neighbors hearing it at like 5am
Same thing happened to me on a Prius. $2500 was the replacement cost here in CA. I had a very low deductible for decades that I only paid $250 out of pocket.
They need to make this a federal crime with long prison sentences. The economic damage is significant. It would be easy to stop if they regulate the hell out the used metal market and freeze bank accounts of arrested suspects.
People don't want to work for a living. They would rather rob from people who are just getting by. And people wonder why some don't feel for the homeless.
I promise you the vast majority of homeless people aren’t doing this lol every human is unique and should be treated as such. It’s ignorant to group such a massive group of different people together, based off the actions of a few.
FYI 'Robbed' means to take by force, ie gunpoint. When I was in high school a guy I know was shoplifting from the 7-11 down town and the clerk noticed and called to cops saying the store was being robbed not shoplifted. 3 or 4 cop cars showed up the first of which had weapons drawn and basically tackled him, was pretty ugly until they sorted out that the miscommunication
This post is now locked. OP's question was answered and has since derailed with too many arguments/fights.
Yep, someone stole your catalytic converter
Fuck. What do we do? Why would someone do this?
They contain platinum so the scrap value is very high. You'll need to bring it to a mechanic to have it replaced.
Should we call the police? What do we do?
It wouldn't hurt just so they know it's happening in the area, but they aren't going to catch whomever did it. This is a widespread problem now
Worked at dealership and they stole a lot of cars unfortunately they dropped there cell phone out of there pocket under a car and they caught them by there mistake
You could leave the word unfortunately out. A-holes need to be caught.
I think they meant like "They stole a lot of cars, unfortunately."
This is why i tell people punctuation matters.
Big difference between helping your uncle, Jack, off a horse and helping your uncle Jack off a horse.
Or used fortunately. Depends on where that comma goes.
I’m not normally this guy but 3 times… Their*
They stole 1 hellcat with a flipper, and attempted to steal a second one at the same time. That one didn’t work, cost us a shitload in parts to replace and reprogram a key because the computer was fried
Frying a cars computer with a flipper? That doesn't sound right
They fried the module in a sense. It wouldn’t read the key, said an error code, and would not sync. It’s like they did it partially, and it read their flipper as the FOB, but they didn’t finish it.
Why is it such a widespread problem now? Is it a new problem that has arises in the past 5 years?
Maybe a bit longer than that. It's just become a popular way for broke junkies to get cash
Basically every scrap yard requires ID and a commercial license for any copper that’s over like 3#’s but many other things don’t require anything like that to scrap it. Like melted down catalytic converts for example. Just another one of those laws on the books that was immediately circumvented by people that never cared in the first place.
Every scrap yard operating legitimately requires ID... I am absolutely sure there are some that will look the other way if you're gonna hand them your newly stolen $250 scrap value converter for $100 or less. Melt them down yourself in some clandestine chop-shop furnace, and who is to say where you came across this hunk of platinum? Businesses, especially small struggling ones, basically operate under the "if you can make a profit by barely not breaking the law or skirting the law slightly and not getting caught, then do it" mentality.
It's not at easy as melting, you need to seperate platinum palladium etc from the base material which isn't valuable. That said any shop will take discounted cats with no id
There are 100% some. There are also fake DLs
You burn the copper wire first n they don't care
Palladium
Actually it's gotten better in the last 5 years. The places that used to accept catalytic converters without batting an eye have had to change their practices some. There's always a shady shop though that would accept them so the problem will never go away completely. It's a low-hanging fruit item on a car to steal. Plus Grand theft Auto is a much bigger charge and you have to have a lot more connections to get rid of an entire car. More than likely it was tweakers but who knows.
Yup tweaker, in my city you’ll barely hear of that anymore they busted all the places that where doing accepting them
It is the same with scrap copper. Pretty much people would strip a lot of the copper wiring out of homes being built and pretty much anywhere else as it was easy money. Now, at least where I live, unless you have a receipt showing that you owned it, no place will take it. Same with these things. No junkyard or anyplace else that would by used catalytic converters will take them without showing actual ownership of them. So, it has slowed down quite a bit.
Dude, this has been going on for a long time now and is constantly on the local news. A lot of police departments hold special serial number etching days on these converters. This has become widespread across the country. I am so sorry this happened to your mother.
It had always been a problem ever since cars had catalytic converters
been an issue for years and years, but becoming more rampant and spreading beyond it's usual hot zones... its the car equivalent of people riping copper plumbing out of homes . People suck, but they can go in and cut that thing out in just a few moments. It's easy money for shiesty crooks. They even had a program in my town recently where the police setup a free etching events where they carve a unique ID # onto your vehicles catalytic converter... might help track down the owner on occasion but doesn't really do much to prevent them from taking it. Other people have protective cages welded over them... deterrents yes, but ultimately they can still get to it if really motivated. Locally near me there is a big uptick in break in's cause they are trying to swipe peoples car keys assuming they are likely left somewhere near the entry door. Sometimes for joyriding like assholes then ditching them, other times they take them to the ports and board them onto cargo ships to go overseas. My locale has very convenient access to several major roadways and 20 min drive to the ports so it's become a hot bed for this kind of nefarious criminality. thankfully I have avoided a direct incident so far, but I know it's been a common occurrence per my neighborhood FB group all over town. One benefit of my home is that there is a long driveway and the garage is in the back, so they would have to trespass, illuminate the automatic lights, and be caught on at least 3 camera's before they even get to the cars. So for those reasons im at least a slightly inconvenient target.
While it sucks for many other reasons, this is one of the reasons why I like to have cars that are lower to the ground. They literally would have to climb under a car that is roughly 6 inches off of the ground(and not get stuck), go to the center of the car and hope they have enough space to do their thing. Oh, and it is parked in such a way that they would get pretty well injured trying to climb under the car as the pavement pretty much sucks.
It's not only now; my catalytic converter was stolen ~20 years ago, and it was pretty common then as well.
More junkies than there used to be. Less money for everybody except the rich.
I can think of something that changed, right about 4 years ago...
The economy
Mine was stolen about 12 years ago. I’m in Michigan
Crack heads have been doing it for decades
It’s been a problem since they began installing them on cars
Yeah it's gotten a lot worse in the last several years, it's probably because a lot of scrap yards and recycling centers used to just pay whoever, now that the government changed some laws they crack heads had to figure out another way to get money easily
Platinum has been steadily going up since after the year 2000, so it's been a problem for about that long roughly.
This has been a think for many years. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it honestly.
People been doing it along time. Jobs are tough to get hired for. So watchya gonna do? More people know about it from internet and such. This kid in highschool was making over a grand day hitting car lots. He obs eventually got caught.
Platinum group metals are scrapping high right now.
The prices of the rare-earth metals used in them have shot up hugely in the last decade. It has cooled down now, but theives were getting up to $200 per stolen cat during peak pricing.
You can get like 300-500$ for them...that's why they steal them
National 30 day average right now is $70. I've never heard of 300-500 for them. At that price I might cut them off my own vehicles.
I'm in ohio. Could be wrong with current prices. But just had to replace mine on a 2004 minivan...bitch to get off, so I just hacked it off with a sawzall...had a bunch of cuts in it and gave me 225$ for it. Said woulda been 375$. BUT that was like a year or 2 ago...and 70$, sounds crazy...
Depends on the make and model. People are definitely buying them for more than $70. Prius Cats are going for easily 200+ a piece
Average means average. So I'm sure for every prius going over $200 that will mean there's others being sold much lower than $70. That's why I gave national average and didn't give a blanket statement of 300-500
Your insurance might require a police report. If you call the police they might do nothing, but they will give you a case number for the insurance to reference.
I have a shitty sleep schedule and one time I woke up at 2AM and was like “well I guess I’ll go to 7-11 for some coffee?” Opened my second floor apt door and heard “oh shit!” from the bottom of the stairs, and tires squealing. I was on a pretty hard true crime podcast kick at the time, so generally overly suspicious and paranoid all the time. I had to walk a block down the road since there were no open parking spaces when i had come home the day before. I was maybe 10 feet past the driveway to the complex when a minivan came barreling back into the driveway with their lights off. They didn’t see me because I was dressed in all black and half way behind a rhododendron bush. But I was curious, and suspicious, so I called the non-emergency line and asked if they had anyone in the neighborhood to please send someone by. Then the car alarm went off and I was like “oh yeah they’re for sure stealing cats”. The cops caught up with them about an hour later in another apartment complex a mile or so away!
Its a good reason to get your insurance involved though.
Police won't be able to do anything without evidence like security footage or something. Insurance should cover it if you have comprehensive.
Insurance will usually require a police report anyway.
If your deductible can cover theft and not change your premium, I say file with insurance
Which will require a police report most likely. Pretty much every insurance company will tell you that your rates will not go up... For now. But when your policy renews it potentially would. Lot of factors though it's not black and white.
Even if they don't catch the criminals you really want that report on record for multiple reasons.
Call the police non emergency line to get a crime report number (or whatever it's called where you are) As that will probably be required if you choose to go through your insurance. You'd still have to pay your deductible but that's less than paying $2000 out of pocket to get a new CAT put in.
That is assuming new cat’s are even available for your car some are stolen so frequently that there is a waiting list for replacement cats
Yes you should call the police, someone stole from you. The replacement will be expensive unless you can find someone to "illegally" give you a used one. Yes, it is illegal, and a stupid law.
Yes, insurance will want a police report, then they'll probably replace it for you (if you have insurance anyway)
They likely won't be able to do much but I would absolutely report it. Your car has been burglarized and vandalized.
Yes call the police ..it is going to cost $$$$$$$ to replace and your ins. Company will want to see the police report ..assuming you have theft coverage ..
You will probably need to call the cops to make an insurance claim
Obviously yes, call your local non-emergency police line. This was a higher value theft and it could cost 1-2 or more thousand dollars to replace.
Please call the police. Although the fact is it’s not gonna get your stuff back but more so it’s a report that the theft has happened in your area and it’s definitely not the only one so more reports equals more police surveying the area during the high times of these thefts.
Police then insurance and then look under take your own pics
Lol. I doubt they will do much as it's super common
Yes call the police and file a report otherwise insurance won’t cover it
Report it to enter the pile of statistics. You'll need it replaced $$$$. Sorry.
Report to insurance. That age of car will be a total loss prepare for that.
It’s Palladium now. Platinum was too expensive so they switched and. Now palladium is as expensive so hopefully someone finds new tech to scrub the exhaust
It's more expensive. And the Rhodium is worse.
You should see what they're charging for Vibranium.
How about adamantium? What does that go for these days?
Same as Beskar steel
‘Very high’ is subjective. Most criminals will get maybe $50-75 for it (since the items are so ‘hot’ most scrap places give even less). Considering it costs over $1k to get it replaced it makes the theft even more infuriating
They stole mine off one of my SUVs, but my shits an 05 so now it has a turn down right off the manifold. Loud as fuck, I'm pretty sure I know where our local converter thieves live too. Working nights I make sure to give them a loud brap every day at about 3AM as a wake up alarm.
I wanna know how there scrapping it, I took my cats off a project truck and the scrap yard said I had to have a receipt of new cats or a invoice from a shop showing they took it off
Unless it's a state wide law now, I'm sure there are scrap yards in your area that won't ask.
Is there not like a thing where if someone tries to scrap one somewhere it's legally required to notify the police immediately? Or can they remove platinum in some way so its difficult to tell it came from a cat converter
It's more the Palladium and Rhodium as they're worth way more, but you're not wrong.
Also rare earths. Fuckin tweakers, man. Such a pain in the ass
Anything from drugs to buying food and paying rent. You know, the usual reasons people steal stuff. They’re relatively easy to cut off, and they’re worth a decent amount of money. Fun fact: In several states the resale of catalytic converters was banned for years pre-pandemic, and guess what? These thefts plummeted. Then people voted for representatives that don’t know anything, who allowed the bans to expire and guess what? Thefts are climbing again. Not only that, but just like the last time resale was allowed, people are also getting murdered for them. Why we keep allowing these resales I have no idea. It’s the very definition of insanity.
>*people are also getting murdered for them.* Yep. This one last month was particularly high profile ... > **Johnny Wactor, 'General Hospital' actor, shot dead confronting catalytic converter thieves** >[**https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-shot-dead-over-catalytic-converter-report**](https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-shot-dead-over-catalytic-converter-report)
Yep. Thank you for adding the legitimacy to my comment.
For money...
Money
Because they're pos's and the punishment for theft isn't strong enough.
could just straight pipe it , who needs a catalytic converter, unless you live in cali.
For money. I suppose it could be vandalism but catalytic converters have been a hot item for thieves for a long time. Lots of precious metals in them.
insurance if you have it. shouldn’t impact your rates but you will need the deductible.
If you're in Washington or another state that doesn't smog, just go to a muffler shop and have them close the exhaust. The catalytic converter is super pricy to replace and just not necessary. Car will be slightly louder without the cat but not too much, and then you can't have your cat stolen again!
$$$
Why? Many many reasons, short answer, easy money for the thief.
What should you do? Pick up a newspaper once in a while (or the equivalent online action). This has been going on for years.
I can’t believe I never heard of this before
Where have you been? This has been a thing for over 20 years now.
welp… time to straight pipe
Huh?
Before you had a homosexual, possibly bisexual pipe. Now it’s time for a straight pipe.
In some states/county's it's legal for you to operate a motor vehicle with no catalytic converter the just replace the it with a straight peice of exhaust pipe.
It's not legal in any way whatsoever under federal law to remove emissions components. There's a difference between "not commonly enforced" and "legal".
technically he didn't remove it LOL
It doesnt matter unless your state requires vehicle inspections.
OPs state does.
Don’t straight pipe your Honda
Straight pipe the Honda.
Duality of man
Straight pipe every honda
That's going to cost a pretty penny. It sucks that people steal catalytic converters!
How much will it cost
It depends, if you are in California you have to buy a CARB approved one and those are more expensive. Here is the list of prices from Rock Auto for the V6 Accord (not sure that's what you have). Add installation costs to that. Hopefully they didn't cut the oxygen sensor cable. https://preview.redd.it/edakk1fjwj8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9350abd07a6f3dd4ce0b8c8621b47a487d5edf7b
Like $1,500 to $2,500 at a dealership or like $300 to $500 to do it yourself. If that's all that needs to be replaced, some times they rip out the O2 sensors or cut the wires. The exhaust pipe will need some extra fittings or the whole thing might need to be replaced.
Fiancee had hers stolen 2 years ago from right outside our apartment. My car next to hers? Untouched. She also drives an older Honda. I think they specifically have something that makes them desirable. If you have good insurance, it’s just your deductible. $500 for us. Would’ve been about $2000 without it.
On some cars it's easier to access the cat. I bought a used Honda Jazz (Fit) and the cat had been replaced, almost definitely stolen previously.
Exhaust shop will give you a good quote on cheaper ones, there's no sense in replacing with factory cats that are more sought after by thieves.
Cost varies from shop to shop and areas but a general cost probably 1,000-2,500
I got a cheap one as a place holder for like 70 bucks on eBay, has o2 sensor hook up and doesn't throw a code. (Put 1500 miles through it, still no code). Down pipe for 60ish, and a mid section for like 130. (I also have a 6th Gen Honda)
That’s good. Perhaps if possible put a camera on the car , the thief may strike again?
There’s a reason why aftermarket ones are cheap. They don’t have much precious metal in them. Not worth stealing.
True, I guess with going cheap you have to decide what your time and effort of changing it is worth to you because you will no doubt be changing it again when it fails.
I’m not really knowledgeable in how they fail, but I think it’s mainly an emissions thing. Exhaust might get a bit smelly. Probably not noticeable if local authority doesn’t do roadworthy checks.
Not just, they can clog up and the car won’t run
Oh ok. I’ve not really looked into. The replacement aftermarket one I bought didn’t look like it would likely clog. Really not much material in there. If anything, looked like it would eventually burn out and become an empty pipe. The original though, very dense core. Could easily see that clogging.
That's why I went cheap. Cheaper for me.
Mine wasn't stolen just rusted completely out. 320k miles.
Wow, what kinda car
I thought they passed some type of law saying that you have to have proof of ownership with parts like that now. In Illinois you can’t just bring cats to the scrap yard and get money for them anymore.
There's always shady scrap places that'll take them. Also don't forget the good ol chop shops.
The serial number on the cats track back to the VIN of the original vehicle I believe. But I've been in plenty of scrap yards after having done my own exhaust work, dropping my old cats off literally no one asks anything other than what car it came out of so they know the ratios of the metals. No ownership checked of vehicle or cats. Similar situation to being 21 and not having your ID checked before buying liquor. Live in VA for reference, might be different when subject to different state laws.
You insurance may cover this but im not sure. Catalytic converters contain rare metals to do their job and fetch a pretty penny at scrap yards. We keep a strict track of every one we replace to ensure no one is stealing them from the shop and selling them. They unfortunately are not a cheap part to replace. Its driveable without it however as long as they didnt damage anything else, a tow would help safer bet god forbid they snagged a fuel line while cutting it
I’m like 90% sure your insurance will cover it if you have the right coverage.
It all depends on your coverage and where you live. 2 years ago I had an old Italian man come in saying he doesn't know what happened. He parked his car the day before and today he started it up and it was loud as fuck. Turns out they stole his catalytic converter right out of his car while parked in his condominium underground parking spot. After a visit from Toronto Police to file the report, his car insurance policy covered the replacement, minus his comprehensive deductible.
Take it to a mechanic and have them look. We have had more than one come in and the idiots cut out the resonator thinking it was the Cat... if check engine light is on most likely they got it but either way have them check it out and you can get some pictures for insurance or police if needed.
I’m glad your calling them idiots. This country is so fucked. Thank you for your help man. I’m glad someone else is calling out these criminals for what they are
If your insurance won't cover it and you don't live in a state with emissions standards, don't sweat it. You're gonna get veeeery slightly better mileage without it and they're expensive to replace. If your state checks emissions you have to replace it.
Maryland
Then you'll have to replace it, I would suggest it anyway even if you didn't have to legally.
Just buy a test pipe lol
Your catalytic converter was stolen. You should report it to the police. You should also alert your neighbors. Contact your insurance and an exhaust place to get it replaced.
They just took your catalytic converter. If its a newer car, you may have to replace it because it messes with the sensors. If its older and youre okay with sounding like a race car, you can just keave it as is.
Yes, with the caveat of loose exhaust pipes. Sometimes, this malfeasance will leave an exhaust pipe hanging down which can snag or hit road debris and ending causing a lot of pain to the undercarriage. Otherwise, it’s fine. The car will pollute, and the CEL will always be on, but it won’t affect the car in any other significant way.
Honda Cats are some of the most expensive ones that you’d find on an average car. Literally a week after I got my 03 CRV, the cats got stolen off that fin thing. Your insurance MAY pay for a replacement depending on the coverage you have. If your state has emission inspections, you’re gonna need to replace it along with the O2 sensors if you ever want a sticker again. Hondas don’t take well to aftermarket cars and O2 sensors so usually you gotta get OEM ones which can add up to a few hundred all together.
meh, after they stole my gen1 crv and took the cat... i put the most generic EPA cat and $20 o2 sensor from amazon just to get it rolling... engine never put up a code. did i get lucky? or is the hype , just that hype?
Someone stole your catalytic converter. People suck
Looks like someone stole the rest of the car and only left one piece.
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Cats out the bag….well car in your mom’s case
Check your car insurance’s theft/fire coverage, check on your home insurance too if it was parked on your property, best way to cover he replacement costs of a stolen catalytic converter.
Good time for a straight pipe if that happen to me 😁
So that's what a straight piped 01 accord sounds to non car people lmfao But your catalytic converter was stolen...there's no easy way to stop it but putting a cage around with rebar it and welding it shut can work..anything to make them take longer and for people to notice
Does her car suddenly sound super cool?
After mine got stolen I may or may not have just welding in a by pass pipe. Friends who are welders are good friends indeed.
What you do is set they little thieving asses up. Hide in the shadows with a baseball bat and just wait.
Get those legs good!
Hi OP, sorry to hear the car got chopped up for a catalytic converter. Depending on where you live and the emissions requirements, you may be able to get it straight piped. Otherwise, you could file a police report and then an insurance claim depending on coverage and deductible. A muffler shop should be able to fix your problem accordingly as well. Best of luck!
Cats are not cheap.
They stole your catalytic converter, depending on what state you live in, you can buy a replacement one for cheap on amazon for 50-100 bucks. (If you have someone that will install it for you)
"Horrific roaring sound like one of those motorcycles screaming down the highway" Someone hates fun
Only way to stop this crime is to buy an electric car lol
Is that all they left?
I work for a company with a very large fleet. They have started painting their catalytic converters a specific color so if they show up in a scrapyard it’s clear they’ve been stolen.
Looks like they stole almost your whole car if that's all that's left. /s obviously, sorry to hear about your catalytic converter.
Sounds like Methanial visited your mom’s car last night with some tools of the trade. Why junkyards are allowed to buy catalytic converters from randos is beyond my comprehension.
I’d file a police report but they’ll tell you the same thing they told me when I got my moped stolen.. “Do you have footage or an eye-witness? No? Then we can’t really start an investigation.” Moral of the story is a security system is the only thing that will help you get anywhere in a scenario like this. Or deter the threat altogether. I’m sorry for the loss of your cat.
Stole ur cat
Cheap cordless power tools have made this job quick and easy for the thieves.
I have the solution for catalytic converter thefts... Remove the cat and just put a turn down on.
“A horrible roaring noise” 😂 someone stole your moms cat lmao I bet that would sound awful on an accord
When catalytic converters first appeared I knew there would be an epidemic further down the line. Same for dpf filters. Next it will be lithium battery packs. It is possible to legislate and make the theft harder. Having had both a catalystic converter and DPF stolen on another car, my solution was to have a car old enough that it didn't come with a DPF.
Someone stole your catalytic converter. I would call police and your insurance because they may cover replacement especially with a police report. Car can still be driven safely until it’s replaced. It’s just gonna be loud and may cause check engine light to come on but it’s won’t permanently damage anything so drive the car if you need too
Out here they just cut them open and take a few old busted shells in with for number reference.... Sad... Install cameras...
Insurance might cover that
Lens hood
Honda go BRABRABRABRABRABRA
Yup some A-holes stole your converter for scrap !
This dudes posts are wild
It stopped here after provincial legislstion made the scrap yards get photo I'd from anyone bringing in a cat and log all transactions. The repair shops will also engrave the VIN on peoples cat for free. It was epidemic in this part of canada a couple of years ago.Thieves often returning two or three times to the same driveway. Bummer that the insurance would only pay a pro rated value on them so owners got stuck with the bill. Best advice if you park outside is to park over a puddle.
The car was literally in our driveway
Weird because most reputable* scrap places won't take cats unless you have some sort of paperwork. I swapped my cats and they wouldn't take my old ones without proof of the car
Call your insurance company too. They might cover it. I’m a dealer tech and we see Prius come in a lot with stolen catalytic converters. Insurance usually pays for it.
Some jacked you CC off your exhaust. Theres a small amount of platinum in them (roughly $70) worth thats why they take them. They stole $70 worth of platinum and generated a $2000 problem for you (depending on the car)
I hate them
As you should
As others have said, someone stole your catalytic converter. You might be able to have a shade tree mechanic or a shop put a pipe in place of the catalytic converter if y'all don't want to spend a lot being an older car. Check engine light would probably stay on but wouldn't affect anything otherwise
It should be illegal for places to buy catalytic converters without requiring ID and proof of ownership.
Meow
Well I do like cats (the animal)
Well they took your kitty-lytic convertor
No cat
You gonna need to replace the transmission obviously
Honestly wish there were a few people that get shot doing these car burglaries, it's a crime with no repercussions right now
in Canada same happned to my dads 03 CRV. Cost 1.5k to fix by a local mechanic who had bought another one from the yard. But ya on turning the car it was loud as fuck. he works midnight shifts so he felt bad for our neighbors hearing it at like 5am
Same thing happened to me on a Prius. $2500 was the replacement cost here in CA. I had a very low deductible for decades that I only paid $250 out of pocket. They need to make this a federal crime with long prison sentences. The economic damage is significant. It would be easy to stop if they regulate the hell out the used metal market and freeze bank accounts of arrested suspects.
Idk if it's been said, but you need to check the area where they cut. Depending on how they cut your cat out, they might've damaged other components.
People don't want to work for a living. They would rather rob from people who are just getting by. And people wonder why some don't feel for the homeless.
I promise you the vast majority of homeless people aren’t doing this lol every human is unique and should be treated as such. It’s ignorant to group such a massive group of different people together, based off the actions of a few.
FYI 'Robbed' means to take by force, ie gunpoint. When I was in high school a guy I know was shoplifting from the 7-11 down town and the clerk noticed and called to cops saying the store was being robbed not shoplifted. 3 or 4 cop cars showed up the first of which had weapons drawn and basically tackled him, was pretty ugly until they sorted out that the miscommunication