June 15, 2022 – According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), catalytic converter theft has spiked dramatically due to three precious metals found inside them: palladium, rhodium, and platinum. At the time of this writing, an ounce of rhodium costs about $15,000. For comparison, an ounce of gold costs a measly $1800.
Catalytic converters have been a federally mandated requirement on every new vehicle since 1975. Using data compiled by the NICB and service reports from car repair shops around the country, Carfax determined the 10 vehicles most commonly targeted for their catalytic converters.
The Toyota Prius, particularly the second-gen model produced from 2004 to 2009, is especially attractive when it comes to catalytic converter theft. Because a hybrid puts less wear on its catalytic converter, these vehicles’ cats remain especially valuable even after years of use.
