According to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the number of thefts of Toyota Prius catalytic converters in 2020 is 40 times that of 2016.

The surge in theft is related to the need for precious metals to build new catalytic converters for hybrid vehicles. Due to the limited operating time of gasoline engines, hybrid vehicles have a higher concentration of precious metals. They must be more powerful to ensure that they work properly.

Why is the converter still stolen? Due to the increase in the price of platinum, rhodium and palladium catalytic converters, thefts have soared from about 100 per month in 2018 to more than 1,200 per month in 2020.

The National Insurance and Crime Bureau said that in the last year alone, the theft of converters increased by 293%. This growth in the past year is partly due to the thief not just Toyota Prius models.

The average selling price of scrap catalytic converters like the second-generation (2004-2009) Toyota Prius is US$1,000. The prices of other models are similar, which makes them a popular target.

Which other models are the primary targets? The easiest way to find target vehicles is to find a way to protect them. I have been reporting this story for more than 2 years, watching how the theft of a catalytic converter can ruin the lives of victims.

Cat Security™ is a well-known and helpful company that sells vehicle-specific catalytic converter protection devices and is a leader in helping car owners protect their vehicles.

I think if Cat Security™ has a device on the market, it must be a cause for concern. According to Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, Tacoma and Honda Element were also the main targets of theft. They expertly made a series of covers that cover and protect the converter better than any other product on the market.

It will be interesting to see what else they have.

Conclusion Catalytic converter theft is still a terrible and rampant problem, spreading faster than tornadoes in trailer parks.

If you own any of the vehicles I listed in this article, please do everything possible to protect it. Theft has not slowed down, so take a moment to figure out how to protect your vehicle from theft.

If all your converters are stolen from your Toyota Tundra, it is estimated that you will need to pay approximately $10,000 to repair. If there is no protection, you will most likely be hit again.

That is all for now. Thank you for reading. Remember, today’s adventure is tomorrow’s story.

Lucid and Rivian should join forces.

Look at this crazy new battery technology that Tesla has and why it will change the automotive industry forever.

In addition, to watch Toyota suddenly bring its BZ4X electric SUV concept to the United States on the Torque News Youtube channel, please subscribe to us on Youtube and follow daily news reports of Toyota and electric vehicles on Twitter.

Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric vehicles and hybrid battery technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin, and you can tweet on The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Certified Auto Consulting on Facebook. Read more of Peter's story in Torque News' Toyota News report. Search Toyota Prius Torque News to learn more about our reporter’s in-depth coverage of the Prius.