ToyotaCatalytic converters are a ripe target for thieves in various countries. Recent years have seen them become even more lucrative, as the rare metals inside them can fetch good money, but of course, this becomes a nightmare for the owners of the cars, as one Toyota Tacoma owner has recently found out.Mechanic Kris Buchowicz (@krisbuchowiczz) posted a Facebook reel about a 2022 Toyota Tacoma that had come into his shop, and recounted how thieves had made off with the catalytic converters on the car, causing extra damage in the process to parts such as the sensors.The short reel shows the underside of the Tacoma, and we can clearly see that the two catalytic converters are missing. Plus, Buchowicz shows where the sensors underneath were damaged after the thieves yanked off the converters. We then get an overview of the repair costs to the truck, but crucially, without any labor costs added on.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe theft of these parts has been an ongoing problem for some time. Some places even recommend replacing the original converter on your car with an aftermarket one, so if it does get stolen, then you won't be out of pocket and still have the original one at home.How Much Did It Cost To Replace the Converters?Underneath, we can see exactly where the two catalytic converters used to be. Two empty holes where they used to be mounted are evidence of this, but we also learn that the tensors were damaged when the converters were removed. That suggests theft was why these are now missing.According to Buchowicz, everything from the gaskets, screws, and nuts needed to be replaced on the Tacoma. A glance at the parts sheet shows they cost from just a few dollars to $1,000 to obtain for the truck. Then, at the end, we see that the total cost to repair the Toyota, highlighted in yellow, is a huge $2,300.04. What makes this more worrying is that this is without labor costs added on."Protect these at all costs,” Buchowicz said in the caption of the video. Out of all the cars you could steal the parts from, the Tacoma is one of the easiest. Its higher ground clearance than, say, a sedan or sports car makes it easier for thieves to slide under the truck. Which means they could hack the part off the car, and get away without needing a jack, making it obvious what they are up to.This Is Why Catalytic Converters Are a Popular Part To StealMartin Fennema/UnsplashCatalytic converters are used to reduce harmful emissions from cars. They are a hugely important part of any vehicle, but recent years have seen them become a huge target for thieves. This is because of the rare metals inside. Metals such as platinum and palladium make them highly attractive to thieves, who can sell them for good money.AdvertisementAdvertisementMaking it scarier for drivers is that they can be removed from cars in seconds. Depending on how crudely they've been hacked off, some cars could be written off entirely, and the problem isn't confined to America. In the UK, theft of the parts rose massively in the 2020s, according to the BBC, due to the high value of the metals. A Freedom of Information request showed almost 100,000 converters were stolen from 2019 to 2022.Catalytic Converter Theft Has Been a Big Problem in AmericaToyotaFrom 2020 to 2022, an organized criminal group stole and resold converters across the United States. Once stolen, the parts were sent to DG Auto Parts in Freehold, New Jersey, who then removed the previous metals and ground them into dust. These metals were then sold to Dowa Metals and Mini America for refining before being sent to Japan.The revenue generated from this was believed to have been around $545 million, which shows the extent of the problem many Americans faced. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported over 5,000 catalytic converter thefts per month in 2022, but after the theft ring was dismantled, the number of stolen converters dropped dramatically.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
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