LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A bad economy and a global chip shortage have led to a shortage of new cars and the rising costs of used cars. Because of the shortage, GM has said about 95,000 of their
vehicles that won’t be completed until at least the end of the year.

In addition, their plant in Lansing’s Delta Township was temporarily shut down for the week because of supply chain disruptions.

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Without being able to find or afford new cars, many people are forced to pay higher prices for used cars they don’t really want or keep their own cars on the road as long as possible. This poses a problem when someone steals a catalytic converter out of their vehicle.

Catalytic converters are exhaust-system components that clean pollutants from your car’s exhaust and selling scrap metal from them can be quite lucrative. The converters are scrapped out for platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

According to The National Insurance Crime Bureau, there is a strong correlation between catalytic converter theft
trends and the value of the precious metals.

Platinum is currently $875 per oz., palladium is $1,770 per oz. and rhodium is a whopping $13,300 per oz.

Thieves can also get about $50 to $250 per catalytic converter if they turn them into recycling facilities. Stealing a catalytic converter is relatively easy and can often take less than a minute to remove.

But the news isn’t so good for car owners who are the victims of these thefts. Replacing a catalytic converter on a vehicle can run a car owner into the thousands of dollars.

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Thefts of catalytic converters are being reported all over Michigan. Even the idyllic county of Grand Traverse has been investigating 35 catalytic converter thefts in the past year.

Other counties, big and large, like Kent County are also investigating a high number of catalytic converter thefts as well, sometimes double or triple the number they are used to seeing.

The theft of catalytic converters isn’t just limited to individuals though. It’s also happening to commercial vehicles and fleets. In one case, thefts shut down some county buses in Michigan.

In June, the dial-a-ride bus service in Shiawassee County was suspended after catalytic converters were stolen from their vehicles. The buses were operated by the Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency and were used to take people to grocery stores, schools, medical appointments and other important destinations.

In Clinton County last week, Michigan State Police confiscated five stolen catalytic converters along with fentanyl and cocaine during a traffic stop. Also in the vehicle was a rotary saw, a cutoff saw and a flashlight, all supplies helpful in cutting off and stealing catalytic converters.

Also last week, a suspected catalytic converter thief was arrested on a stolen moped in Jackson County. He had several felony warrants out for his arrest and was found to have several tools that are commonly used to cut catalytic converters out of vehicles.

Michigan News Source reached out to The National Insurance Crime Bureau and discovered that thefts of the catalytic converters in the United States increased dramatically in 2021 with 52,206 thefts, up 203% since 2020 and an alarming increase of 1,215% since 2019.

Even with those high numbers, the NICB notes that their data is not a reporting of all catalytic converters nationally as the thefts are grossly unreported to insurance companies and law enforcement for various reasons including the fact that the cost of repair is less than or only marginally higher than the deductible.

The NICB reports that thefts of catalytic converters in the United States are the highest in California which accounts for 37% of them, followed by Texas, Washington, North Carolina and Minnesota.

Professionals in the insurance and auto industries say that thieves are often targeting raised cars and trucks that are easier to get underneath. The NICB also reports that hybrids are a major target as these vehicles contain two catalytic converters and tend to see less wear (corrosion) than other vehicles with equal miles.

Tips to protect your vehicle include parking in well lit areas, using security cameras, getting a vibration alarm or engraving your VIN number on your catalytic converter.