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There has been a big increase in the number of catalytic converters thefts across the United States. Vehicle owners are suffering with costly and lengthy repairs as manufacturers, police and legislators search for a way to curb the thefts. However so far cases are increasing year on year with little signs of slowing down. The National Insurance Crime Bureau said there were 14,433 catalytic converter thefts reported in the U.S. in 2020 and every year since has shown significant increases on these figures.
The Toyota Tacoma is an ideal target for criminals as like so many pick up trucks, it sits high off the ground. This makes it relatively easy for thieves to slide under the vehicle and remove the catalytic convertors. Time is the largest deterrent for most criminals so when they don’t need to waste time or bring extra equipment to jack a car up high, conditions become very favourable for theft. Convertors with no protection can be removed in a matter of minutes with something as simple as a hack saw.
Being a 4×4 pickup, the Toyota Tacoma is especially attractive as it has not one but four convertors in total on the underside of the vehicle. Each convertor also contains precious metals including platinum and palladium which means they fetch a high price on the black market. The primary and secondary convertors are located on the mid-pipe assembly on the underside of each Tacoma which is very accessible and almost a gift to any career criminal. This means that on a street or parking lot with plenty of cars, the Toyota Tacoma is one of the most attractive to criminals in terms of risk and reward. Small risk because they can get in and out in a few minutes and maximum reward as they’ll pocket large sums of money reselling the components.
Until legislation is passed or a major crackdown occurs from law enforcement, it’s up to vehicle owners to protect their vehicles and deter wanton criminals. Convertor shields the best solution as it makes access to the convertors almost impossible and puts the risk too high for criminals to take a chance.
If you have concerns about potential catalytic converter theft from your Toyota, we recommend using our search tool to find a catalytic converter shield that will fit your make and model of Toyota. If one has not been manufactured for your particular model of Toyota, please bookmark this page and check back often as we are constantly adding new makes and models as new catalytic converter shields are developed and manufactured.
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