CARFAX lists the top vehicles targeted for catalytic converter thefts

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Go online and you’ll find all kinds of surveillance video capturing thieves stealing something called a catalytic converter from underneath vehicles. And stealing a catalytic converter takes no time. In fact, CARFAX provided a video to 3 On Your Side showing an actor posing as a thief and crawling under a pickup truck with a jigsaw.

After making two simple cuts, it’s easy to see how the catalytic converter is removed. In all, it takes just over a minute for the converter, which contains expensive metals, to be removed. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a significant increase in catalytic converters simply because of what’s inside the converter. The platinum, the palladium and rhodium,” Jonathan Morrow said. He’s the president of M & M Auto Parts.

He says once your catalytic converter is stolen, you’ll know it because your vehicle will sound horrible. So how vulnerable are you? CARFAX just released the top vehicles targeted by thieves. No. 1 on the list is the 1985 through 2021 Ford F-150 and F-250. “The F-series is popular just for the fact of how far they are off the ground and how much clearance there is to get underneath and for those catalytic converters to be taken,” said Morrow.

Next on the list are the 1989-2020 Honda Accord, 2007-17 Jeep Patriot, 1990-2022 Ford Econoline vans and 1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado. There are lot more vehicles that made the list. Even the Toyota Prius is on the list. If you want to see if your car is a target, click/tap here.

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