Skyrocketing catalytic converter thefts lead to monthslong backorders for Prius parts.
. And when they’re stolen, they can only be replaced with converters that will pass California smog tests, leaving California-approved cats in even shorter supply., cutting them out from cars’ exhaust systems and selling them for several hundred dollars each to scrapyards and recyclers that harvest and sell the metals. Such crime rings can pull in huge amounts of money.
Luis Benitez welds a new catalytic converter onto a Chevrolet Silverado at Johnny Franklin's Muffler on July 11, 2022, in San Rafael, Calif.The problem is only getting worse, according to Jiacomo Rodriguez of Precision Auto in San Francisco.stories Deputy Jaime Moran, right, from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, speaks with a driver as a fellow officer checks the location of the catalytic converter beneath the vehicle for engraving with a traceable number, on July 14, 2021, in City of Industry, Calif.San Francisco, too, has seen a sharp local increase, according to data the SFPD shared with SFGATE: 213 converters were reported stolen in 2020; the next year, the number increased to 377.
It’s simple supply chain dynamics: Amid the surge in catalytic converter theft, more people need new converters. While some cars can take a universal part, many cars — including Priuses — require a part designed specifically for that make and model. And it takes a long time for supply to catch up with the demand, particularly as thieves shift which cars they’re stealing from.
“I’m being told that the problem is so bad that there are no catalytic converters and they’re all on back order,” Eisenberg told SFGATE in November. “It’ll take 2 to 4 months to get the part.”
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