MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Thieves are stealing Prius parts from parked cars in Puget Sound region (again)

Sep 24, 2020, 7:10 AM | Updated: 11:21 am

hybrid, prius, catalytic converter...

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Prius owners better be on guard: Thieves are back, they’re ripping catalytic converters off cars, and the repair can set you back thousands of dollars.

A tow truck driver that listens to KIRO Radio clued me into the recent spike in catalytic converter thefts. He said he has towed more than 25 Toyota Prii after the part had been ripped out from under them. He told me that a local shop had replaced more than 34 others over the summer.

Bucky’s Complete Auto Care said it has seen a 20-30% increase in catalytic converter replacements in 2020, and business is so brisk that sometimes it’s hard to keep the parts in stock.

Catalytic converter theft is nothing new. Every few years, thieves turn their attention back to the small part under your car that helps control emissions. The thieves were working the Bay Area and Sacramento last summer, and appear to have moved up to Washington once again. I’ve seen reports from West Seattle, downtown Seattle, and Woodinville.

They are also hitting Everett, where Aaron Snell with the Everett Police Department says the thieves used to target Toyota trucks and 4-Runners because they could slide underneath them. Now, Prii are being targeted because they are easy to lift.

Police: Carsharing vehicles being used as getaway cars in thefts

“What we believe criminals are doing is they’re actually jacking up the cars real quick, they’re cutting out the catalytic converters with a sawzall or unscrewing it, and then just dropping the jack and taking off,” Snell said.

So why this relatively small part that’s only worth a few hundred dollars? Just like copper thieves going after wiring, these thieves are looking for the precious metals inside.

“When they take it to the recycler, there’s a decent amount of money they can get for that,” Snell said.

There is about two grams of palladium in each converter, a metal that sells for more than $2,000 an ounce. There are also 3-7 grams of platinum in each, and that metal sells for more than $900 an ounce. If you strip about a dozen Prii in a day, and you can get nearly $3,000.

Snell said Prius owners should take precautions, like parking in well-lit areas or in view of your home security cameras. You might also consider spending a few hundred dollars to buy a catalytic converter shield. There are a bunch on the market, and are generally metal plates that you bolt over the converter. It would certainly be less expensive than getting a new one.

And you might ask how you know your converter has been stolen? It’s easy — your car will sound like a tank.

MyNorthwest News

lead cookware washington...

Frank Sumrall

Washington becomes first state to ban lead in cookware

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Lead in Cookware Act Thursday, banning lead from any products used to cook food.

54 minutes ago

delta sexual assault...

Frank Sumrall

Woman sues Delta Air Lines after sexually assaulted on flight by employee

Last year, a woman was sexually assaulted on a Delta Air Lines flight from Phoenix to Seattle by an airline employee.

2 hours ago

Photo: Lewis and Clark High School students thought quickly to save their track coach's life....

Julia Dallas

Spokane high school students save track coach’s life after his heart stops

Two Spokane high school students used their quick thinking and past training to save their track coach's life last week.

4 hours ago

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

16 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

17 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

18 hours ago

Thieves are stealing Prius parts from parked cars in Puget Sound region (again)