I think the catalytic converter was stolen please help

Do you still have your service jack in the back hatch.? Odds are if you can't see it due to where/how your car is parked no one else will either. The only difference is they (AAA) will bring a floor type jack to raise the vehicle and look under it. I'd suggest to properly jack up your car as if you were going to change a tire (preferably a rear tire) and see what you can see. If your converter is MIA you will see two lengths of pipe with open ends.

 

if the cat is gone your check engine light should come on, with the gas motor running do you feel the exhaust coming out of the pipe at the rear of the car? if not then its gone

 

Best of luck.
I hope that hasn't happened to you, being a victim of crime is horrible.

Sometimes amazes me what lengths criminals will go to, I haven't heard of this crime happening very often, and I hope it doesn't become a growing trend.

 

That's too bad.

I hope law enforcement catches up with them.
They should plant some cars with hidden cameras. Love to see these cowards get caught.

 

Yeah, depends on the price of the precious metals which are contained in the converter. I left LA 6 years ago and I had my Cat stolen on my 96 Tacoma 4x4. 2 years before that. Interesting that a car cat would be stolen when 4x4s or high ride trucks are much easier. Could be desperation. Anyways replaced the CAT and then installed this CAT anti theft device called CatClamp.
CatClamp Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Lock
The deal is that if they see your car again they will hit it again as they know it has a new cat now. Not only that if they had suceeded in that area they become more brazen as they feel safer.

Another angle to this story is that if someone did need a cat for their Prius they stole yours so that a new one would be replaced. That way they will get a new one the next go around.
But in your neighborhood and many others it is a quick and easy crime to do. I have heard of them even in parking lots as almost everyone does not question someone underneath a car figuring it is the owner repairing their own car. Even at Walmart. In all probaility it is a local team doing this in your vicinity. And more than likely they live in the area as well. Such is life in Los Angeles.

 

put eric estrada on the case.

 

California has a lot of Prius.
Catalytic converter thieves target Silver Lake Prius owners | The Eastsider LA

 

Had 2 stolen from my tundra in 6 months. I'm more worried about my battery getting stolen than my cat as they attempted it once on my car and succeeded on another in the apartment complex I used to live at

Fone ?

 

I was one of the very first ones to buy the CATCLAMP and have no regrets not that hows I am in Utah now people leave their house doors unlocked and keys in the car here - totally different than CA unless your in a very rural area of course. A CA certified Cat converter especially on a TOY is not cheap.-unless insurance pays for it of course.

 

...my guess it's like the Gen3 battery thefts in CA, where some of us theorize small taxi services put a lot of miles on and need spare parts.

The Tundras probably different story...my guess is bigger amount of platinum on the CARB truck cats, Precious metals at 6 year low now.

 

Just wait until the Mirai becomes popular. The scrap theives are going to love one of those.

 

Probably 20-30 grams Platinum on a FCV $1000 or so and Tundra could be getting close to that. On a Prius maybe 5 grams

 

One solution is to buy a Tesla. No catalytic converter and the battery weighs 1200 lbs. Also, no taxi's use the Tesla.

 

Uber?

 

Somehow I'm thinking it's still more economical to buy a few catalytic converters than a Tesla.

 

Maybe not in the US, but over here in the UK I know of 3 that are used as taxis


iPhone ?

 

the problem is that since our govt officials are a bunch of lazy worthless scum, they don't crack down on the scrap dealers that buy stolen metal. if every scrap thief had to get their picture taken with a copy of their drivers license, this problem would go away.

personally, there is 1 facet of sharia law that I like a lot. thieves get their hands cut off. we should do that here instead of just slapping their wrist so they can go steal something else. but some whining bitch liberals would say "oh that's cruel and unusual. he can't help it, its because his mother beat him when he was a child." stfu.