So what’s the positioning of the Catalytic Converter on Gen 5 ?

I also am interested. Hopefully car mfgs are taking this problem into consideration when designing new vehicles. The city where I live is plagued with this problem. Nextdoor posts about people constantly getting theirs cut off.

 

Has anyone have info on this? The CAT was just cut of my 2010 Prius. They botched the job and the car is essentially a total loss (6-month wait on parts). I wanted to buy a Prius again, but now I seriously doubt it, unless someone can tell me that 2023 Prius is more protected against this. I am thinking of avoiding a hybrid completely, of any type. I can't be driving around paranoid all of the time. What is the point of having a car that you are afraid to take out of your garage.

 

Hybrids are not the only vehicles having their catalytic converters stolen.

 

If I remember correctly, Toyota now offers a cat shield as an option for the 2023 prius. So it's likely one of them is somewhere accessable. In the gen4 one was stuffed way up by the engine and a 2nd was underneath. They were much smaller than in gen3 and I've only seen a few instances of gen4 having one stolen. But the news of course just says Priuses are targets without making the distinction that it's really the older model years that are most vulnerable and in high demand.

 

In another thread on the topic, there is a post that one of the aftermarket cat shield makers are looking for an owner to let there car be used to test prototypes.

Top goal of the Prius drive train was low emissions. The cats in the early models had higher than average levels of rare metals in them for that purpose. Part of the generational improvements was getting the same result with cheaper cats. If the gen4 isn't being targeted, the gen5 likely won't be. Besides, there still could be more gen2's & 3's on the road than gen4's.

 

I'd put a lot of barbed wire around the CAT and call it a day.

 

How noticeable is the tailpipe? Maybe you can just put some EV stickers on it.

 

EVs don't have a catalytic converter.