Argh! A Thief stole my catalytic converter. It was a Friday afternoon. The day had been a bit rushed, as I was trying to leave work early for a get away weekend with the wife.  I walked through the office parking lot, where I had left my 2005 Ford Excursion. It actually had been parked there for several days. 

I opened the vehicle’s door, put the key in the ignition, turned the key to the on position and was completely shocked by a what sounded like a semi explosion.  This was followed by an extremely loud exhaust sound.   I quickly turned the vehicle off to prevent any damage. 

After collecting my thoughts, I turned the vehicle on again.  By this point I was certain the issue had to do with the exhaust system.  My initial thought was that the exhaust manifolds had become disconnected from the engine block.

I crawled under the truck to check things out and was in complete disbelief at what I saw. Part of my vehicle’s exhaust system was completely gone.  Someone had cut the catalytic converter out of my truck!  I tried driving the truck around to see if I could take it home, but the exhaust sound was so loud that it felt as if I was driving a commercial truck with no exhaust.  It was awful. 

I ended up having to come up with another plan for my get away weekend with the wife, as I could not imagine driving this thing around town for more than a mile. 

Catalytic Converter Theft is Becoming Too Common

Later I came to find out that I am one of many catalytic converter theft victims in my city.  The same thing has happened to other vehicles at work and the in surrounding neighborhoods.  In fact, a new fence is being installed around the office parking lot to help deter this kind of crime. 

The receptionist at work blames the ever-growing homeless population in our city.  According to her, a new fence around the parking lot won’t stop catalytic converter thieves. 

I tend to agree with her.  When I think about it, stealing a catalytic converter can be very easy.  Any thief with a power tool such as a cordless Sawzall can cut a catalytic converter in under 2 minutes.  All a thief needs in addition to a power tool is the cover of night. 

See In Under Two Minutes: Catalytic Converter Theft

As much as I hate the crime and being a victim of it, I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in such a manner that stealing catalytic converters is a way of life.  I am saddened for those who live that kind of life. 

Catalytic converters are known to have precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.  Thieves can get around $200 per cat.  Amazingly, it can cost well over $3,000 to replace the stolen parts.

See Why Are Thieves Stealing Catalytic Converters in My Town?

What to do now?

Report the theft to the police.  The first thing to is to report the crime to the police department.  I don’t expect the police department to do anything, other than collect data to hopefully make global decisions. 

Notify the insurance company.  In my case notifying the insurer doesn’t make sense.  First, I am too cheap, and my car is too old to have full coverage.  All I have for insurance is minimum liability, which would not cover the damage done to my vehicle.  Second, even if I had full coverage, the deductible would probably be higher than the cost to replace the catalytic converter. 

Should I replace the catalytic converter?  The seemingly obvious course of action is to replace the catalytic converter.  As it turns out, my vehicle had 2 catalytic converters.  And the thieves stole both of them.  No wonder why my truck sounded so loud! 

At the bottom of the page, I go over my options. Ultimately, the cost to replace both catalytic convertors would be about $800.  And then I would still be at risk of getting the new catalytic convertors stolen again. 

Catalytic Converter Locks

One way to prevent this theft from happening would be to install a catalytic converter lock.  I didn’t even know these things existed.  A kit for catalytic converters costs anywhere between $150 and $350.  On top of that, these things look a bit complicated to install.  By the time I replace the catalytic converters and install this lock, I would be well over $1,000 out of pocket.

Can I Drive The Vehicle Without a Catalytic Converter?

Technically, you can drive your vehicle without a catalytic converter.  Doing so is safe, but not legal, and not great for the environment. In fact, many car aficionados remove the catalytic converters from their vehicles for performance reasons. 

To be clear, your vehicle’s exhaust sound will be louder without a catalytic converter. 

Related Can You Drive Without a Catalytic Converter?

Will I get a check engine light? 

One thing you’ll notice immediately if you drive your vehicle without a catalytic convertor is a check engine light.  This is because your vehicle’s powertrain control module (PCM) receives information from the catalytic convertor through the use of oxygen sensors (O2). 

How to Make the Check Engine Light Go Away? 

There is something car aficionados use to remove their catalytic converters and make the check engine light go away.  They use a device that tricks the vehicle’s PCM into thinking there is a catalytic converter.  A Mini 3 Way Catalytic Converter 02 Sensor Cel Fix can be purchased for $50.

How Much Will This Theft Cost Me?

1. Replace the catalytic converters and risk them being stolen again – Cost $800
2. Replace the catalytic converters and install a catalytic converter lock – Cost over $1,000
3. Install exhaust piping without replacing catalytic converters AND end up with a check engine light – Cost $150
4. Install exhaust piping and an O2 sensor cel fix – Cost $200.

Conclusion – A Thief stole my catalytic converter

This theft, though relatively small in value, can affect anyone trying to make ends meet on a tight budget. This is precisely one of the reasons why it is important to have money saved up for emergencies. See Saving for Emergencies.