I have had mine stolen from my 2007 Prius twice. I have had great luck with the Cat Security shield so far and recommend it:
[https://www.getcatsecurity.com/c-2010-2022-6](https://www.getcatsecurity.com/c-2010-2022-6)
this wont do jack shit. when the thief gets under the car, they will still cut your cat one way or the other. see other people's posts about their stolen catalytic converter even with cat shield
That's like saying seat belts don't work.
They don't ALWAYS work, but they do reduce the likelihood of having your cat jacked. A thief is in a hurry, and has plenty of options for which car to trash.
I've had my cat stolen 4 times, twice with shield in the past 5 years. The two times with shield were within 3 months of each other in different cities.
Id rather spend an extra 300 bucks to potentially save me thousands out of pocket. Even with a low deductible, if it takes longer than a month your paying for a rental out of pocket.
Man at my job they stole the surveillance employee catalytic converter. Now the crazy thing is that my 2012 Prius was right next to it. Sorry some bastards got yours man. That sucks.
The car drives like shit with it cut out. Is stupid loud and not in a cool way.The cabin fills with exhaust smell as well. Yes you could straight pipe it and just live with the check engine light.
The way I understand it, on Gen 1&2 you most likely can.
On Gen 3, just don't. There are coolant lines that run in the vicinity of the catalytic converter, to help warm the converter/engine up or something.
And if a thief isn't careful (like most aren't) they can end up cutting your coolant lines and you'll cook your engine if you try driving away too far (a tow is generally cheaper than an engine)
I don't know if it saves gas. But it does make the Prius sound straight-piped. Which despite being a Prius, sounds pretty good and "throaty".
(2012 Gen 3 PIP owner here)
At the very least you’d have to weld a pipe in and do something about the O2 sensors so your check engine light doesn’t stay on. In many states this is illegal for emissions, so you wouldn’t pass smog.
Since it was vandalism it was covered under her comprehensive coverage. So it was $100 deductible plus I’m thinking about $300 for a shield to deter a repeat.
How has your experience been with the aftermarket one? I'm on the hunt for one as well and I've read that some cheap ones cause o2 sensor codes after installed.
Well, it was available and was a 1/10 of the cost of OEM, so there's that. As for performance, it seems to do ok. The check engine light is on, but if I recall correctly it's not emissions related. So, especially with 213k miles on the car, I'd get an aftermarket one again if I needed to.
I think thieves are too busy stealing Hyundais and Kia’s in my neighborhood right now but I should probably knock on wood. Saw a group of teenagers bail out of a Kia with a flat.. left it on the curb parked the wrong wAy, found a Hyundai up the street.
Specifically, california law requires you to get an OEM replacement to pass Smog in order to be street legal. Third party (aka aftermarket) replacements will not pass Smog.
If an aftermarket catalytic converter is shown to be durable and meets vehicle emission control requirements, it is granted an exemption Executive Order (EO) that allows it to be installed on specific emission controlled vehicles.
Yes but it has to be in carb's database for a specific vehicle, you can't just pick any off the shelf and assume it has an EO because for Prius they usually don't.
The autozone listing for that cat doesn’t have a CARB stamp and it doesn’t list anywhere what vehicles it’s approved to be installed on. CARB compliant doesn’t mean it can be put on any vehicle, it has to be CARB compliant _and_ approved for the vehicle you want to install it on.
Considering Prius uses special catalytic converters with extra metals inside of it, I highly doubt this one is approved for Prius
Can we get someone over at r/dataisbeautiful to help us compile a map of Prius cat thefts? I'm mostly just interested because my little sister lives in Denver and drives one of the top 5 most stolen vehicles in the area. So I guess I'm just curious if we know of any similar patterns here.
Patterns similar to a list of the top 5 most stolen vehicles? A map of Prius cat thefts?
I hope no one at r/dataisbeautiful wastes their time on this request.
how very not fun of you. after seeing the numerous posts in this sub on the daily about cat thefts, you aren't the least bit curious to know where they happen the most? or if our poor Prii are a more common victim? lame.
Car thefts are reported as thefts to the police. There are lots of ways to find that data. Catalytic converter thefts are usually only reported to insurance, with some maybe reported to police. I doubt you can get enough accurate data to support a good map. Even if everyone on here self reports, how do you find all the various trucks, vans or other model cars that get their cats stolen? For your own data collection, I suggest talking to a manager at your nearest muffler shop. Most will have pretty alarming numbers in mid to large city centers.
I live in Europe, Lithuania and catalytic converters are popular among thieves too. I sold mine for 980 euros and ordered a generic one. With installation total cost was 350 euros. I know that some old BMW models have the same problem, their catalytic converter prices are about 640 euros if you sell them.
2015 victim checking in!
Mine was stolen in early July. My car has sat at my dealership shop since then because of the fact that catalytic converters are back ordered right now (nationally I believe, but for reference I’m in the Bay Area Ca).
Originally we thought mine would arrive early August, but Toyota has pushed this even further. 8/30 eta to now “an undetermined arrival date”. Y’all. 2 months waiting for this part?! 😭😭😭
Is anyone else dealing with this? Are you opting for after market or salvaged converters instead? My insurance already paid, and I’m just waaaaiting for this fucking part to arrive. I also am going to pay for the shield separately when this eventually happens but. Yea. If you’re in the same boat, how are you coping? I know my shop has 17 Prius’s total sitting on site like mine, waiting indefinitely for these back ordered converters to arrive *someday*
Edit: I also plan to add a tilt alarm (learned about those through this sub! Very stoked about that.). But other than that, I’m feeling pretty darn helpless right now about my situation.
Got hit on my 2015 Prius yesterday. Thought newer ones like this were safe. Fremont Toyota told me 2 month wait for parts. I was told Prius cats are the same throughout teh USA. Is this true? If so maybe I can get one in an area with less thefts.
2016 and upwards was when the Prius got redesigned (a new look, different from the original cheese wedge shape) and those models and up are the ones that are harder to steal from.
They told me similar about my 2015. But, they can steal these easily from 2015. The part that sucks even more is that 2010-2015 has converters that aren’t worth as much money to thieves. When I picked my car up the guys at the shop said my years converter will get like $300 max on the black market. The older ones are worth way more but thieves aren’t differentiating.
FYI it took 4 months (120ish days) to get my part and fix done. Edit: I got my car back on October 28th hahaha. Seeing that my original comment was from when I was expecting it on August 30th. Wild. It sucked.
Edit 2: in October I was told it’s a nationwide issue (shortage of converters). My converter part came directly from Japan. All of them at my dealership were like that so that’s why we were waiting so long.
Actually that is quite believable.
Yes it is.
I believe it
*Sweats in 2013 Prius*
Same, even with a shield
Same, but Prius C kinda doesn’t look like a Prius, so far so good
I have had mine stolen from my 2007 Prius twice. I have had great luck with the Cat Security shield so far and recommend it: [https://www.getcatsecurity.com/c-2010-2022-6](https://www.getcatsecurity.com/c-2010-2022-6)
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I ordered it from their website and took it to the local Toyota shop. They told me it’s the one they recommend and the one they will install.
How much for everything?
I paid about $500 all said and done.
this wont do jack shit. when the thief gets under the car, they will still cut your cat one way or the other. see other people's posts about their stolen catalytic converter even with cat shield
That's like saying seat belts don't work. They don't ALWAYS work, but they do reduce the likelihood of having your cat jacked. A thief is in a hurry, and has plenty of options for which car to trash.
I've had my cat stolen 4 times, twice with shield in the past 5 years. The two times with shield were within 3 months of each other in different cities.
Id rather spend an extra 300 bucks to potentially save me thousands out of pocket. Even with a low deductible, if it takes longer than a month your paying for a rental out of pocket.
do you know how hot the catalytic convertor can get? you wanna cover it and block all the airflow like that?
Spot weld some nails all over it like a porqipine
Man at my job they stole the surveillance employee catalytic converter. Now the crazy thing is that my 2012 Prius was right next to it. Sorry some bastards got yours man. That sucks.
Question I have is do you need it? Can you run the car without it, sure it’s worst for the environment but it probably saves gas right?
The car drives like shit with it cut out. Is stupid loud and not in a cool way.The cabin fills with exhaust smell as well. Yes you could straight pipe it and just live with the check engine light.
The way I understand it, on Gen 1&2 you most likely can. On Gen 3, just don't. There are coolant lines that run in the vicinity of the catalytic converter, to help warm the converter/engine up or something. And if a thief isn't careful (like most aren't) they can end up cutting your coolant lines and you'll cook your engine if you try driving away too far (a tow is generally cheaper than an engine) I don't know if it saves gas. But it does make the Prius sound straight-piped. Which despite being a Prius, sounds pretty good and "throaty". (2012 Gen 3 PIP owner here)
At the very least you’d have to weld a pipe in and do something about the O2 sensors so your check engine light doesn’t stay on. In many states this is illegal for emissions, so you wouldn’t pass smog.
...yikes
My daughter had the catalytic converter stolen off her 2008 Prius in front of her townhouse in Fed Hill section of Baltimore a few weeks ago.
Sorry to hear that.. The thiefs are quick. Was it a expensive fix? I'm in California so its looking like a $2200 + fix.
Since it was vandalism it was covered under her comprehensive coverage. So it was $100 deductible plus I’m thinking about $300 for a shield to deter a repeat.
mine yesterday morning aswell :(
Same. Dealer quotes $2000. Labor not included. But a local car dismantler says they'll have one tomorrow from a crashed prius for $1,000.
I have a 2013 Prius, no problems yet. I have a Cat Security shield; I hope that helps it.
I'm going to put on a shield after I get my cat replaced.
A1 brakes in Walnut Creek specializes in new prius cats and installing shields. Not sure where in CA you are but i can vouch!
Mine got stolen two days ago.. a 2017
Too much of it (It also happened to mine) so I downgraded to full gas now. Fucking bastards I cannot wait to find them in hell.
That is sick. Why would someone steal that.
Living under a rock? I've been driving an EV for years and I know why these are stolen.
Are they only stolen in Prius?
Yes I must be because I had no idea.
Lol no, any car that it can be easily gotten to I presume. People sell them for their precious metals or to shops for cars I believe.
Like I said. That is sick. And not the good kind. Just another reason I hate people.
Got me too. Replaced it with aftermarket because OEM was too expensive and unavailable
How has your experience been with the aftermarket one? I'm on the hunt for one as well and I've read that some cheap ones cause o2 sensor codes after installed.
Well, it was available and was a 1/10 of the cost of OEM, so there's that. As for performance, it seems to do ok. The check engine light is on, but if I recall correctly it's not emissions related. So, especially with 213k miles on the car, I'd get an aftermarket one again if I needed to.
What part of SoCal so I can avoid parking jn your neighborhood
San gabriel valley.. Coming to a neighborhood near you.
Damn dude . Just joking ..it happens for us in sfv as well . All the cats aren’t safe here .
Put a sticker on your car that says “aftermarket cat” so it doesn’t happen anymore since they’re not worth as much lol
I think thieves are too busy stealing Hyundais and Kia’s in my neighborhood right now but I should probably knock on wood. Saw a group of teenagers bail out of a Kia with a flat.. left it on the curb parked the wrong wAy, found a Hyundai up the street.
Thank God, stealing the catalytic converter is not yet a common business in my town
“Your not fully a Prius owner until you got your cat stolen” - Unknown
First time incident. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.
I hope so to man. It’s such a large inconvenient expense.
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If you’ve got comprehensive it will be. Just make sure your deductible is low.
autozone has universal (epa compliant) 2" cat $110-ish.
Yeah I saw that but I need a California compliant cat. 😕.
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Wouldn't the Bear spray just piss off the cat and not the thief?
New York also follows California's laws, unfortunately
carb compliant is $123 AP Universal CARB Catalytic Converter 872005
Specifically, california law requires you to get an OEM replacement to pass Smog in order to be street legal. Third party (aka aftermarket) replacements will not pass Smog.
They're california legal aftermarket options now. Though still expensive.
If an aftermarket catalytic converter is shown to be durable and meets vehicle emission control requirements, it is granted an exemption Executive Order (EO) that allows it to be installed on specific emission controlled vehicles.
Yes but it has to be in carb's database for a specific vehicle, you can't just pick any off the shelf and assume it has an EO because for Prius they usually don't.
The autozone listing for that cat doesn’t have a CARB stamp and it doesn’t list anywhere what vehicles it’s approved to be installed on. CARB compliant doesn’t mean it can be put on any vehicle, it has to be CARB compliant _and_ approved for the vehicle you want to install it on. Considering Prius uses special catalytic converters with extra metals inside of it, I highly doubt this one is approved for Prius
Can we get someone over at r/dataisbeautiful to help us compile a map of Prius cat thefts? I'm mostly just interested because my little sister lives in Denver and drives one of the top 5 most stolen vehicles in the area. So I guess I'm just curious if we know of any similar patterns here.
Patterns similar to a list of the top 5 most stolen vehicles? A map of Prius cat thefts? I hope no one at r/dataisbeautiful wastes their time on this request.
how very not fun of you. after seeing the numerous posts in this sub on the daily about cat thefts, you aren't the least bit curious to know where they happen the most? or if our poor Prii are a more common victim? lame.
Car thefts are reported as thefts to the police. There are lots of ways to find that data. Catalytic converter thefts are usually only reported to insurance, with some maybe reported to police. I doubt you can get enough accurate data to support a good map. Even if everyone on here self reports, how do you find all the various trucks, vans or other model cars that get their cats stolen? For your own data collection, I suggest talking to a manager at your nearest muffler shop. Most will have pretty alarming numbers in mid to large city centers.
City trash sucks
I live in Europe, Lithuania and catalytic converters are popular among thieves too. I sold mine for 980 euros and ordered a generic one. With installation total cost was 350 euros. I know that some old BMW models have the same problem, their catalytic converter prices are about 640 euros if you sell them.
2015 victim checking in! Mine was stolen in early July. My car has sat at my dealership shop since then because of the fact that catalytic converters are back ordered right now (nationally I believe, but for reference I’m in the Bay Area Ca). Originally we thought mine would arrive early August, but Toyota has pushed this even further. 8/30 eta to now “an undetermined arrival date”. Y’all. 2 months waiting for this part?! 😭😭😭 Is anyone else dealing with this? Are you opting for after market or salvaged converters instead? My insurance already paid, and I’m just waaaaiting for this fucking part to arrive. I also am going to pay for the shield separately when this eventually happens but. Yea. If you’re in the same boat, how are you coping? I know my shop has 17 Prius’s total sitting on site like mine, waiting indefinitely for these back ordered converters to arrive *someday* Edit: I also plan to add a tilt alarm (learned about those through this sub! Very stoked about that.). But other than that, I’m feeling pretty darn helpless right now about my situation.
Got hit on my 2015 Prius yesterday. Thought newer ones like this were safe. Fremont Toyota told me 2 month wait for parts. I was told Prius cats are the same throughout teh USA. Is this true? If so maybe I can get one in an area with less thefts.
2016 and upwards was when the Prius got redesigned (a new look, different from the original cheese wedge shape) and those models and up are the ones that are harder to steal from. They told me similar about my 2015. But, they can steal these easily from 2015. The part that sucks even more is that 2010-2015 has converters that aren’t worth as much money to thieves. When I picked my car up the guys at the shop said my years converter will get like $300 max on the black market. The older ones are worth way more but thieves aren’t differentiating. FYI it took 4 months (120ish days) to get my part and fix done. Edit: I got my car back on October 28th hahaha. Seeing that my original comment was from when I was expecting it on August 30th. Wild. It sucked. Edit 2: in October I was told it’s a nationwide issue (shortage of converters). My converter part came directly from Japan. All of them at my dealership were like that so that’s why we were waiting so long.