Replacement catalytic converters for Toyota Prius models typically cost between $2,142 and $2,174. While parts are priced between $2,036 and $2,040, labor costs are predicted to range between $106 and $134. Taxes and other fees are not included in this range, nor are your particular model year or geographic area taken into account.
In This Article...
How much is a used catalytic converter for a Toyota Prius worth?
When sold as scrap, Toyota catalytic converters can fetch between $75 and $700. Depending on the brand and model of the car, a catalytic converter’s price can change. The Toyota Prius has some of the most expensive catalytic converters.
What do thieves demand in exchange for a Prius catalytic converter?
Toyota Prius owners might want to leave their cars in the garage tonight since, according to a new list from Carfax, these hybrid cars are the #1 target for catalytic converter theft in the West.
This week, the vehicle history company published a list of the top cars in the nation that are prime candidates for their catalytic converters. Ford F-Series pickup trucks from 1985 to 2021 and Honda Accords from 1989 to 2020 are at the top of the list nationwide, but the Toyota Prius, which was ranked No. 10 nationally as a target, is No. 1 in the West.
In order to create its lists, Carfax examined service records for new catalytic converter installations from more than 60,000 repair facilities nationwide between 2019 and the first three months of 2022.
The top vehicles in the West that catalytic converter thieves target are:
- 2001present Toyota Prius
- Ford F-Series from 1985 to 2021
- Honda Accord 19892020
- Ford Econoline 19902022
- 1999-2021 a Chevy Silverado
- Subaru Outback, 200720
- Jeep Patriot, 20072017
- Element Honda 20032011
- Forester Subaru, 1998-2020
- Toyota Tacoma, 19952021
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts increased significantly during the epidemic, rising by more than 325 percent in a single year. Due to the rising value of the precious metals used in catalytic converters, these thefts increased, with thieves earning up to $300 for a typical catalytic converter. Due to the higher amount of precious metals used in hybrid vehicles, a catalytic converter stolen from one can fetch up to $1,400.
While waiting for their vehicles to be repaired, owners may have to spend between $1,000 and $3,000 out of pocket.
Vehicle owners should aim to park in well-lit places and be mindful of their surroundings if parking in a garage is not an option. Owners of vehicles might also think about installing an anti-theft device or having their converters laser-etched with the VIN.
Why are catalytic converters for Toyota Prius so expensive?
Stealing catalytic converters off a Toyota Prius is profitable, as is the case with the majority of auto-related crimes. Prices for catalytic converters are high because the precious metals required to produce chemical reactions are costly.
Catalytic converter thefts have been steadily increasing over the past few years, and this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Since the Toyota Prius is a hybrid, it needs to be as green as possible. Because of this, the Prius has some of the greatest catalytic converters ever put into a commercial vehicle.
Due to how little their converters corrode, hybrid vehicles are primarily targeted for their converters. More money can be made by thieves through unlawful trading the better that precious metal coating is maintained.
The price of rhodium, which is frequently used in hybrid catalytic converters, has soared in recent years and now stands at $14,000 per ounce. It is understandable why stealing catalytic converters might appeal to someone trying to make quick money.
Unfortunately for Prius owners, replacing a stolen catalytic converter isn’t inexpensive. Costs for locating and installing a replacement catalytic converter range from $2,700 to $4,100. In addition to the converter needing to be replaced, the sawing-out damage also needs to be fixed.
From which model year Prius are they stealing the catalytic converters?
Older Prius catalytic converters fetch significant values on the scrap market.
According to a recent research from the Highway Loss Data Institute, a rise in the price of precious metals has rendered Toyota Prius vehicles that are more than ten years old a less likely target for thieves.
For Prius vehicles from 2004 to 2009, the incidence of theft claims increased by more than 40 times between 2016 and 2020, according to HLDI analysts. The Prius is being targeted since it is a hybrid vehicle and has valuable metals in its catalytic converter. Due to the fact that hybrids’ combustion engines only operate seldom, their catalytic converters require more precious metals to function properly because they don’t become as hot as those found on traditional automobiles.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts increased from around 100 per month in 2018 to more than 1,200 per month in 2020 as a result of greater pricing for platinum, rhodium, palladium, and other metals present in the components. Even though thieves target different types of automobiles, the catalytic converters from some models fetch greater prices from the recyclers that process them because they include more of the expensive metals.
In 2020, there were 58.1 theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years for Toyota Prius cars from 2004 to 2009, up from 1.4 claims in 2016. Overall theft losses for those Prius cars rose from $3 in 2016 to around $137 per insured vehicle year in 2020, according to HLDI, a more than 45-fold increase. In comparison, the frequency of theft claims for all other 20042009 automobiles barely changed between 2016 and 2020, and total losses stayed at around $7. (An insured vehicle year is a common industry measurement; it equals one insured vehicle for a year, two insured cars for six months, and so on.)
“According to Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI, auto thieves are aware of their market. “They appear to be aware of which catalytic converters, such those on the older Priuses, command the greatest prices because there is a high demand for them.
The HLDI database does not contain data on the particular component that was reported stolen in insurance claims, although the average claim’s monetary amount offers some hints. There was an increase in claims in the $2,501 to $3,000 range during the high-theft years of 201920. (about the amount needed to replace the catalytic converter and exhaust system, minus the deductible). Most claims for the calendar years 201617 were for losses under $500 or between $1,501 and $2,500.
Only marginal increases in claim frequency and overall theft losses were observed in newer Prius vehicles from 2010 to 2015. Only 1.3 claims per 1,000 covered vehicle years were made for 20102015 models in calendar year 2020, up from 0.8 in 2016. Similarly, overall theft losses for 201015 models in 2020 were $5, up from $3 in 2016.
Catalytic converters must be processed using complex machinery, however with the rise in the price of some metals, bulk scrap purchasers have exploded. Most states forbid cash purchases over a particular amount, and all but a few require buyers to record the seller’s driver’s license number or other legal identification. However, once stolen parts have been sold as scrap, it might be difficult to identify them because catalytic converters are not stamped with vehicle identifying numbers.
Due to decreased mining output in recent years, which was a trend that was worsened by the epidemic, metal prices have skyrocketed. The most modern catalytic converters need more of the pricey metals due to the recently tightened pollution rules.
Which vehicle has the most stolen catalytic converters?
Despite the fact that thefts of catalytic converters are frequently crimes of opportunity, many criminals target particular vehicles because of the cost of the catalytic converter, the prevalence of the vehicles, and the ease with which the catalytic converter may be accessed.
CARFAX discovered that the following automobiles are the most frequently targeted for catalytic converter theft by consulting their partner repair facilities:
These are merely the models, though, whose catalytic converters are stolen most frequently. Depending on a few additional conditions, your car may also be vulnerable to catalytic converter theft. Here is an example of the car kinds that are even more vulnerable to catalytic converter theft:
Luxury vehicles
With a staggering price tag of $3,770 per unit, the Ferrari F430 wins the Most Valuable Catalytic Converter Award. Given that the F430 has two converters, they make for a sizable target for thieves.
Catalytic converters for Lamborghinis are likewise exceedingly expensive, costing on average $3,000 each.
Hybrid vehicles
The catalytic converter of a car tends to be more valued the more emission-friendly the vehicle is. The entire cost of these automobiles rises because they require more of the pricey metal palladium.
Older vehicles
Catalytic converters in larger, older automobiles are more valuable than those in newer, more efficient vehicles because to their concentration of valuable metals and general lack of environmental friendliness.
SUVs and trucks
Two factors influence the targeting of larger vehicles and SUVs. First off, a bigger engine translates into a more expensive catalytic converter. For instance, at a startling $2,000, the catalytic converters on the Dodge Ram 2500 are almost as valuable as those on Ferraris.
Second, their height from the ground makes it simpler for thieves to steal their converters.
Other models with valuable catalytic converters
Of course, there are vehicles that don’t fit into any one category but feature catalytic converters that are more useful for a variety of reasons.
My Prius can be sold even without a catalytic converter.
A Toyota Prius catalytic converter replacement typically costs between $1,800 and $2,000.
If you drive a Prius, you might not be aware of how expensive it is to get your catalytic converter updated. Initially, you might not even be aware that you require a replacement until you start your automobile. If your catalytic converter is broken or missing, your generally quiet hybrid will start to sound more and more like a big diesel engine the harder you press the gas.
The catalytic converter is required to reduce emissions even though it is not fundamentally necessary to operate the car. In order to pass the smog test in California, a Prius must have a catalytic converter. Because the vehicle still utilizes some traditional fuel, it is subject to standard pollution restrictions. Your car’s catalytic converters assist in cleaning the exhaust and lowering pollution.
Catalytic converters may and do malfunction, and when they do, you should expect to pay between $2,000 and $2,500 for repairs. If there are any underlying problems, it may cost thousands more to fix the converter than simply the components and labor. The majority of converters do not, in actuality, fail on their own. Other problems in the engine and combustion chamber are frequently to blame for the failure. Catalytic converters are also a popular target for theft, particularly from Prius automobiles, due to their high value on the scrap market.
How can I tell whether the catalytic converter in my Prius was stolen?
Here are the main signs that your catalytic converter has been removed, to sum up:
- As you accelerate, the car makes a loud roar that gets louder.
- Increased exhaust emissions or strange exhaust odors
- missing components under the car leading to the exhaust.
- Lack of exhaust regulation causes uneven or sputtering acceleration.
What’s the value of a Gen 2 Prius catalytic converter?
Thefts of catalytic converters have dramatically increased in the United States in 2021, and a recent investigation reveals that criminals are particularly after the component installed in the second-generation Toyota Prius. The number of insurance claims affecting Prius models from 2004 to 2009 is rapidly increasing.
Even while the hybrid system is indirectly to blame, the irony of removing the catalytic converter from a so-called “green” automobile is not what motivates thieves to crawl beneath an old Prius. The catalytic converter put on this kind of the hatchback, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, is constructed with more valuable metals than the one found on, example, a Land Cruiser, because it doesn’t get as hot since the engine isn’t always running. The cost of metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium is rising, and as a result, thefts are also increasing.
To put things in perspective, the theft claim frequency for the Prius from 2004 to 2009 was measured at 58.1 per 1,000 insured vehicles in 2020, a sharp increase from 1.4 in 2016. Tellingly, between 2016 and 2020, the frequency of theft claims for other models from that timeframe did not significantly increase. There’s a valid explanation for this: According to the same article, a second-generation Prius’ GD3+EA6 catalytic converter may be purchased for roughly $1,022. A third-generation model’s cut one will be worth roughly $548. The catalytic converter in a 2007 model is worth about $143, so thieves who can’t find a Prius but are surrounded by Ford F-150 pickup trucks won’t make nearly as much money.
The Highway Loss Data Institute cautions that because its database lacks details about the particular component that was stolen, it cannot determine the difference between a stolen catalytic converter and a stolen OZ Racing alloy. But it also noted that each claim’s monetary value provides some insight into the specifics of what was stolen. The average cost to replace a catalytic converter, which is a component of the exhaust system, is between $2,500 and $3,000, and the number of claims in that price range has drastically risen lately.
You can’t hide, lock, or LoJack your catalytic converter, so keeping it secure and fastened to your automobile is harder said than done. The prospects of locating it after it has vanished are slim because it is not a part that is branded with the vehicle identifying number (VIN) of the car.
What steps is Toyota doing to combat catalytic converter theft?
Texas’s Bryan (KBTX) Four catalytic converters on a Toyota Tundra owned by a Bryan resident will cost her thousands of dollars to replace. This year in Bryan-College Station, numerous Toyotas have been targeted, including Maggie Jones. Jones believed she would never experience this.
My 2007 has a fairly rough-looking body, which a lot of people are aware of, according to Jones.
According to Jones, her converters were stolen in the final week of February at around 3 a.m. Because of the persistent barking of her neighbor’s dog, she thinks it happened around that time. She didn’t realize she had been a victim until she got in her car the following morning to go to work.
They’re incredibly expensive and I can’t afford to replace them,” Jones claimed. “They cost practically anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000 each.
In 2022, there were 28 catalytic converter thefts reported by the Bryan Police Department, 11 of which were Toyota vehicles. Toyotas have been involved in the majority of the 85 catalytic converter thefts reported to the College Station Police Department. The public information officer for the College Station Police Department, Tristen Lopez, claimed that thieves are targeting the rare metals in the converters. According to Lopez, pick-up trucks and SUVs appear to be the most frequently targeted Toyota models since they are simpler to get beneath.
According to Lopez, “the thieves aren’t making as much money selling them as it will cost the victims of this theft to replace them.
According to Lopez, the majority of the vehicles targeted in College Station are Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Hondas, and Fords. In the absence of a garage, he advises parking in a safe, well-lit, and busy area. According to Lopez, it’s crucial to report any questionable activity.
In order to avoid missing the chance to apprehend someone and put an end to at least part of this, Lopez stated, “We’d rather err on the side of safety.