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Catalytic converter theft: what you need to know

By Lexus UK

Catalytic converter theft from cars isn’t a new crime, but it has increased significantly in recent times.

Police forces around the UK are advising owners of any car fitted with a catalytic converter to take precautions. In the case of Lexus, we are aware that the second-generation Lexus RX 400h models (2005-2008) and the Lexus CT 200h have been a particular target for thieves.

Below we’ve gathered the best advice for Lexus owners who may be concerned.

What is a catalytic converter? 

The catalytic converter is part of the car’s emissions control system. It cleans up the exhaust gases before they are expelled from the car through the exhaust pipe. Its internal elements react with the gases, breaking them down into less harmful substances and water vapour. All new cars sold in Europe since 1993 have had to be fitted with catalytic converter by law.

Why are they a target for thieves?

The police are best placed to offer advice on the motivation behind crimes. But we understand that the recycling value of catalytic converters is the primary attraction to thieves because it contains precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium.

What can owners do to stop their cars being targeted?

Some owners have chosen to tag their catalytic converters with an invisible yet traceable forensic marking solution, such as that provided by SmartWater. This means that a stolen catalytic converter can be traced to a specific crime, helping police in their attempts to fight the organised gangs responsible. It also raises the risk to all those handling the devices along the criminal chain, from theft to eventual disposal and recycling. Mechanical theft prevention products such as Catloc devices can also deter thieves.

However, it must be noted that catalytic converter theft is a criminal operation and the scope of owners is therefore limited. Police forces are taking action, so it is important for anyone who is a victim of this crime to report it as quickly as possible.

In the main, older cars are more likely to be targeted. This is because advances in efficiency and technology mean the latest generations of catalytic converters contain vastly lower amounts of precious metals, while still doing their job just as well or even better. This means their value for recycling is very low and they are not attractive to thieves.

Does a mechanical lock give a car 100% protection from thieves?

Sadly not. It can make theft more difficult but thieves are using high-powered cutting tools to remove catalytic converters and because of this it is not possible to make them ‘unstealable’. A mechanical locking device makes it harder to steal a catalytic converter because it slows down thieves and therefore acts as a deterrent.

Who can I contact if I’m worried about my Lexus?

If you are worried about potential catalytic converter theft from your Lexus, we recommend you use our locator tool to find your nearest Lexus centre and contact them to discuss the best way to protect your car.

This article was last updated on 2 November 2024, so some of the responses to reader comments below have been superseded by more recent information.

724 comments

  1. Hello
    My catalytic converter of RX400h was stolen a day ago. I didn’t know it until police informed me this morning!
    I read all the comments here and note it’s a significant issue for this type of models.

    Why didn’t Lexus warn owners of this specific model as they are at higher risk?(Acknowledge other models are also at risk).

    Please warn relevant owners asap to take practical precautions and to minimise the risk of it happening again!

    Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been impacted by this crime. We deeply appreciate your concerns over this type of theft and would like to put you in touch with our customer relations team. Our team are best placed to answer any queries you may have and we will email you directly to discuss this in more detail.

      Thanks.

      Reply

        1. Hi Samson,

          Thanks for getting back in touch. We don’t currently offer a Catloc device for any Lexus vehicles, however we are urgently seeking other technical solutions to help our customers.

          Thanks.

          Reply

      2. I have just had the catalytic converter stolen off my car in a busy car park.
        I have been advised that this could happen again once replaced is there anything I can do to prevent this.

        Reply

        1. Hi Anna,

          Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been impacted by this crime. We have Catlocs available for RX400h and the Lexus CT and we would recommend contacting your nearest Lexus centre for more information.

          Thanks.

          Reply

      3. Hi, yesterday they stole my catalytic converter for the 2nd time and I would like to part exchange for another Lexus however will the newer model NX or RX be open to cat theft as well?

        Reply

        1. Hi Tijen,

          Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. In theory, any car with a catalytic converter is at risk of this type of theft. However, we are producing Catlocs for vehicles deemed most at risk and we currently don’t produce them for either the current generation RX or NX.

          Thanks.

          Reply

      4. Happened to me too. Both the dealer and insurance company knew about the rise in theft but didn’t inform owners. Nor is lexus paying for fitting a cat lock for this design oversight. Unlikely to buy another lexus. So much for customer service.

        Reply

        1. Hi SM,

          Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been affected by this crime. We have tried to ensure as many of our customers as possible are aware. We published police advice on this crime as soon as it could online, wrote to our dealer network to brief customers and wrote directly to owners of a number of our vehicles where we had details to do so.

          Currently, we are also engaging with Home Office, Local MPs, Met Police (OVCU) and the Assistant Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (Jenny Sims) who is also the National Lead for all vehicle crime. All of this will raise the profile of this crime with all police forces and identify issues with current legislation.

          If you would like to discuss your situation further with our customer relations team, you can find the contact details here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/concierge-tool/contact-us/

          Thanks.

          Reply

          1. Hello,
            I have a 2012 ct200h. Should I worry about my catalytic converter? Do I need to have a catlock fitted?

          2. Hi,

            We have developed a Catloc for this vehicle. It can be bought and fitted for £250 including VAT. Please contact your nearest Lexus centre to get one fitted.

            Thanks.

    1. Hi Samson,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Replacement catalytic converters can be ordered via your nearest Lexus centre whose details you will be able to find here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/forms/find-a-centre

      We will also email you directly to gain additional details of you situation in order to put you in touch with our customer relations team who will be able to support you further.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. My Mum (who has a Lexus service plan) has just had her catalytic convertor stolen today from her Lexus RX400h in a supermarket car park. We are also baffled why she has never had an email from Lexus warning of this awful crime! I have put her email and name in the contact box. Could customer relations please get in touch with her ASAP please.

    Reply

    1. Hi Moira,

      Thanks for your message. We are so sorry to hear your mum has been impacted by this crime. Our customer relations team are assessing cases on an individual basis so as to provide the best support, and they will be in touch as soon as possible.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  4. catalytic converter of RX400h was just 12 hours ago, i just parked my car and came back after 15-20 minutes and catalytic converter gone already , they are very professional to steal it.

    Reply

    1. Hi Adem,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry to hear about this. We appreciate the severity of this situation and are working to support all our customers who have been affected by this crime. We will email you directly to gain additional details and put you in touch with our customer relations team.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  5. I have just been a victim of this awful crime, completely gutted that my lovely car has been stolen from, not to mention the cost of putting it right, I was in a retail car park in Cheltenham, a place I visit often as down the road from where I work, I was only there 15/20 minutes max, can’t believe this has happened. Why have I not been warned

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynn,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. Our customer relations team will be able to support you further in any way we can and we will email you directly to discuss this with you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. Hi
    You mention a specific Model and a Date range above so does this mean a new NX for example is not likely to be a “target” … and more to the point do the vermin doing this know that ?

    Reply

    1. Hi Bill,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Due to the high-grade power saws used to remove the catalyst, in theory any car with a catalytic converter is at risk of theft.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  7. It’s not just Lexus, this is a huge problem that’s not going away. The UK police need to do more in general. SInce October 2019 we have had our cat stolen from our Honda CR-V twice and also our Honda Civic THREE ATTACKS! We have lost both our cars and are being forced to change our plans and move house to escape the fear of being targeted a fourth time.They just wont leave us alone. It’s meant I will likely have to close my business for moving. Utter disgust for the pieces of filth who freely conduct themselves in this cowardly and sensless way. Spineless.

    Reply

  8. I had my stolen on the 10th
    I have had to go through my insurance company! Now I’m worried about it happening again! Once my car is fixed and returned
    Please can you advise on the best catalytic prevention system on the market ? There’s so many and I don’t want to buy a load of rubbish that’s won’t work!
    Many thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Jennifer,

      Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are so sorry to hear about this. Our customer relations team are best placed to answer questions and to help you further with this. We will email you directly to gain additional details in regards to opening a case on your behalf.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    3. We feel exactly the same – we had ours stolen in the last 24 hours but reluctant to spend the money on a new one in case they come back.

      Reply

      1. Hi There,

        Thanks for getting in touch with us about this. We are so sorry you have been a victim of this crime. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details and put you in touch with our customer relations team.

        Thanks.

        Reply

  9. RX400h driver here, CAT stolen on 5th November 2019. Replaced via Insurance and 9 days after the car is returned to me the CAT stolen again yesterday. This is epidemic levels yet no-one can provide a viable deterrent. The irony here is that most of the precious metals in these stolen CATs ends up back in new CATs. Come up with a better location for the CAT or a better solution, not just ‘contact your local Lexus service centre’.

    Reply

    1. Hi There,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are incredibly sorry to hear about this. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details of your situation in order to put you in touch with our customer relations team who will be able to help you further.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  10. Lexus as usually skyrockets the prices for everything done at their centre, £750 is that no profit to Lexus ? They are laughing on us, people stop using them unless it’s a minor service, they are the biggest thieves.
    They tried to charge me over £6000 for what’s at local garage £600.
    My catalyst converter stolen today, local garage supplies and fits Chinese catalyst converter on the day for £250

    Reply

    1. Hi Alex,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We are so sorry to hear about this. We would like to help you further by putting you in touch with our customer relations team. They are best placed to discuss your situation with you in more detail and provide you with support in any way we can. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details and open a case with them on your behalf.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    2. Hi Alex,

      Could you please give me the details of your garage? I am going through the same issue and it is very expensive to fix at Lexus.

      Reply

    3. HI Alex. Can you advise if the aftermarket Chinese catalyst dies the same job as an original one. Any nloises or rattling when driving ?Would you still have a catlock fitted on it? Thanks

      Reply

      1. Hi Robert,
        Thanks for your comment.
        We would only recommend using genuine Lexus parts as they have been created specifically for the protection of the vehicle.
        Thanks.

        Reply

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