Auris catalytic converter - Bongo163

Are the Auris catalytic converter thefts just on the hybrid model or does it apple to other petrol versions such as the 1.2?

Auris catalytic converter - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

Why do you need to know that?

Auris catalytic converter - Bongo163

Considering buying a 1.2 petrol

Auris catalytic converter - thunderbird

Any car you buy could potentially have the CAT stolen. If you live in a rough area its obviously more likely but thieves have been known to visit other areas to carry out their business.

Personally I think its an urban myth that has become big news for some unknown reason. CATS have been fitted to all cars now for 30 years or so, why has it taken so long for the criminals to decide they are worth stealing. The metals in them have always been valuable.

Auris catalytic converter - daveyK_UK

I was informed by a mechanic that CATs on certain makes/models are more lucrative than others

Auris catalytic converter - mcintosh

Personally I think its an urban myth that has become big news for some unknown reason. CATS have been fitted to all cars now for 30 years or so, why has it taken so long for the criminals to decide they are worth stealing. The metals in them have always been valuable.

It's definitely become much more of a problem in the last year or so: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49767195

It's being driven by increasing prices for palladium and rhodium. Hybrid cars are favoured targets because the cat converters tend to be cleaner than in conventional petrol cars so the metals involved are in better condition.

Auris catalytic converter - Engineer Andy

Any car you buy could potentially have the CAT stolen. If you live in a rough area its obviously more likely but thieves have been known to visit other areas to carry out their business.

Personally I think its an urban myth that has become big news for some unknown reason. CATS have been fitted to all cars now for 30 years or so, why has it taken so long for the criminals to decide they are worth stealing. The metals in them have always been valuable.

Maybe thet are branching out from stealing the lead of roofs (still common amongst churches) and copper (from building sites, underground telephone ducts and even power cables at substations [especially for the railways).

Probably easier targets achieving a higher price and far less chance of either getting caught (and getting the proverbial kicked out of you if on a building site) or getting seriously hurt for the other two targets if they fell off a roof or got electricuted.

Auris catalytic converter - SLO76
Check any prospective purchase for the location of the cat, certain models such as Honda’s Civic were relocated under the bonnet to make theft much more difficult. I’m not sure if Toyota did the same with later cars, to be honest I don’t think they did but Toyota dealers offer a cat lock for £200-£250 fitted which acts as a deterrent so don’t let the issue put you off an otherwise excellent used purchase. Possibly a main dealer could be convinced into fitting one for free as part of any deal as it’ll cost them buttons for the parts.

Edited by SLO76 on 07/02/2020 at 19:42

Auris catalytic converter - SLO76
Wouldn’t worry unless you live in down town Baghdad or the UK equivalent. I’ve never met anyone or heard anyone in the trade suffer this or any of their customers. It’s not a huge problem despite the headlines published on no news days.
Auris catalytic converter - gordonbennet
Wouldn’t worry unless you live in down town Baghdad or the UK equivalent. I’ve never met anyone or heard anyone in the trade suffer this or any of their customers. It’s not a huge problem despite the headlines published on no news days.

Parts of London are that equivalent, and open thefts of all sorts of things are common, most everyone else looks the other way for obvious reasons, waste of time calling the old bill the crims will be gone by the time they arrive and who's going to risk being targetted by violent scum for being a witness for the sake of an exhaust...yes its wrong but apparently these things must be expected if one lives in a city, ask the mayor.

Auris catalytic converter - Engineer Andy

Where I live (not a high crime area, but near a CAT production plant and an industrial estate) we have Police posters saying there are CAT thieves operating...

I suspect most of the problems are in the major cities where there are more hybrid car minicabs regularly left overnight or (in more upmarket areas) when at work on the street rather than people affected by having them stolen when their car is parked on their driveways.

Auris catalytic converter - bathtub tom

Toyotas do seem to being targeted, I don't know if it's particularly hybrids or pure petrol models.

Auris catalytic converter - mcintosh

Toyotas do seem to being targeted, I don't know if it's particularly hybrids or pure petrol models.

It’s the Prius and the 2nd generation Auris hybrid which seem to be particularly favoured.

Auris catalytic converter - John F
Wouldn’t worry unless you live in down town Baghdad or the UK equivalent. I’ve never met anyone or heard anyone in the trade suffer this or any of their customers. It’s not a huge problem despite the headlines published on no news days.

It is a worry. I live in what I still think is a civilised Northants conservation village and a nocturnal thief tried to steal a cat from a villager's Renault (don't know the model) the other day. Didn't succeed but has cost her £400 to replace. This sort of thing is beyond the pale (if that's not a racist remark these days) -they'll be dropping gearboxes next.

Auris catalytic converter - SLO76
“ It is a worry. I live in what I still think is a civilised Northants conservation village and a nocturnal thief tried to steal a cat from a villager's Renault (don't know the model) the other day.”


Glad I’m up here in sunny Ayrshire then, I’ve yet to hear of anyone suffer this here. Maybe our lot are a bit behind the times or perhaps the certain types that are doing this aren’t here in any numbers yet. Bit cold for most illegals up here. Plus anything hung under a car up here tends to rot away pretty quick.
Auris catalytic converter - Auristocrat

Tends to be the older hybrids (Auris and Prius generation 2 and 3) which are being targeted as the cats contain more precious metals, than petrols or later hybrids.