Toyota wants to fight catalyst theft
The scourge of catalytic converter theft has made Toyota react. The Japanese group will mark 100,000 catalysts currently in circulation to help the police trace the stolen parts.You may already have...
28/02/2022
The scourge of catalytic converter theft has made Toyota react. The Japanese group will mark 100,000 catalysts currently in circulation to help the police trace the stolen parts.
You may have already seen such theft on video: men arrive in cars, put the target on candles and take out a grinder or a cutting tool to take out the catalyst and leave with it. Often the operation does not even take a minute, and is sometimes done in broad daylight.
Toyota, particularly targeted by these thefts, which particularly affect older generations of Prius, has taken the bull by the horns. The Japanese manufacturer has invested more than one million euros to mark the catalysts of 100,000 vehicles in circulation. This will make it easier to track them and identify everyone involved in the thefts. Owners will be contacted when possible, but they can also approach their dealership to check if they are eligible.
For now, this initiative only concerns the British, but the theft of catalysts is a global phenomenon. The United States and Europe are particularly affected by organized sectors, which take advantage of the soaring prices of metals such as platinum.