Report: Catalytic converter thefts dwindling

After reaching a record-breaking number of catalytic converter thefts just two years ago, a new reports shows drivers may be able to rest easier.

State Farm revealed it saw a 74% drop in claims in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023.

It appears thieves have started leaving the expensive car part alone since its peak in 2022, when the insurance company reported 45,000 claims by its clients alone, totaling over $115 million dollars.

So far this year, the company has reported just 3,800.

Jennifer Hawkins, a State Farm agent based in Nicholasville, said she's had clients herself who filed claims for stolen converters. She said the decline is welcome news to her office and her clients.

"It's a positive impact, and we're grateful because it's an inconvenience to our customers when these types of thefts happen," Hawkins said.

When thefts were rampant, Southside Auto Shop in Lexington had customers on weekly basis with missing catalytic converters.

"We'd probably do two to three a week. That was in its peak, heyday," said Jorge Servin, a service advisor.

While the converters are typically easy for thieves to steal off of cars, they are difficult and expensive to replace.

"They're made out of precious metals. You have a lot of different things in there that have to pull in the hydrocarbons from the vehicle, so they're not released into the atmosphere," Servin said.

Lexington Police credited the drop to a decline in scrap metal prices and new legislation discouraging the sale of used converters.

"Legislators and law enforcement, prosecutors, are all working together to create an environment where it's harder to sell these on the black market," Hawkins added.

Detectives recommend installing anti-theft devices and engraving your VIN number into the converter for added protection against potential thieves.