Catalytic converters rarely fail, since they have no moving parts. Thus catalytic converter replacement used to be a once-in-a-while repair. If your Toyota’s catalytic converter failed, we could order a replacement, and have the repair done in a day. But for the last 3 years or so, catalytic converter theft has resulted in a vast increase in catalytic converter replacements at our Stockton auto care facility.  Often we also have to repair damage done by thieves that extends to other components. In particular, oxygen sensors often get damaged during catalytic converter theft.

Unfortunately for Toyota owners, Toyota Prius is the most frequent victim of the catalytic converter theft. It takes a professional thief less than 2 minutes to steal the catalytic converter, yet he can sell it for hundreds of dollars. We recommend keeping your vehicles inside the garage at night. If you have to park outside, try to find an area that is near a street light – it deters thieves.

Another line of defense is a catalytic converter shield. Catalytic converter shields do not guarantee that thieves will not steal the converter, but they do make the task much harder, longer, and much louder – thus motivating thieves to move on to an easier target.

At Toole’s Garage Stockton we offer catalytic converter shield installation and it typically can be done in one day – give us a call to make an appointment. Naturally, while Toyota Prius is the primary target, other vehicles can also be subject to catalytic converter theft. At our Stockton auto care facility we offer catalytic converter shields that fit most of the vehicles popular in the area.  For more information visit our catalytic converter replacement page.