April 22, 2022—Catalytic converter thefts are still up, and shop owners are starting to feel the effects of supply chain and price increases when it comes to replacing this high-demand component.
According to an article by Fox 29, some shops are given wait times of a month or longer for the catalytic converters to get to them.
A shop owner named Mike Schafer of Schafer's Auto in South Philadelphia shared in the article that he has seen the largest uptick of catalytic converter thefts that he has ever experienced in the over 20 years that he's been in business.
He reports seeing anywhere from six to 13 cut converters a week, most commonly from Hondas, Toyota Priuses, and Mitsubishis.
This has led to a higher demand for the part, which in turn increases cost.
"They used to be 3 to 400 dollars," Schafer said in the article. "Now, they’re 13, 14, 15 hundred dollars and that just started happening the last few weeks."
Long wait times and high price points are not working in anybody's favor. For example, the article also featured a man named Mike Murphy who had his converter stolen in February and still has not been able to receive a replacement.
Philadelphia is not alone in its battle against catalytic converter theft. It can be felt all throughout the country at this point. While getting a cat strap installed on a vehicle can help ward off theft, they can also be expensive coming in at around $400 to purchase.
