Gen 2 Cat stolen

[RelaxedDrive]

I thought it was just a London problem after reading about it online recently, but I have just had my CAT stolen today.  😞

So this is just to warn you all, it's happening in Cambridgeshire now.

Will find out tomorrow how much to fix, but surely it can just happen again... so I'm not very motivated to fix it on a 10 year old car... I expect it will cost a lot too...

Are we sure the gen4 is not affected by this?

I still can't believe it happened, and in broad daylight...

[FROSTYBALLS]

Would have thought that any cars for which there is a market for replacement cats, are at risk.

[PeteB]

Don't they take them for precious metals rather than just the parts value?

[Catlover]

This is a growing problem and it is all cars that have a CAT that are vulnerable. I was only reading a report last week how bad the problem is and growing, and like Pete B said, it’s the precious metals that they tealeafs are after.

[Notoyboy]

Theft of Cats (from what I read in the press) was a problem a few years ago.  I thought the problem had died down more recently, but obviously not.  Perhaps the value of the "rare metals" has increased?  Does this mean we should be avoiding cars with Cats, or do most modern cars have them?

Note to self:  keep with my Corolla, even if they again vandalise my wing mirror - ****ards!

[QuantumFireball]

12 hours ago, RelaxedDrive said:

Are we sure the gen4 is not affected by this?

I'm not 100% certain, but I think the exhaust heat recovery system on the Gen 3 and newer obstructs access to the cat. The Gen 2 is a popular target because access is very easy with minimal tools.

16 minutes ago, Notoyboy said:

Does this mean we should be avoiding cars with Cats, or do most modern cars have them?

Catalytic converters were essentially required on every petrol car sold in Europe from 1993 - and many sold before this had them too. I'm not sure when they became required on diesels, but my '02 Peugeot 406 had one (but no DPF).

[kithmo]

What a coincidence, SWMBO had hers stolen yesterday, broad daylight, parked in a disabled bay not 5 yards from the unattended 😡 security gate office, Rotherham General Hospital.

How low can you get, a disabled persons vehicle and I was fuming that the security office was unattended with the price you pay for parking it's disgusting.

They destroyed the exhaust by sawing the back part so it's £1200+ for a Toyota part or £820 for an aftermarket one. She's going for the latter and after figuring in the excess, it's not quite worth claiming on the insurance.

[TonyHSD]

Lol that’s a horrible 

may want to look at that 

 

[wass]

Hmmm must clear the ( alarmed) garage out so i can park the cars in it! 

[Parts-King]

This has become a national issue now, and Gen 2 seem to be the main target. They are stolen for two reasons, firstly their precious metal content, and secondly, for the replacement (black) market

You can buy a Catloc specifically made for the job, costs about £200 fitted. Made of marine grade stainless steel and anti tamper fixings it protects both front and Cats, there is also a unique chemical etch tool that puts a serial number on the cat which goes on an International register, Police and Thatcham approved device, might be worth a look

Kingo

 

[RelaxedDrive]

Yes, I also found out about catloc whilst investigating. If I was going to keep the car it would have been the way to go. The dealer says they have had four gen 2s in now that have suffered the same crime.

However, I caved and have just traded in my gen 2 and ordered the new MY19 prius  :-)

 

[kithmo]

Is the Gen 4 Cat any more secure ?

[RelaxedDrive]

I presume its harder and less valuable, the dealer has not had any in to fix yet.

Also, my car was in a large car park with a gen 3 and numerous SUVs type vehicles(easy access!), and only my poor gen 2 was assaulted.  It must just be really easy and probably an over engineered part(i.e. valuable) on the gen 2's. Of course, when they run out of gen 2's who knows!

[TonyHSD]

Next it’s going to be the gen 3, seems like a good sought after used car part on eBay that’s why they still them. Gen 2 are fairly aged cars now and maybe a lot of them are throwing fault codes that suggest cat needs a change and ppl just out of pocket for a new part so here we go grey sector business opportunity. Don’t think it’s about the metals inside, cat is a cat and it’s pretty much same as for any other vehicle. The price of the new one explains a lot. 

[QuantumFireball]

As I said previously: The Gen 3 onwards has an exhaust heat recovery system, and going by diagrams (I haven't had a good look physically) it looks like access to the cat is obstructed by this as there are coolant pipes and all sorts around that area. It doesn't look like an easy roadside job to remove the cat.

[PeteB]

Let's hope these lowlifes don't decide that an angle grinder through the whole lot is still a quick smash n grab job!

[Parts-King]

6 minutes ago, PeteB said:

Let's hope these lowlifes don't decide that an angle grinder through the whole lot is still a quick smash n grab job!

Oh they do!

Battery powered angle grinder, sod the noise it makes, several can be stolen off the likes of Hilux etc in a minute, just grind through and gone, causes thousands of pounds of damage. We keep all our Hilux locked up in the workshop at night 

[PeteB]

10 minutes ago, PeteB said:

Let's hope these lowlifes don't decide that an angle grinder through the whole lot is still a quick smash n grab job!

 

1 minute ago, Parts-King said:

Oh they do!..

Hmmm, why am I not surprised?  🤬

[QuantumFireball]

One would hope that coolant leaking all over the place would make the job maybe look a bit too conspicuous. If the coolant pipes aren't in the way of the cat, they're very close by.

[RelaxedDrive]

I presume the gen4 prius don't have a tilt activiated alarm?  At least that would draw some attention when jacked up surely?

[Parts-King]

1 minute ago, RelaxedDrive said:

I presume the gen4 prius don't have a tilt activiated alarm?  At least that would draw some attention when jacked up surely?

Doubt it would bother them to be honest, have you seen the video? Low life thug prepared to pull up in the middle of the road, hold the traffic up while he steals the cat, not bothered in the slightest, plates on his car probably cloned so the chances of finding him would be slim 

[PeteB]

1 minute ago, Parts-King said:

...plates on his car probably cloned so the chances of finding him would be slim 

or car stolen!

[RelaxedDrive]

Yes, it's a very sad state of affairs.

I presume not many cars have the heat recovery system, so maybe they will avoid such cars just for convenience.  Trying to be a bit positive here...

[Parts-King]

22 minutes ago, PeteB said:

or car stolen!

Both! Stolen and cloned to make it look just like a legit car

 

[TonyHSD]

Just checked the number plate of the vw and seems a legit car and number matches , also has tax and mot, nothing illegal here, they are just so nasty that doesn’t care at all. Why insurence doesn’t cover that ? It’s a vandalism.