If you don’t have a garage, leaving your car on the street can be worrisome. Third-year art studio major Tanner Fonoti experienced a troubling danger when he got back to campus with the Sonoma State University baseball team from a tournament on Feb 26. He had left his Honda in H lot for three days, and when he started it up, Fonoti said “it sounded like a hot rod.” That was when he knew his catalytic converter had been stolen. 

Since then Fonoti has missed classes and baseball practice without any transportation. His new catalytic converter cost $4,000. Another catalytic converter theft occurred in L lot on the same day Fonoti got back to his car. Fonoti advised: “protect your cars; watch where you park.”

Catalytic converters are an important part of cars because they filter harmful toxins. Thefts have been on the rise nationally since the COVID-19 pandemic. When speaking to WBUR news station about the rise in thefts, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, David Glawe explained how the pandemic affected the value of precious metals that converters are made of “investors, during times of crisis, gravitate towards investing in these, so the price for these precious metals to be stolen or extrapolated out of the catalytic converters is very valuable.”

According to a car-sales website CoPilot: “only certain elements can be used as catalysts, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium.” Those three metals have all seen spikes in their worth in recent years. Palladium and platinum both peaked in worth last March, with palladium valued at $3,339 per oz and platinum at $1,1152 per oz. Rhodium is expected to cost $11,182 per oz according to Trading Economics. 

Rohnert Park police warned citizens in September 2022 to watch out for catalytic converter thieves following an attempted theft on San Simeon Drive. The Press Democrat reported three suspects were trying to steal a catalytic converter before being spotted by a witness and driving away.

For what types of cars are more at risk, according to car reviews company J.D. Power: “Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius have higher standards for cleaning emissions, so their converters are more expensive and are primarily targeted by thieves.” Cars that have a larger clearance, i.e. are higher off the ground and have the converter closer to the edge of the car are easier to steal from. 

On preventative measures one can take to protect their car, SSU Police officer Jason Hight recommended “parking near or under light poles,” and noted, “they make a catalytic converter cover that can be installed on cars that will prevent thefts.” 

Additionally, J.D. Power suggests “use extra bolts and cables, or weld the converter to the bottom,” and “engrave the [Vehicle Identification Number] on your converter.” According to Officer Hight, there are no distinguishing markings on catalytic converters that identify which car they belong to, so engraving would be helpful for recovering a stolen one. 

Staying vigilant is also important, as Hight said “having students call the police when they see suspicious activity in the parking lots is a huge help.” The cases of stolen catalytic converters at SSU are still currently under investigation. Call (707)-664-4444 or e-mail at [email protected]. Call 911 for emergencies.