Since hybrids do not exercise the catalytic converter as much as an ICE vehicle are they more attractive to thiefs since there is less chance the precious metals have been depleted? Recently, in Anaheim CA. a thief was crushed to death by a Prius when the jack he was using failed. I would think that thiefs would go after high clearance vehicles so they don't have to jack them up but in this case the hybrid Prius was the target.
It is true because they generally have larger cats which have more precious metals in them
Yes, Prius catalytic converter thefts are almost a global epidemic. It happened to me and Ive met other Prius owners who've had theirs stolen. Its a big headache but relatively speaking there are worse things in life
Catalytic converter shield and alarm are about as much as you can do.
Anybody know why a hybrid would have a bigger cat? It seems counter-intuitive
"Due to the previous metals in them, thieves that are hard up for money and need to make a few bucks, can easily steal them right off your vehicle. A good large cat converter (as they are called for short) can fetch anywhere from $30 to $300 depending the size and density of the converter.
This means that the Toyota Prius is a prime target. The reason being is they have larger cat converters to help reduce the maximum amount of air pollution that the gasoline engine gives off when running. With these big cats aboard our asphalt starfleet, they quickly become the center of attention."
https://www.torquenews.com/8113/why-your-toyota-prius-worth-more-you-think
but hybrids have smaller gas engines than ICE cars
Thrived get a 2 for 1 when stealing Prius cars, because there are 2 cats inline on the Prius.
