Using technology to curb catalytic converter thefts – KIRO 7 News Seattle
Technology is being used to curb the tampering and theft of catalytic converters from vehicles.
A recent survey puts Washington near the top of a dubious list. According to State Farm, Washington ranked as the state with the fourth-most catalytic converter thefts. Catalytic converters, which deal with emissions, have precious metals that are sought after and can lead to expensive repair costs. The issue has also created a wave of theft and vandalism. Car owners can often be on the hook for thousands of dollars in repairs, while care dealers are in a similar situation since a damaged vehicle can’t be sold until repairs are made, creating the potential for costs to be passed on to consumers.
In a bid to help dealers, ACV Auctions, an online auto auction company, created proprietary technology to try to help dealers. The situation surrounding catalytic converters has forced many parties to develop new and creative ways to fight losing the systems to theft. ACV Auctions created what’s called a “virtual lift system,” which scans the bottom of the vehicle and gives a clear picture of the condition of the catalytic converter. ACV’s Senior Director of Research and Development Michael Pokora spoke to KIRO 7 and says the technology helps dealers get a true assessment of the vehicle conditions, and allows dealers to act accordingly. It also could prevent expensive repair costs for dealers, preventing those costs from being passed on to consumers.
This is just one tool, however. KIRO 7 has seen other ways that groups are trying to fight and prevent catalytic converter theft. In October, Pierce County law enforcement, car dealerships and owners were part of an event where catalytic converters were engraved with Vehicle Identification Numbers, or VINs. The logic is that inscribing the ID number would make it riskier to steal the device and would also make it harder to sell the parts, since it has a clear connection to a vehicle that’s owned by an individual or dealership.
The issue of catalytic converter theft or vandalism has also lead to violence. In Newcastle this past July, King County sheriff’s deputies say a man exchanged gunfire with people who were allegedly casing an apartment complex for catalytic converters. The man saw the group and confronted them, then one of the suspects opened fire and shot the man, according to deputies. That man returned fire and ended up hitting one of the suspects.
For ACV Auctions, trying to curb any concerns around catalytic converters starts with the process of dealers purchasing vehicles wholesale. Pokora said the company’s proprietary technology, which images the bottom of vehicles and can detect any catalytic converter flaws, protects consumers and dealers involved in vehicle sales. “It helps consumers by helping dealerships as they acquire used inventory, understand the condition of the emissions systems in the vehicles; as they’re getting inventory to resell to consumers, they’re aware of the condition of the catalytic converter,” said Pokora. When Pokora was asked whether the cost of repairs by dealers can be passed on to consumers, he affirmed that is sometimes the case and repairs can cost thousands of dollars. He stressed that emissions laws require cars to have catalytic converters, which means repairs are mandatory no matter what the cost.
In July, Washington enacted a new law to curb catalytic converter thefts. One aspect of the law requires scrap yards and auto wreckers to verify proof of ownership of the items. On the heels of that law, King County councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed an awareness campaign on catalytic converter thefts. In a statement regarding his proposal, which was posted on King County’s website this past summer, Dunn cited statistics for the issue in the county. It said in King County alone, the incidence of stolen catalytic converters skyrocketed 12,855% between 2019 and 2021, according to data from the King County Sheriff’s Office.
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