With catalytic converter theft on the rise in recent years, more than one Blue Oval model proved to be a popular target for that particular crime in 2022. According to new data from Carfax, the Ford F-Series lineup actually topped the list of the vehicles that suffered the most catalytic converter thefts last year, while the Ford Explorer ranked fifth and the Ford Econoline came right behind it in sixth place. However, the Ford F-Series had the “honor” of also ranking among the top targeted models in terms of catalytic converter theft in the western U.S., too.
What’s particularly interesting about these rankings is that while many of the same vehicles show up on both the national and regional lists, the orders are quite different – in fact, the Ford F-Series ranked fifth in terms of cat thefts in the western U.S., with the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Tacoma ahead of it. Hybrids such as the Prius are obviously more popular in places like California, with its high gas prices and strict emissions laws, which undoubtedly led to this particular shift in rankings.
However, it’s also worth noting that the catalytic converters in hybrid vehicles contain more precious metals than regular ICE models, making them more valuable. Those units can change hands for as much as $1,400 versus $25 to $300 for a standard catalytic converter. Either way, thieves are after platinum, palladium, and rhodium, which can sell for anywhere from $970 per ounce to as much as $10,000 per ounce.
Unfortunately, preventing catalytic converter theft isn’t terribly easy, given the fact that thieves don’t seem to care about which vehicles they target, nor preventing others from spotting them, it seems. “Parking lots – even ones that were well-lit – were getting hit,” said Sgt. Matt Casavant with the Maine State Police. “Car dealerships are getting hit on a regular basis, too. The thieves were so brazen that it didn’t matter. My kid drives a Subaru and I won’t let her leave her car overnight at the school or other places because it’s a high value.”
We’ll have more on the F-Series soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford Super Duty news, Ford F-150 news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
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Maybe Ford-Authority could help readers by running articles on theft prevention for Catalytic converters on F-150s ? “FORD F-SERIES AMONG TOP TARGETED FOR CAT THEFT IN WEST U.S. By Brett Foote March 20, 2023 11:34 am”