There’s a catalytic converter in your car that works really hard to make sure that your car’s exhaust fumes are as safe as possible. But thieves are targeting these essential parts and ripping them out of cars. That can leave you with a big problem on your hands, because this part is an essential one. Here’s what Clark’s Professional Car Care wants you to know.
Your Car Has to Have a Catalytic Converter
The very first thing to understand about having your catalytic converter stolen is that it’s an essential piece of your car’s exhaust system. The purpose of the catalytic converter is to take harmful exhaust fumes and convert them so that they’re less toxic. It does this by filtering the exhaust fumes. When someone saws the catalytic converter off of your car, you’ll hear that the exhaust is much louder than usual and you may smell a lot more exhaust fumes than usual. If you drive without the catalytic converter in place, you’ll eventually damage the engine beyond repair.
Having Your Catalytic Converter Replaced Is an Expensive Repair
The reason that this is a hot item for parts thieves is because the catalytic converter contains small amounts of some very precious metals. Catalytic converters contain metals like palladium, platinum, and rhodium. As the prices for these metals have risen over time, even small amounts of each have become extremely attractive. Unfortunately, this is an expensive part to replace. And since it’s an essential one, there’s no way for you to just opt out of having a new catalytic converter installed.
Every Vehicle Could Have This Happen
It would be great if we could tell you that certain vehicles are exempt from worrying about losing the catalytic converter to creative thieves. But the reality is that any car can have this part sawed right off of the exhaust system. If yours does go missing, you need to make sure that you report the situation right away to your local police and to your insurance company. Depending on your insurance coverage, you might be able to have the missing parts replaced by the insurance company. It’s always worth asking, even if you think your policy wouldn’t cover it.
Have you fallen victim to catalytic converter thieves? Call Clark’s Professional Car Care in Pascagoula, MS today and make an appointment. We’ll help you to get your car back on the road again as safely and as quickly as possible.
