Toyota Dealers Are Purchasing Hundreds Of Cat Security Shields To Protect Prius Owners

I have written several articles on Toyota Prius catalytic converter theft. All of which is true. The crisis we are facing with thieves cutting out and scrapping catalytic converters on Prius and other cars is real. It is so real that it is a multi-billion dollar a year business on the black market.

If you have a Toyota Prius, you need to know how to protect yourself. Toyota dealers are coming together and standing up for their Prius owners. Here is what you need to know about catalytic converter theft and what you can do about it.

Your Toyota Prius Catalytic Converter
To know more about what the catalytic converter does, check out my other story here called Stop Catalytic Converter Theft On Toyota Prius.

In short, the converter is responsible for cleaning up the air we breathe. To clean up the exhaust fumes, the converter is loaded with precious metals such as palladium, which is now nearing 2000 dollars an ounce. The thieves know this, which is why they target our cars. A skilled thief can have your converter cut out in under 3 minutes.

The Aftermath Of Losing Your Prius Catalytic Converter
Once your converter is stolen, it has to be replaced. In California, this will cost you big money. 2,500 to 5,000 dollars is what it costs to replace your converter. You have to buy the OE cat from the dealer due to CARB regulations.

What terrible news for many who do not have that kind of money. A lot of owners are forced to sell the car. To put this gently, that sucks. No one deserves to have their converter stolen just because some low life does not want to get a job.

What Is Being Done About It Right Now
The inventor of Cat Security™ anti-theft shield developed this product in his exhaust shop. He did it after he had a Prius owner come in twice to have her catalytic converter replaced on her Gen 2 Prius. This poor lady was out over 5,000 dollars all said and done.

She had been paying for a storage place to park her car because this problem nearly bankrupted her. That is seriously sad. Once the shield was installed, she was able to park outside her residence again and not have to worry. What a relief and also what a cost-saving it now is too.

This story started to make huge headlines; when San Fransisco Toyota saw the shield, they instantly knew this would help the millions of Prius owners on the road today. San Fran Toyota is not the only dealer that has signed up since then three other major Toyota dealers and over a dozen independent shops have joined forces with Cat Security™.

The demand for this protective shield is so high that the inventor is having trouble keeping up on orders. You can still get in and make an appointment, though, and you should be able to get same day service at all the installers listed on the website.

Conclusion
Toyota dealers are now doing hundreds of these shields every week. The demand is only increasing, and you need to make sure as a Prius owner, you are protected. Here is the thing, even if you can replace your converter for a fraction of the cost, thieves will still come for you.

I do not know about you, but for me, I do not want to keep fixing a problem that I did not create. I would highly recommend you get a Cat Security™ protective shield on your Prius as soon as possible. Check out Get Cat Security right now if you want to get your Prius protected.

Thank you for reading, and I will see you in my next story. This Toyota Prius repair shop found out why the Cat Security™ shield is the best catalytic converter theft prevention

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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter is also an Instructor of Automotive Technology at Columbia Basin College. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporters.