Toyota San Francisco Signs Exclusive Deal With Cat Security In The Battle Against Prius Catalytic Converter Theft

If you were to ask just about any Prius owner why they have chosen to drive one of the best eco-friendly cars ever made, I am sure most would tell you the same answer. “I bought the car to save money on driving costs.”

It is no surprise that Prius owners know the value of the most reliable hybrid car on the planet. They also know that by driving a Prius, it helps keep the world we live in, cleaner for everyone.

A Toyota Prius costs less to maintain, helping ease the demand for things like engine oil and gasoline. Prius is also a car that has incredibly low tailpipe emissions that contribute keep our air clean and breathable.

Owning a Prius will help you make a significant impact without doing something crazy like protesting cutting down trees. Smart people think about their long term impact on the environment and drive a Toyota Prius.

How Does The Toyota Prius Keep Our Air Clean?
One way that Prius does such a great job at keeping the air clean is through the robust catalytic converter that Toyota engineered into the car. The converter takes harmful gasses and, through a reaction with the precious metals inside, changes them into less toxic vapors.

The process is quite neat. Without these converters, we would be living in far worse times than we did in the ’70s during the “smog alert” days in California. Even eco-friendly cars like Prius still emit harmful “smog” and do pollute into the air, just far less.

California, for many, is a very desirable place to live. The climate, the beaches, and sunny weather all make the state very appealing to people. Millions of people that all drive cars in the beautiful land. That means millions of pounds of CO2 are dumped into the air every day.

The great state of Texas is one of the most significant contributors to the problem. But without catalytic converters, the amount of NOx or Nitrogen Oxides and Unburnt Hydrocarbons would severely increase air pollution and cause many more health problems. Catalytic converters are an absolute must-have for any car that burns any form of liquid fuel.

Why Are Catalytic Converters Being Stolen?
Your Prius must have an OEM catalytic converter to pass your “smog” check in California. Without it, you cannot register your car, and the fines alone are enough to choke you never mind what the pollution is dumping out your tailpipe.

Thieves want these converters and especially the OEM ones. There are higher levels of precious metals in them, which, when they get scrapped, can give the thief anywhere from $375 to $850 or more per converter. The precious metals, platinum, palladium, and rhodium can be made into jewelry and be protective coatings also.

These metals are the reason that thieves want them, and they want the OEM ones. The factory converters are more substantial and carry more dense levels of the metals. Toyota Prius has tightly packed catalytic converters because it is trying to achieve very low tailpipe emissions. So it makes sense for thieves to target the Prius. The converters on them will bring the highest scrap value.

Prius owners have feared for their cars as well as their pocketbooks. With mandated OEM replacement converters costing between $2,500 to $5,000, you can imagine the suffering every Prius owner has been facing that has had their catalytic converter stolen. All seemed hopeless until San Francisco Toyota stepped up and decided enough was enough.

San Francisco Toyota Is Helping Prius Owners Take A Stand
No dealer knows catalytic converter theft like San Francisco Toyota. They have been witnessing first hand the disease of theft that has been leaving countless Prius owners with a burden of costly, unnecessary repair.

San Francisco alone has replaced hundreds if not thousands of these converters, bringing costs into the millions of dollars for those who have been involved with this crime.

“The theft has been so bad that we had to look out for our customers and find a solution that would help them, that is when we found Cat Security.” From the moment Cat Security was sought out by the director of San Francisco Toyota, he knew this was the answer the dealership had been looking to find. They could see that the design and structure of the shield are unlike anything else on the market; they knew what they had to do.

San Francisco Toyota made a massive commitment to take these protective shields to help distribute and sell to Prius owners that were flocking in every week to have their converters replaced. This commitment to Cat Security is unlike any other dealer or installer carrying the product. It means that San Fransisco can now carry and sell Cat Security in its network area. They are now an exclusive dealer for Cat Security because they know how important it is to help in the fight against theft.

The fact that a dealer as large and as powerful as San Francisco Toyota is taking on an exclusive deal such as this is no small feat. They make millions of dollars selling new catalytic converters every month, and it is profitable for them to replace converters. The issue is not that, though. The problem is that the theft is affecting the livelihood of every Prius customer of theirs. That is what the deciding factor was in signing the deal.

San Francisco Toyota cares about its customer base, not making as much money as they can, and trust me they could if they wanted to.

How Do I Stop Thieves From Stealing My Catalytic Converter?
The first and best choice is to get a Cat Security shield installed on your Prius. It used to take days for dealers to order in enough catalytic converters, which meant you were probably going to take the bus. But with same day service from San Francisco Toyotas’ two locations, you can get your Prius protected within an hour.

That translates into doing what you want to do, without having to worry about your Prius getting mugged. Considering the typical second-generation Prius replacement converter cost is $2500, and a third-generation is $5000. The $325 you are investing in your car will not only keep it safe but will give you an added peace of mind that is worth every dime.

If you are short on funds at the moment but are concerned about having your cat stolen, here are some tips for you to use that will keep your Prius safe.

Park around well-lit areas. Thieves generally will want to keep in places that they are unseen if they are the ones that work in the dark. Some thieves work in broad daylight, which is pretty bold if you ask me. Parking in the light can help reduce the risk but not take it away completely.

Park in a garage. Have you meant to clean out your garage? Now would be a good time. Not only could you get rid of those leftover MLM soapboxes, but you can also keep your Prius safer. Out of sight, out of mind can keep your car safe much more of the time. See you in the next story, 3 Reasons To Forget Scotty Kilmer And Get A Toyota Prius.

Conclusion
Thank you for reading. I hope you understand how important it is that we spread the word about catalytic converter theft and how we can help deter these people away with the best product on the market, Cat Security. Also Check out GetCatSecurity.com for more details about protecting your Prius.

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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.