Thieves are targeting precious metals in all forms these days, including a component of automotive exhaust systems: the catalytic converter.

Police across the country say they have seen a dramatic rise in thefts of the converters, which have been a mandatory part of exhaust systems since the mid-70’s. Unfortunately this part can be removed in less than a minute.

If you look inside a used catalytic converter, nothing looks salvageable, much less valuable. But surprisingly three expensive precious metals are part of the construction: platinum, palladium and rhodium. Although catalytic converters have only small traces of the metals, there’s enough for a thief to make $200.

Far from being just an annoyance, a car missing a catalytic converter can be dangerous. Besides rendering the exhaust system inoperable, a fire and/or an explosion could occur.

Check with your Ford Dealer to determine if the catalytic converter on your vehicle is susceptible to theft, and if so, inquire if the converter can be welded to your vehicle. This makes theft more labor intensive and usually deters the thief. Also, catalytic converters can be etched with an engraving device to include your identifying information.