The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) in the US is strongly supporting legislation to help prevent the surge in theft of calalytic converters nationwide.
It said it strongly supports the Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts Act , which was reintroduced in the US House of Representatives yesterday.
“Catalytic converter theft is a significant national issue for law enforcement, businesses, and vehicle owners.
“Federal action is needed to combat this dangerous criminal activity,” said NADA President and CEO Mike Stanton. “These thefts not only impact hardworking Americans but also put lives at risk.”
By requiring each catalytic converter to be marked with a traceable identification number, the PART Act will strengthen the ability of law enforcement officials to combat these thefts.
This measure will deter criminals from reselling these costly stolen vehicle parts in the secondary market, as they can be easily traced back to the original vehicle.
Vehicle owners who have fallen victim to these crimes, along with law enforcement officials responding to them, have faced violent encounters with criminals determined to escape with the valuable items.
Earlier this year, a man in California was fatally shot while attempting to stop thieves from stealing his catalytic converter, becoming yet another victim of these senseless but preventable crimes.
Catalytic converter theft skyrocketed in recent years due to the precious metals contained in this vehicle part.
The new legislation requires manufacturers to stamp new vehicle converters with a unique identifier, a VIN or other traceable number, to allow law enforcement to trace stolen parts back to the original vehicle.
Creates a grant program through which entities can stamp identification numbers onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles.
In the UK catalytic converter theft has fallen. Auto Express put in a Freedom of Information request to 48 police constabularies across the UK in 2024.
It found in 2024 the number of catalytic converter thefts fell by 98 per cent on average compared with 2021. A total of 30 forces provided a sufficient response to be included in our findings.
