Residents in the Woodacres neighborhood and elsewhere in Bethesda report that thieves are again targeting catalytic converters in vehicles. Airbags are the primary auto part crooks are after these days, but catalytic converters are very expensive to replace. One resident reports that catalytic converter security covers can be installed to deter thieves.
As always, if you can garage your vehicle at night, it is increasingly advisable as crime increases. Realistically, however, many vehicles must remain outdoors, so be alert to this current trend.
5 comments:
It's a lot of effort and a lot of risk for not much money only about $150 per car.
$150 is only a fraction of the value of the part, let alone the cost of the repair.
The total bill is a minimum of $1000 and depending on the car model and the damage done it can be several thousand dollars, I have seen repair estimates of between $4k and $10k for some luxury cars and Hybrids.
The part alone is more like $500 to $1000 per converter (if you can get one), plus some cars have 2-3 converters, plus the cost of installing it, plus the cost of repairing additional damage which sometimes includes replacement of entire exhaust system, fixing underbody damage, replacing electronic sensors that are plugged into the converter, fixing cut wires that feed the sensors, and reprogramming the computer (necessary for new cars), plus the cost of a rental car while waiting for the parts and while the car is being repaired. For many people, especially people with older cars who have stopped their comprehensive coverage, the cost of repair is much more than the value of the car and will lead to the car being scrapped. If it is an older car covered by insurance the insurance company may still scrap it with little payoff because the cost of repair is more than the value of the car. Finally if it is a newer car, such a repair shows up on a carfax, resulting in a much lower trade-in value because the car will not qualify as a factory certified used car.
$150 is maybe what the thief can get when he/she fences the converter. It is only a fraction of the cost of the replacment part, let alone the repairs. For newer cars and luxury vehicles, or if damage is extensive, the total cost to fix can be $5-10k.
If you can get a replacement converter it is $500-$1000 and many cars have 2. Plus during the theft other things get damaged like the underbody, the exhaust system, sensors, sensor wiring, heat shields, the floor pan, and more. Then the labor to do the repairs can run into the thousands. In reality what happens is that for most cars over 8 years old or with over 100k miles if the car has comprehensive insurance the converter theft results in scraping with little payout to the owner because the assigned value of the car by the insurance company is low and the cost of repair is about the same or maybe more. If the car does not have comprehensive insurance the owner will usually scrap it as well. If the car is fixed, expect to be without a car for a month or more waiting for parts and getting the repairs done, and if they are not done correctly your car may never run correctly or will make more noise than before.
Finally expect the Bethesda area to soon be classified as a high auto crime area by insurance companies, leading to much higher rates for everyone.
I hadn't thought about that...watch your wallets when renewing insurance.
What I don't get is that these thieves hit the same neighborhoods night after night. Why not surge more police in those places?
" Why not surge more police in those places?"
They are busy putting their hands in your pocket w/ those insane speed traps on
artificially low speed limit roads. Well, that's during the day.
By the time you posted this, 9:41 PM, they are in bed.
I doubt there are 2 cops on the street in Bethesda at night.
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