THIEVES TAKING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FROM CARS IN SOUTHERN CAYUGA COUNTY

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If you start your car in the morning and it's really loud, you may be the victim of a theft.

Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck says there's been a rash of thefts of catalytic converters from cars in the southern part of the county.

 

Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill in October designed to crack down on catalytic converter thefts. The bill requires so-called chop shops to keep records of the converters they receive and submit them to the state every 60 days.

The new law also requires new car dealers to stock etching kits to put serial numbers on converters.  

CARFAX, a leading source of vehicle data, has identified the following vehicles as most likely to have their catalytic converters stolen nationwide:

1985-2021 Ford F-Series

1989-2020 Honda Accord

2007-2017 Jeep Patriot

1990-2022 Ford Econoline

1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado

2005-2021 Chevrolet Equinox

1997-2020 Honda CR-V

1987-2019 Toyota Camry

2011-2017 Chrysler 200

2001-2021 Toyota Prius

Nerdwallet reports there are also locking cables on the market for $300-800. It can cost up to $3,000 to replace stolen catalytic converters, due to damage often done to the vehicles by the thieves. 

Listen to my full Flx Ted Podcast with Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck below.