Critical Shifts:
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SUVs and Pickups Lead Target Lists: Higher ground clearance makes pickup trucks and SUVs the primary targets for thieves, with the Ford F-150, Hyundai Tucson, and Ford Explorer topping the nationwide list because they offer quick physical access underneath.
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Hybrids Are High-Value Goldmines: While standard converters net thieves up to $300, hybrid vehicle catalytic converters can command up to $1,400 on the black market due to a significantly higher concentration of uncorroded precious metals like rhodium and palladium.
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Driven by Surging Metal Prices: Theft rates are highly correlated with commodity markets. A recent spike in rhodium prices—which doubled over the past year to roughly $11,000 per ounce—is the primary financial catalyst keeping this crime highly lucrative.
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New CARFAX data estimates more than 137,000 catalytic converters were stolen in 2025, with thousands more estimated stolen at the start of this year. Law enforcement warns thieves target these emission-control devices to get at the valuable precious metals they contain, including platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Top Vehicles Most Frequently Targeted Nationwide:
- Ford F-150 pickup truck
- Hyundai Tucson SUV
- Ford Explorer SUV
- Ram 2500 heavy-duty pickup truck
- Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck
- Chevrolet Traverse SUV
- Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck
- Ford EcoSport SUV
- Ford Expedition SUV
- Chevrolet Trax SUV
“There are a wide range of vehicles impacted, and most of these are pickup trucks and SUVs, which tend to sit higher off the ground, making it easier for thieves to get in and out,” said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief at CARFAX. “Experts also tell us that while thieves can make anywhere from $25-$300 for a standard catalytic converter, converters from hybrid vehicles can sell for up to $1,400 because they have even more of those precious metals inside.”
Several factors may be contributing to continued catalytic converter thefts, including rising precious metal prices. Rhodium, one of the metals found in catalytic converters, has more than doubled in value over the past year, reaching about $11,000 per ounce in March. Prices today remain below the peak of roughly $30,000 per ounce reached in 2021.
