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NEW RESEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT HYBRID CARS FACE A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT. 11:24, 29 May 2025 A warning has been issued to anyone who is driving a "highly

sought after" car with criminals poised to strike. New research has revealed that hybrid cars face a significantly higher risk of catalytic converter theft. Seven of the top 10

most-targeted vehicles in 2023 have at least one hybrid version available on the market. Tom Banks, car insurance expert at Go.Compare, noted that hybrid vehicles are particularly valuable

to criminals as the metals in the catalytic converters are less likely to corrode. Banks said: "If your car is one of the more targeted models, there's no need to worry, but you

could take some extra precautions to protect it." READ MORE FOREIGN OFFICE ISSUES 'IMPORTANT' WARNING FOR UK TOURISTS 'WHO HAVE HEALTH CONDITION' He added: "It

could be worth fitting an alarm with a tilt sensor, too, or marking the catalytic converter with spray paint or a SmartWater pen to make it harder for thieves to sell it on." A

catalytic converter employs this principle as it uses catalyst substances to clean up harmful gases from the engine before they exit the exhaust pipe. Generally speaking, a catalytic

converter looks like an exhaust silencer, only slimmer and smaller. Article continues below On modern cars, ‘cats’ are normally situated right up next to the engine so they’ll warm up

quicker. They’re much more efficient when hot, which is why it makes sense for them to be located close to the engine where the temperature is higher. MODELS WITH THE HIGHEST RATIOS OF

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS (NUMBER OF CARS PER THEFT) Toyota Auris - 157:1 Lexus CT - 162:1 Toyota Prius - 196:1 Honda FR-V - 196:1 Lexus RX - 213:1 Honda Accord - 253:1 Honda Jazz - 299:1

Honda S2000 - 310:1 Mitsubishi Colt - 310:1 Honda CR-V - 388:1 Catalytic converters often last for at least 10 years, or between 70,000 and 100,000 miles. Article continues below However,

it’s possible that the catalytic converter on a car that is used only for short start-stop journeys could wear out faster because the engine and cat won’t be able to reach their optimum

operating temperature before being switched off.