The catalytic converter on a Honda Element is located on the underside of the chassis, between the tail pipe and intake manifolds, before the muffler.
Over the last few years, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has reported a marked increase in catalytic converter thefts—and Honda vehicles are amongst the most targeted. But in order to protect your catalytic converter, you’ll need to know where to find it.
To help on that front, we’ve assembled the following guide detailing everything you need to know about your Honda Element’s catalytic converter, including where it’s located, what it does, when to replace it, and how to protect it from opportunistic thieves.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Where is the catalytic converter on a Honda Element?
The exact location of your Honda Element’s catalytic converter depends on the size of the engine and the vehicle’s model year, but it will always be located somewhere between the tailpipe and the intake manifolds—by nature, it must also come before the muffler.
You should be able to recognize the catalytic converter due to its incredibly distinct shape—sort of like a flattened loaf of bread with a pipe coming off each end—and by the heat shield that surrounds it. On most Honda Elements, you can find the catalytic converter about one-third of the way down the exhaust system.
In short, the catalytic converter on a Honda Element isn’t incredibly difficult to access—which means it’s a prime target for theft.
What purpose does a catalytic converter serve on a Honda Element?
In the fundamental sense, your Honda Element’s catalytic converter works in tandem with the rest of the exhaust system to control and maintain your engine’s emissions. As the name suggests, it is the catalytic converter’s job to convert toxic exhaust gases like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons into less-harmful emissions like carbon dioxide and water.
To do this, catalytic converters use catalysts—primarily precious metals like rhodium, palladium and platinum—to promote the necessary chemical reactions involved in the conversion process. These precious metals, however, are also extremely expensive and are the reason why you’re likely to pay upwards of $2,600 for a new catalytic converter.
A catalytic converter isn’t strictly necessary for your vehicle to function—after all, they’ve only been around for about 40 years—but they are required by the EPA and also help to improve engine performance in the long run.
How to protect your Honda Element’s catalytic converter
While it may not be the Honda model most-targeted for catalytic converter theft, the Honda Element is still at risk—meaning you’ll want to do the following to help safeguard against opportunistic thieves:
Etch your VIN on the catalytic converter. While this probably won’t stop a thief, it will make the catalytic converter easier to trace and identify—as well as make it harder to sell.
Park your vehicle in a well-lit area or in a garage. As you can probably guess, a garage is the best place to park to avoid having your catalytic converter stolen, but if that’s not an option, park your Element under a street lamp or motion-sensor flood-light to make it a less-attractive steal.
Install an anti-theft device
. Tools like the CatClamp® or CatStrap™ are among the most popular catalytic converter anti-theft devices, but there are also cages, alarms, and shields available as well.
Another surefire way to protect against catalytic converter theft is by adding comprehensive coverage
to your Honda Element’s existing car insurance
policy—if you don’t, you won’t be able to file a claim to help cover the cost of replacing a stolen converter. What to do if your catalytic converter is stolen
In the unfortunate event that your catalytic converter is stolen, you’ll want to do the following:
Take pictures of the exhaust pipe and missing converter to document the theft.
If you have comprehensive coverage, submit an insurance claim.
Look into installing an aftermarket catalytic converter to help reduce the likelihood of future thefts and lower repair costs.
Consider installing a cage or some other anti-theft device around your catalytic converter to deter would-be-thieves.
MORE: How to pass emissions testing
When to replace the catalytic converter on a Honda Element
Typically, a well-functioning catalytic converter will last about 10 years before needing to be replaced—but like any other vehicle part, it can wear out prematurely. To identify a bad catalytic converter, keep a lookout for the following signs:
Failure to pass a smog check
The “Check Engine” light turns on
Performance worsens and acceleration is reduced
The vehicle’s underside is overheating
If you start noticing one or more of these symptoms, use an on-board diagnostics (OBD) scanner to check your engine computer for exhaust-system-related error codes. If you don’t have an OBD scanner, your local Auto Parts store should let you use one free of charge—or, alternatively, you could have a licensed mechanic perform the diagnosis.
In the best-case scenario, you’ll only need to replace a specific part of the catalytic converter, such as the oxygen sensor plug—but more often than not, a full replacement will be necessary. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to replace other exhaust-system components as well, which puts the average cost to replace a Honda Element’s catalytic converter somewhere between $2,700 and $2,800.
New Honda Elements come with a three-year/36,000 mile emissions warranty—if your catalytic converter is found to be faulty within that time-frame, the manufacturer should cover the cost of repairs free of charge. If, on the other hand, your catalytic converter has become defective due to normal wear and tear—or if you’ve exceeded the warranty period—you’ll have to pay the repair costs out of pocket.
MORE: Are Hondas expensive to maintain?
How to replace a catalytic converter
Generally speaking, we don’t recommend replacing your Honda Element’s catalytic converter by yourself, unless you know you have the skill and tools necessary to do so. A job of this caliber generally requires a blow-torch or industrial pipe cutters, gasket cleaners, pipe expanders and more.
In the unlikely event that you do decide to replace your catalytic converter yourself, take some time to look up the exact part number for your model and search for a genuine OEM replacement. Even though aftermarket converters aren’t as sought-after by thieves, the catalytic converter remains an incredibly important component, so you’ll want to prioritize quality over anything else.
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