If you drive a 2020 Toyota Tundra, your vehicle is a sitting duck for catalytic converter theft. The higher concentration of valuable metals in the 2020 model makes this truck’s cat converter a desirable target for thieves.
As a car owner, vehicle theft is likely already at the forefront of your mind. And while your brand-new Tundra itself can be a target of theft, sometimes, the real prize is its catalytic converter. It’s much easier for a thief to take this valuable part than your entire truck—and if that happens, you could be left in a lurch.
While you can’t predict when and where a catalytic converter thief will strike, there are a couple of things you can do to help deter theft. In this guide, we’re going over everything you need to know about how to prevent 2020 Toyota Tundra catalytic converter theft and the kind of car insurance
you’ll need to cover the stolen part. Is it easy to steal the catalytic converter from a 2020 Toyota Tundra?
Yes. The 2020 Tundra is a target not only because of how easy it is to access the catalytic converter but because of the sheer number of them. Each 2020 Toyota Tundra has not one, not two, not three, but four catalytic converters attached to it: two at the front near the engine manifold and two at the rear towards the mufflers.
Thieves tend to target larger trucks like the ‘20 Tundra because they do not have to jack up the truck in order to access the catalytic converters. With just a mechanic’s creeper (and even that part is optional) and some basic tools, they can make off with your car converters in a matter of minutes. Other large trucks like the Ford F-Series
and the Chevy Silverado
suffer from the same issue, as do other Toyotas like the Tacoma
, Sequoia
, and 4Runner
. Why are 2020 Toyota Tundra catalytic converters stolen?
What’s all the hullabaloo about catalytic converters and why do they get stolen? It’s not its function (filtering out toxic emissions from the exhaust) that makes the catalytic converter so valuable: it’s what it’s made of—specifically, rhodium, platinum, and palladium. As of March 2022, just one ounce of these metals is worth:
Platinum: $1,128 per ounce
Palladium: $2,938 per ounce
Rhodium: $20,000 per ounce
And no, you’re not driving around on a metaphorical goldmine. There’s less than one ounce of each of these metals in your catalytic converter, but stealing them is akin to taking candy from a baby. It takes virtually no skill, it’s fast, and in an empty parking lot, a thief could hit a major payday.
Toyota catalytic converter replacement cost
Unsurprisingly, replacing your catalytic converter isn’t a cheap fix. Generally, it costs between $3,721 and $3,888 to replace a Toyota Tundra catalytic converter. Even if you find a cheaper aftermarket part, there’s no getting around the fact that getting a new catalytic converter is an expensive and involved procedure.
How to prevent catalytic converter theft from a 2020 Toyota Tundra
Be conscious of where you park
Parking in a secure area can help deter would-be thieves. If you’re out and about, make sure to park somewhere well-lit with video surveillance. If you’re at home, be sure to park your truck in your garage each night or invest in some motion-sensor lights for your driveway.
Install a catalytic converter shield
Because of the rise of catalytic converter theft, manufacturers have begun making anti-theft catalytic converter shields—aluminum plates or cages that cover your converters.
For the 2020 Toyota Tundra, we like the Cat Shield™ from MILLERCAT
and the ones from Cat Security™
. If those are a little out of your budget, you can even find one on Amazon that will do the trick—just read the description to make sure it will fit your truck. If you drive the 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD, you’ll need to find a catalytic converter shield that will fit with your truck’s off-road skid plates. And you don’t need to be a total grease monkey in order to install one. Catalytic converter shields are designed for easy installation, and some even come with all the tools you’ll need to complete the project.
Your insurance company may even thank you for installing one by offering you a discount on your comprehensive insurance policy!
Engrave your catalytic converter with your VIN
All stolen catalytic converters make their way back into one market or another, but if you etch yours with your vehicle’s identification number, it will be harder to sell.
You can bring your Tundra into a muffler shop to get it engraved or check and see if the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is holding an event near you. As the name of their organization suggests, they’re all about reducing crime for car owners, and they regularly hold catalytic converter etching events.
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 Invest in comprehensive insurance
Insurance can’t prevent theft, but it sure comes in handy when it happens. Comprehensive insurance
extends coverage to include more things, such as catalytic converter theft. Without it, you’ll be paying out of pocket if yours gets nabbed. What to do if your catalytic converter is stolen
Even if you’ve taken every precaution in the world, your 2020 Toyota Tundra’s catalytic converter could still get stolen. And if you find yourself in that situation, the first thing you should do is contact the authorities. If it happened in a parking lot with video surveillance, they might even be able to access the security footage to help track down the thief.
Regardless of whether or not they’re able to catch the thief, the authorities will file a police report, which you will need to share with your insurance company. This is where comprehensive coverage comes into play: if you’ve got it, you’ll be able to use the police report to file a claim with your insurance provider.
Next, your insurance company will help you schedule repairs with a mechanic and help cover the replacement cost. That doesn’t mean that it’s free: you will still need to pay and meet a deductible before your insurance kicks in. While that can be irksome, what you pay for your deductible will likely be significantly lower than the cost of the repairs and part replacement.
Even if you don’t have comprehensive coverage, you will still need to get your cat converters replaced. Finding a mechanic who is willing to work with aftermarket parts can help lower the cost, but you’ll still need to be ready to finance the entire repair process yourself.
Can you drive a 2020 Toyota Tundra without a catalytic converter?
If you head out to the grocery store parking lot with your week’s worth of food in tow, look down, and notice that all four of your Tundra’s catalytic converters have been stolen, you will still be able to operate your vehicle—but you will need to get them replaced as soon as possible.
Without your catalytic converters, your 2020 Tundra will fail emissions testing. And, depending on where you live, you may not even be able to register your vehicle. Furthermore, catalytic converters also help eliminate road noise and provide smoother acceleration—so without them, you’re in for a loud, bumpy ride.
Most importantly, catalytic converters play a pivotal role in reducing your vehicle’s carbon footprint. While driving without a catalytic converter is harmless to your vehicle, it does some serious damage to the planet.
Bottom line? Don’t delay getting it replaced!
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