Catalytic converter theft has been on the rise, however few may have predicted its newest sufferer. Seems, not even the Wienermobile is proof against the emissions system bandits. Low-lifes purloined the exhaust cleaner off of Oscar Mayer’s 27-foot-long wheeled sizzling canine because the automobile made an in a single day cease in Las Vegas.
As Fox 5 Las Vegas studies, the thieves made off with the catalytic converter in entrance of the Sonesta Suites motel in Sin Metropolis. The Wienermobile, considered one of six such autos circulating throughout the nation, had been scheduled to make an look at a shopping mall on the town on Friday, however was compelled to make a pit cease at an area Penske trucks store for repairs.
Based on Road & Track the Wienermobile is constructed on an Isuzu NPR HD chassis, so it is smart {that a} truck store would be capable to service it. Sadly, autos with a number of floor clearance like SUVs and pickups are sometimes the targets of catalytic converter pirates, because the components are extra simply accessed from beneath.
In 2019, reported thefts of catalytic converters nationwide totaled only 3,389, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau. The variety of studies climbed to 14,433 in 2020. In 2021, that swelled to 65,398, a 353% improve over the earlier yr. The speed continued apace in 2022, with State Farm alone reporting 44,500 thefts from their clients by June of that yr.
The emissions-scrubbing gadgets include invaluable metals comparable to platinum, palladium and rhodium. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says these metals are valued at $1,128, $2,938 and $20,000 per ounce, respectively, as of March 2022. Final yr, California passed new legislation to make it tougher to promote stolen catalytic converters, whereas the Department of Justice busted a ring of catalytic converter thieves with property totaling $550 million.
Joseph Rodriguez, a Penske upkeep coordinator, instructed Fox 5 that the restore was solely non permanent, as they didn’t have the proper half to put in. Nevertheless, it was sufficient to ship the Wienermobile on its merry approach.
Automobiles such because the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, and Ford F-150 routinely high lists of vehicles focused by catalytic converter thieves. That is partially attributable to the truth that these are widespread vehicles bought in giant quantity, however the lesson right here is that no automobile is protected. If scofflaws are brazen sufficient to steal from a shiny yellow truck formed like a frankfurter, nothing is protected.
