
Theft of a catalytic converter can be covered by if the vehicle has theft insurance, but without theft insurance, there will be no compensation. The catalytic converter is the most important component in a car's exhaust system, primarily used to purify vehicle emissions. Inside the catalytic converter, there are rare metals such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium, which can reduce and convert three harmful gases—nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide—into harmless water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen at high temperatures. Because it can convert and reduce these three gases, it is called a three-way catalytic converter. Due to the scarcity and high cost of platinum, rhodium, and palladium, the finished catalytic converter is relatively expensive. Introduction to Car Insurance: Components: Car insurance generally includes two parts: basic insurance and additional insurance. Basic insurance is further divided into vehicle damage insurance and third-party liability insurance. Compensation Coverage: Vehicle damage insurance covers losses to your own vehicle; Third-party liability insurance covers damages to targets outside your own vehicle, such as people and public property you hit, the other party's car, etc.; Passenger liability insurance covers personal and property losses within your own vehicle; Theft insurance covers compensation when your own vehicle is stolen; No-deductible coverage ensures 100% compensation in case of an accident. If no-deductible coverage is not purchased, you will bear 30% of the deductible for each accident.

As an experienced driver, let me tell you, I went through this exact situation last year. When I called the police at 3 AM, they immediately mentioned there's been a rampant gang recently specializing in stealing catalytic converters from vans, since their high chassis makes them easy targets. The company checked my old policy - only the separately purchased theft coverage before the reform would compensate for stolen parts like this. Nowadays, the new auto insurance clauses bundle comprehensive theft, glass, and spontaneous combustion coverage into the vehicle damage insurance. Remember to keep photos of the cut exhaust pipe - when the claims adjuster came for inspection, they found a 30cm opening cut by an oxygen torch on my exhaust pipe, saying such violent removal causes additional damage. In the end, they covered 80% of the OEM part cost, and I paid the labor fee myself.

Last week, my colleague's Highlander had its catalytic converter stolen. The repair shop mentioned that second-hand dealers are specifically targeting these parts. When contacting the company, there was a catch: although the comprehensive car insurance covers theft, the claims adjuster required proof that the vehicle was in a secure location at the time of theft. My colleague had parked on a small road in an urban village without a paid parking receipt, so they only received 70% of the claim. This serves as a reminder to always park in paid parking lots with surveillance cameras and keep the parking receipts safe. A removed catalytic converter is more valuable than a smartphone due to its high content of precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Thieves can remove it in just 90 seconds. It's advisable to install an anti-theft coded protective cover on the exhaust pipe, which can be purchased online for just over 200 yuan.


