Montclair Police: More Prius Drivers Report Car Part Thefts

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Two more Toyota Prius drivers reported stolen catalytic converters in Montclair, authorities said Tuesday.

The latest thefts took place at the parking deck on South Fullerton Avenue on Saturday, police said, releasing the following details about each incident:

• “The victim reported that the catalytic converter was stolen from his 2014 Toyota Prius. The vehicle was parked in the parking deck since Nov. 20.”
• “The victim reported that the catalytic converter was stolen from her 2008 Toyota Prius while it was parked in the South Fullerton Parking Deck.”

In late November, the township saw four similar thefts within a five-day span, all from the same model of car: a Toyota Prius. Those thefts took place on Gates Avenue, Hawthorne Place, and Washington and Pine streets.

• See related article: Car Part Thieves Target Toyota Prius Drivers In Montclair

A recent spike in demand for precious metals has made Toyota Prius vehicles that are more than 10-years-old an unlikely target of thieves, according to a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute. Theft claim frequency for 2004-09 Prius models was more than 40 times higher in 2020 than in 2016, researchers found.

Thanks to higher prices for platinum, rhodium, palladium and other metals found in the components, catalytic converter thefts rose from about 100 a month in 2018 to more than 1,200 a month in 2020, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

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