State Farm says catalytic converter thefts are way down
California leads all U.S. states with catalytic-converter claims in 2024.
Catalytic convert thefts dropped 74% the first half of 2024, according to State Farm auto claims data.
Spanning from Jan. 1 through June 30, the data shows thefts down for a second consecutive year with just over 3,800 claims totaling roughly $11.2 million paid to customers. The auto insurer received over 14,800 catalytic converter theft claims from the same time in 2023.
Meanwhile, the average claim during the first half of 2024 was nearly $2,900.
State Farm’s annual claims comparison for catalytic converter thefts:
- 2019: 2,500 claims totaling $4.7 million—$1,900 average claim.
- 2020: 10K claims totaling $20.9 million—$2,100 average claim.
- 2021: 32K claims totaling $73.7 million—$2,300 average claim.
- 2022: 45K claims totaling $115.4 million—$2,500 average claim.
- 2023: 21.2K claims totaling $62.5 million—$2,900 average claim.
- 2024: 3,800+ claims totaling $11.2M—$2,900 average claim. (Jan. 1, to June 30, 2024)
Meanwhile, California led all states the first half of 2024 with over 2,000 claims, followed by Illinois with 540 claims and New York with nearly 200 claims. Texas and Florida rounded out the top five for most claims during the period with 140 and 115 claims, respectively.
Data comparisons from other key states:
- Pennsylvania: 85 claims compared to over 480 claims in 2023.
- Ohio: 77 claims compared to over 420 claims in 2023.
- New Jersey: 75 claims compared to 208 claims in 2023.
- Minnesota: 68 claims compared to 400 claims in 2023.
- Colorado: 58 claims compared to nearly 670 claims in 2023.
To avoid theft and other vehicle risk, State Farm recommends parking inside a garage or in well-lit areas, engraving the VIN on the car’s catalytic converter, and installing an alarm system or security camera.
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