Articles, reports and videos on vehicle theft, catalytic converter theft and wheel theft — the problem Wheel Watcher is built to catch.
Theft trends move. Some crimes have fallen from their 2021–22 peaks, while local wheel-theft waves keep appearing — so every item is labeled with its source and date.
NICB counted roughly 64,000 catalytic converter thefts in 2022, about half of them in California and Texas, with insurance claims climbing sharply from 2020 to 2022.
An earlier NICB look at the rise in thefts from 2018 to 2020, tied to precious-metal prices. Typical repair bills run roughly $1,000–$3,000, and NICB lists parking and anti-theft tips.
State Farm's claims fell from about 14,800 to about 3,800 in the first half of 2024 versus 2023 — the second straight yearly decline.
NICB reports vehicle thefts were down about 23% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Notes thefts fell about 68% from 2023 to 2024 and recommends marking the converter, parking in lit or enclosed spots with cameras, and adding shields.
Massachusetts police look at both the thieves and the secondhand buyers who resell parts, with prevention tips and proposed rules for serial-numbering converters.
Local police describe scrap-yard demand and a Prius owner's loss, and suggest shock sensors and VIN etching as deterrents.
Sheriff-released surveillance footage from Washington shows two people removing a converter from a pickup in under a minute using battery-powered saws.
Officials use camera footage of a roughly 90-second theft to warn drivers how fast it can happen.
Masked men with power tools keep working after neighbors confront them in a Chicago neighborhood.
Footage from England shows a jack-and-drill theft in under a minute; the article notes the crime is common in the U.S. and lists deterrents.
Valet-lot surveillance video shows all four wheels and tires taken in about three minutes, in the context of rising wheel thefts across Rhode Island.
D.C. police reported wheel and rim thefts rising from 54 to 201 between January–April 2021 and the same period of 2022 (+272%).
Police describe thieves who break in to take wheel-lock keys, and advise lit parking, keeping lock keys out of the car, and working cameras.
The 19th Precinct logged 18 stolen-wheel cases on the Upper East Side in June–July 2025; police recommend lit parking and locking lug nuts.
Overnight wheel thefts from apartment lots in Framingham, Massachusetts, apparently focused on new Hondas.
Wheels were removed from 42 vehicles at a Texas dealership over a weekend, leaving cars on blocks and losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
About these links: Summaries are our own short paraphrases; all rights remain with the original publishers. Wheel Watcher is not affiliated with these outlets, and their inclusion is not an endorsement. Third-party pages may move or change. Statistics describe the periods shown, not current conditions.