How can the headline above be possible, you ask? Let’s put it this way – if the catalytic converter in your car gets ripped off, your car is inoperable. How about taking a "stop-theft" course online to keep thieves from stealing?

I remember as a kid we would go fishing in Mexico. Whenever we left our car at the airport in Tijuana, my step-dad disabled the catalytic converter. Not doing so would mean near certain theft of our vehicle. As reported in www.chicagotribune.com.

The catalytic converter is an emissions-control device that contains precious metals which act as catalysts. All cars produced in the United States and made after 1975 have a catalytic converter as part of the exhaust system.

Numerous catalytic converter thefts have been due to the high exchange rate for scrap metals, since catalytic converters contain significant amounts of platinum, palladium or rhodium.

It should come as no surprise that most catalytic converter thefts typically occur when vehicles are parked for prolonged periods in large lots such as shopping centers, mass transit commuter lots or company parking lots.

So how can you prevent your catalytic converter from being stolen? The obvious answer is not to park in any of the above-mentioned locations. But there are other ways steps you can take as well.

To prevent catalytic converter theft, use common sense.

First, always park in well-lighted areas. Also, when parking at shopping centers and other similar parking lots, park close to the entrance of the building or near an access road with a lot of traffic.

A few more hard-core practices include: engrave your license plate number on the converter to make it traceable, visit a local muffler shop and have the converter secured to the vehicle’s frame with hardened steel welded to the frame and check out the different types of catalytic converter theft deterrent systems at your local auto parts store or online.

I hope these tips help keep your car safe. The more savvy and aware the public is about theft, the greater chance we have to deter it.