The Most Stolen Parts of a Car: What Criminals Target and How to Defend Against Theft

Car theft has evolved. While stealing an entire vehicle remains a concern, modern criminals increasingly target specific high-value components. These parts are easier to remove, simpler to sell on secondary markets, and carry hefty price tags. Understanding which components are most vulnerable—and why—is the first step in protecting your vehicle.

We consulted automotive specialists John Lin from JB Motor Works and Frank De Mulder from Classic Car Maintenance to examine the most stolen parts of a car and identify practical defense strategies.

Catalytic Converters: The Prime Target

Catalytic converters remain the number-one target for thieves. The reason is straightforward: these emission-control components contain precious metals—rhodium, palladium, and platinum—that command extraordinary market prices.

Current precious metal valuations tell the story. Rhodium trades above $5,300 per ounce, while palladium commands $1,150 per ounce and platinum $900 per ounce. “These metals create a perfect storm,” John Lin explains. “They’re genuinely valuable, relatively easy to access, and can be removed within minutes using basic tools.”

What makes catalytic converters particularly attractive to criminals is their combination of universal value and low removal difficulty. A stolen converter can cost owners over $1,000 to replace, yet thieves can extract it in mere minutes underneath a vehicle.

To counter this threat, Frank De Mulder recommends etching your Vehicle Identification Number directly onto the converter itself—a simple step that significantly reduces resale appeal since buyers become hesitant about purchasing marked components. Equally important is maintaining comprehensive insurance coverage that explicitly includes catalytic converter theft, a provision now offered by most insurers given theft frequency.

Wheels and High-End Rims: Fast and Profitable

Custom rims and premium tires represent another lucrative target. Unlike catalytic converters, wheel theft is immediately visible and often happens quickly. “Aftermarket wheels, especially high-end brands, regularly sell for thousands of dollars,” Lin notes. “Combined with rising tire costs, the financial incentive is enormous.”

Thieves can remove both tires and rims in minutes with portable equipment. The secondary market eagerly purchases these components, either for legitimate resale or to supply chop shops.

De Mulder suggests a counterintuitive defensive approach: park at an angle. “If you position your wheels at a 45-degree angle, particularly when parked against a curb, you make it significantly more difficult for criminals to access and turn the lug nuts,” he explains. “Criminals prefer quick jobs. A configuration that requires extra time often sends them to easier targets.”

Installing affordable tire locks provides additional security. These devices prevent wheel removal and are widely available at auto-parts retailers.

Airbags: Small, Valuable, and Increasingly Targeted

Airbags present an interesting profile. While they’re more challenging to steal than wheels or converters, the financial reward justifies the effort for experienced thieves. Retail airbag prices hover around $1,000, yet black-market sales occur at $50 to $200 per unit—sometimes higher for specific vehicle models.

“Airbags are portable, expensive to replace, and genuinely vital safety components,” De Mulder observes. “Once removed, they’re straightforward to sell online or to unscrupulous repair shops.”

Protection strategies include steering wheel locks, which physically prevent airbag access, and routine monitoring of your dashboard’s airbag indicator light. If this light activates unexpectedly, it often signals tampering or attempted theft.

Audio and Navigation Systems: Legacy Targets

While technology has reduced the prevalence of dedicated GPS units and aftermarket stereo systems in newer vehicles, older cars remain prime targets. Specialist audio equipment—particularly systems featuring DVD players or high-end amplifiers—command solid prices among enthusiasts.

“Aftermarket audio components still represent theft opportunities, particularly in vehicles older than ten years,” Lin explains. Audio equipment is relatively easy to remove and carries devoted buyer interest.

Mitigation includes parking in well-lit, monitored locations; using reflective window tints or covers to obscure interior visibility; and installing visible alarm system decals, which often deter casual criminals.

Batteries and Electrical Components

Vehicle batteries have become targets due to increasing precious metal content in modern batteries, combined with rising replacement costs. A battery extraction requires basic mechanical knowledge and minimal time.

Prevention involves installing battery terminal locks, positioning vehicles in secure parking areas, and maintaining visibility of the battery compartment through regular maintenance checks.

License Plates: Unexpected Vulnerability

License plates present a unique theft scenario. Criminals steal plates not to resell them but to attach them to unregistered or illegal vehicles, effectively “borrowing” your vehicle’s identity for illicit activities.

“License plate theft is straightforward to prevent,” De Mulder advises. Security screws, which require specialized tools for removal, provide robust protection. “Installation takes minutes and costs nearly nothing compared to the security benefit.”

SUV Third-Row Seats: An Emerging Threat

Third-row seating theft has increased noticeably, particularly targeting popular SUV models. These seats are surprisingly easy to remove, light enough to transport, and valuable to buyers seeking replacement seating or donor components for vehicle customization.

The Los Angeles Police Department recommends securing seats with bike locks when vehicles remain unattended for extended periods. Alternatively, physically removing seats when not in use eliminates the target entirely.

Truck Tailgates: Model-Specific Vulnerability

Certain truck models—particularly the Toyota Tacoma—suffer from tailgate theft clusters. Police reports document coordinated thefts affecting multiple vehicles in the same geographic area, indicating organized targeting rather than opportunistic crime.

Criminals access these tailgates by sliding underneath the truck bed and disengaging the mounting pins using basic tools. Removal typically takes seconds. Tailgates subsequently sell online or to scrap yards, netting thieves several hundred dollars per unit.

Aftermarket tailgate locks offer affordable protection. These devices wrap around tailgate edges and mounting points, preventing separation. Installation requires minutes and basic tools, with most options priced under $100.

Garage Door Openers: Indirect Home Security Risk

Perhaps the most overlooked vulnerability involves garage door openers left inside vehicles. If stolen, these devices grant criminals direct access to your home—transforming a car theft into a potential home invasion scenario.

The solution is absolute: never leave garage door openers in your vehicle. Store them in your home where they belong.

Comprehensive Vehicle Protection Strategy

Defending your vehicle requires layered approaches. Lin recommends prioritizing parking location: “Well-lit, monitored parking areas provide genuine deterrence. Most thieves seek easy opportunities and quick exits. Environments requiring attention or creating witness risk become inherently less attractive.”

Car alarm systems, when properly installed and maintained, provide audible deterrence that sends most casual thieves toward easier targets. Steering wheel locks and tire locks offer visible evidence that theft will require time and effort.

VIN etching extends to multiple vehicle components, not just catalytic converters. Marked parts become significantly less attractive on secondary markets since buyers fear law enforcement tracing.

De Mulder emphasizes insurance as a final safeguard: “While preventative measures substantially reduce risk, comprehensive coverage including theft of components provides financial protection when prevention fails. Compare insurance options to identify plans offering adequate coverage for your vehicle’s specific vulnerabilities.”

By understanding which parts thieves pursue, recognizing why these components attract criminal attention, and implementing targeted protective measures, vehicle owners can substantially reduce their theft risk. This combination of awareness, prevention, and insurance creates genuine protection against becoming a victim of component theft.