at 4:18 pm If you own a Toyota Prius or a Honda Element, beware. Catalytic converter theft has shot up more than 3,800% in Seattle and King County over the past year. Prime targets include the Toyota Prius or a Honda Element. In 2019, there were 24 reported thefts of catalytic converters in the Seattle area. In 2020, that number jumped up to roughly 950 thefts. That doesnât include the thefts that were not reported to law enforcement. News stories about catalytic converter theft in the past year focus on one or two people, painting a repetitive image of a disheveled person found with 500 catalytic converters in the back of their truck.