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Jessica Jackson of Carmichael, Calif., started her Toyota 4Runner one morning and was startled by the sound it made.

"I turned on the truck and thought it was going to explode," she said.

Her catalytic converter had been stolen.

Across the country, the problem of catalytic converter theft is on the rise again, as the price of platinum, rhodium and palladium — the metals found inside them — rises. Thieves use portable power saws to remove the converters in minutes, police and auto mechanics say.

Gary Bush, the national law enforcement liaison and director of theft prevention at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, said he has seen a rise in all types of scrap and recycling theft in the past two months.

"Anything that's not nailed down, and in some cases stuff that is, is being stolen," he said. Bush said the rise in commodity prices and the struggling economy are to blame.

In Davis, Calif., 20 converters were stolen from Feb. 26 to March 28, and more have been stolen since, Lt. Paul Doroshov said. The converters cost $1,200 to $2,000 to replace, he said.

In Annapolis, Md., Sgt. Beth Nelson said there was a rash of converter thefts April 7-8 when five were stolen off SUVs.

Converters reduce vehicle emissions and sell for $100 to $150 at scrap yards, John Vickers of Triple A Auto Repair in Davis says. His shop has done two repairs in the past three months.

"It's starting to pick back up," Vickers said.

Neil Duncan, car manager at Sacramento scrap-buyer Sims Metal Management, said he receives several calls a week from people looking to sell converters, but he only buys from auto-repair shops to prevent the sale of stolen items.

Rich Gins, owner of Mid Atlantic Recycle Center in Annapolis, said he does accept converters, but no more than one or two at a time to prevent thieves from cashing in.

In compliance with state law, Gins says he also collects identification from anyone who sells scrap.

Bush said most states require scrap yards to collect ID from sellers. Sometimes vehicle descriptions are taken down or photos are taken of the items brought in as well.

A lack of communication between victims, law enforcement and recyclers can cause thefts to go unsolved, Bush said. Adding to the difficulty: Thieves mix stolen items with legitimate ones, making it tough for scrap yards to tell the difference, Bush said.

In Mount Laurel, N.J., Mamco Property Management faced a $1,900 repair bill on a company vehicle after a converter theft, said Rob Hastings, a vice president. The vehicle was sidelined for a week.

"It's not right," said Hastings, noting that his firm lost money and productivity.

A thief earlier this month hit three vehicles behind Mamco's offices. Five converters disappeared in March from vehicles on two streets within a mile of Mamco's facility, Mount Laurel police said.

Amid the increase in thefts, Jim Dusa, president of CatClamp, based in Toledo, Ohio, said business has been up. CatClamp manufactures a cage-like device, which sells for $150, that fits around a vehicle's converter and makes it harder to steal.

Tests that CatClamp did found converters can be removed with a saw in 12 seconds.

Contributing: Jim Walsh, The (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post