By ServiceSage Auto. Published October 13, 2026; last updated October 13, 2026. Data as of: RepairPal shop estimates read October 13, 2026 (dated September 3, 2026 by RepairPal); retailer prices read October 13, 2026, before shipping and tax.
A catalytic converter replacement is usually a parts bill with some labor attached. RepairPal's estimates for 12 popular models run $1,465 to $3,673 at a shop; buy an aftermarket converter yourself and the part for a 2014-2019 Corolla is $314.95 to $414.97. Below: the price by vehicle class and part type, what decides which part you are allowed to buy, when a P0420 or P0430 is not the converter at all, and when the bill should be zero.
The short answer At a shop, $1,465 to $3,673 on the 12 models below, against RepairPal's all-vehicle average of $2,280 to $2,480. Labor is the small part: $132 to $730 across those models. The part itself, for a 2014-2019 Corolla, costs $314.95 to $414.97 as a federal (EPA) aftermarket converter, $629.97 to $819.97 as a California-approved (CARB) one, and $1,246.55 from Toyota. And if the car is inside 8 years or 80,000 miles, the federal emissions warranty should pay for it.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
These are RepairPal's published estimates for a catalytic converter replacement at a shop, model by model, read on October 13, 2026. The class ranges are the lowest and highest figure among the models in each group: compact cars $2,039 to $3,673, midsize cars $1,577 to $2,916, pickups and SUVs $1,465 to $3,063, luxury models $2,897 to $3,496.[1]
| Model | Class | Shop estimate | Labor | Parts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic | Compact cars | $2,591 to $3,673 | $195 to $286 | $2,396 to $3,387 | RepairPal |
| Toyota Corolla | Compact cars | $2,039 to $2,103 | $132 to $194 | $1,907 to $1,909 | RepairPal |
| Toyota Camry | Midsize cars | $1,872 to $1,950 | $166 to $244 | $1,706 | RepairPal |
| Honda Accord | Midsize cars | $2,737 to $2,916 | $154 to $225 | $2,583 to $2,691 | RepairPal |
| Nissan Altima | Midsize cars | $1,577 to $1,682 | $205 to $300 | $1,372 to $1,382 | RepairPal |
| Ford F-150 | Pickups and SUVs | $1,591 to $1,656 | $141 to $207 | $1,450 | RepairPal |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Pickups and SUVs | $2,928 to $3,063 | $257 to $377 | $2,671 to $2,686 | RepairPal |
| Honda CR-V | Pickups and SUVs | $2,330 to $2,554 | $190 to $278 | $2,140 to $2,275 | RepairPal |
| Ford Explorer | Pickups and SUVs | $1,465 to $1,747 | $375 to $550 | $1,090 to $1,197 | RepairPal |
| BMW 328i | Luxury models | $3,359 to $3,496 | $293 to $430 | $3,066 | RepairPal |
| Mercedes-Benz C300 | Luxury models | $2,920 to $3,070 | $320 to $470 | $2,599 | RepairPal |
| Lexus RX350 | Luxury models | $2,897 to $3,131 | $498 to $730 | $2,399 to $2,401 | RepairPal |
RepairPal's all-vehicle average is $2,280 to $2,480 (labor $236 to $347, parts $2,044 to $2,133). Its estimates exclude taxes, fees and your location; the estimator on each linked page narrows the figure to your model year and ZIP code. "Luxury" here means the three luxury models RepairPal publishes for this job that we checked; we did not find comparable data for performance cars.
On every model in the table the part is most of the bill. Labor runs from 6% of RepairPal's estimate (the Honda Accord) to 31% (the Ford Explorer). In dollars that is $132 to $730 - so a quote that differs from another by a thousand dollars is almost always a different part, not a different labor charge.[1]
We do not publish labor hours for this job, because we found almost none we could cite. The one exception is a manufacturer bulletin: for a 2019 Hyundai Tucson 2.0L with P0420, Hyundai's warranty time to update the engine computer and replace the exhaust-manifold converter is 1.1 hours. For your own car, ask the shop for the labor hours on the written quote and multiply by its posted hourly rate; compare that with RepairPal's labor range for your model.[7]
To compare the grades like for like, here is one car: the 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla 1.8L, priced at three retailers on October 13, 2026. Part only, before shipping and tax. The Walker converter is the same part number at two stores, $344.79 at RockAuto and $386.97 at PartsGeek.
| Grade | Part | Seller | Price | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | Autopart Premium APCCT589, direct fit | PartsGeek | $314.95 | PartsGeek |
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | Walker Ultra EPA 55711, direct fit | RockAuto | $344.79 | RockAuto |
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | API, direct fit (EPA federal) | PartsGeek | $365.32 | PartsGeek |
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | AP / Eastern 643149, direct fit | RockAuto | $367.99 | RockAuto |
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | Walker Ultra EPA 55711, direct fit | PartsGeek | $386.97 | PartsGeek |
| Aftermarket, federal (EPA) | Eastern Catalytic 41214, direct fit | PartsGeek | $414.97 | PartsGeek |
| Aftermarket, California (CARB) | Walker CalCat, direct fit (CARB EO D-182-72) | PartsGeek | $629.97 | PartsGeek |
| Aftermarket, California (CARB) | AP 771 Series, semi-direct fit (CARB) | PartsGeek | $819.97 | PartsGeek |
| Toyota original part | Toyota 17410-0T551 front exhaust pipe assembly (converter and pipe) | ToyotaPartsDeal | $1,246.55 | ToyotaPartsDeal |
Toyota's part was listed at $1,246.55 against an MSRP of $1,704.78, and marked "Currently Unavailable" on the day we checked. RepairPal's parts figure for the Corolla is $1,907 to $1,909; its pages do not say which brand of converter that assumes.
Within one brand the California version costs more: Walker's federal 55711 is $386.97 at PartsGeek, its CalCat equivalent $629.97 - and both need the same intermediate pipe to install. The warranties differ too. Walker backs its EPA converter for 25,000 miles of emissions performance (5 years or 50,000 miles structurally); its CalCat line carries a 50,000-mile emissions and structural warranty.[8, 4, 9]
The EPA's own summary of the trade-off: "In general, aftermarket converters are not designed to perform as well as the converter(s) originally on the vehicle. Aftermarket converters, however, will usually provide acceptable performance at a lower cost."[10]
Have the code but not the diagnosis? The P0420 guide walks through what to check before you pay for a converter - the downstream oxygen sensor, exhaust leaks and misfires. Read the P0420 guide
The engine computer does not measure the converter directly. CARB's OBD rules require it to "monitor the catalyst system for proper conversion capability", and in practice it compares the oxygen sensor in front of the converter with the one behind it. P0420 is that test failing on bank 1; P0430 is the same test on bank 2 of a V6 or V8. Anything that upsets the comparison can set the code:[15]
RepairPal's estimate pages make the same point: a failing converter often signals an underlying engine problem that has to be fixed to protect the new one. Reading the two oxygen sensors on a live-data scanner is how you tell these apart - our fuel trims and O2 live data guide shows what the P0420 pattern looks like.[16]
A V-engine has at least one converter on each bank, which is why a pickup can carry both a P0420 and a P0430. On the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (V6 and V8), PartsGeek lists the Davico front-left converter at $356.97 and the front-right at $384.97, and notes that the factory system is a welded assembly that needs the left and the right for a full replacement. RepairPal's parts figure for the Silverado 1500 is $2,671 to $2,686.[17, 18]
Some engines put the first converter inside the exhaust manifold, so the replacement part is the manifold too. On the 2012 Nissan Altima 2.5L the federal version is $270.97 and the CARB version $483.97 at PartsGeek. Toyota's warranty guide lists the two designs as separate parts: "exhaust manifold (including manifold converter)" and "exhaust front pipe (including catalytic converter)".[19, 20]
In a CARB state the cheapest legal converter for the Corolla is a CARB one, $629.97 to $819.97, against $314.95 to $414.97 for the federal parts sold elsewhere. Luxury models cost more mostly because of the part: RepairPal's parts figure for the BMW 328i is $3,066.[4, 21]
Often, yes. The Clean Air Act requires carmakers to give two federal emission warranties, and under them the catalytic converters, the engine computer (ECU) and the on-board diagnostic computer are covered for 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first. Everything else emissions-related gets 2 years or 24,000 miles.[6]
California-certified cars get more. CARB requires a 3-year/50,000-mile defects and performance warranty on all emissions parts and 7 years/70,000 miles on high-cost emissions parts listed in the owner's manual. Toyota's 2025 Corolla guide, for example, puts the exhaust front pipe including the catalytic converter and the exhaust manifold including the manifold converter on its 7-year/70,000-mile list - and applies its California warranty to cars with a California-certified emission system in 17 other states it names, including New York, Colorado, Maine and Pennsylvania.[22, 20]
Check the in-service date and odometer before you approve a quote. A dealer does the warranty repair; an independent shop installing an aftermarket part on a car still under warranty is exactly what the EPA policy above does not allow.[10]
Usually for a while, with two exceptions. A steady check-engine light with P0420 or P0430 means the converter failed an efficiency test, and you can normally drive to a diagnosis - but the car will fail an OBD emissions inspection: federal test rules fail any car whose computer is commanding the light on for a stored code. A flashing light is different. OBD rules make the light blink while a misfire is bad enough to damage the catalyst - keep driving and you can turn a sensor or ignition repair into a converter replacement. See check engine light flashing.[23, 15]
A converter that is physically blocked is a third case: RepairPal lists loss of engine power among the symptoms of a failing converter. Power loss with a converter code is a reason to get it checked before a long drive.[16]
There is no universal cut-off, so we do not invent one. Work through it in this order:
In a state with OBD emissions testing, keep in mind that the car cannot pass while the light is on - so "drive it as is" usually ends at the next inspection.[23]
A scanner that graphs live data is how you check the two oxygen sensors yourself. Amazon links are searches, so you pick the part that fits your car.
Affiliate Disclosure: ServiceSage Auto participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep our content free and up-to-date.
Shop estimates are RepairPal's published per-model ranges for a catalytic converter replacement, read on October 13, 2026 (RepairPal dates them September 3, 2026). They are RepairPal's estimates, not quotes and not our own figures, and they exclude taxes, fees and location.
Part prices are the prices shown on each retailer's product or vehicle listing on October 13, 2026, before shipping and tax. They change; every listing is linked in the references.
The vehicle classes are our grouping of the models RepairPal publishes; a class range is the lowest and highest figure among its models. The labor shares are computed from RepairPal's labor and total figures. We publish no labor hours except the one a manufacturer printed, and no theft figures, because we found none we could cite.
Sources: [1] RepairPal, Catalytic Converter Replacement Cost Estimate (all vehicles); [26] RockAuto, Walker 55711 catalytic converter (E.P.A. compliant; replaces Toyota 174100T551); [8] PartsGeek, 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla catalytic converter, Walker 55711 (Ultra EPA); [5] ToyotaPartsDeal, Toyota 17410-0T551 front exhaust pipe assembly (the converter-and-pipe for the 2014-2019 Corolla 1.8L)
RepairPal's shop estimates for 12 popular models run $1,465 to $3,673, and its all-vehicle average is $2,280 to $2,480. If you buy the part yourself, a federal aftermarket converter for a 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla is $314.95 to $414.97 before installation.[1, 2, 3]
Because the part is most of the bill. In RepairPal's estimates labor is $132 to $730 and parts make up the rest, 68% or more of the total. A factory part costs several times an aftermarket one: $1,246.55 for the Corolla's, against $314.95 to $414.97.[1, 5]
Under federal law the catalytic converter is covered for 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first. California-certified cars also get 7 years or 70,000 miles on high-cost emissions parts listed in the owner's manual.[6, 22]
Out of warranty and with a documented need, yes in most states - EPA rules allow a new federal aftermarket converter. California, New York and Colorado require a CARB-approved converter or the manufacturer's own part, and none of them allows a used one.[10, 11, 12, 13]
Usually for a while: a steady light with P0420 means the converter failed an efficiency test, and you can normally drive to a diagnosis - but the car fails an OBD emissions inspection until it is fixed. If the check-engine light is flashing, a misfire bad enough to damage the converter is happening: ease off and fix the misfire first.[23, 15]
It has at least one on each bank: P0420 reports bank 1 and P0430 bank 2. Replace the one that failed its test; on some trucks, such as the 2016 Silverado 1500, the factory pipe is one welded assembly and both sides are replaced together.[15, 17]
Keep the repair on record Log the converter, the code and the warranty dates in ServiceSage, and get reminded before the services that keep the new one alive. Free for up to 3 vehicles. Track my car free