Hi! I drive a 2006 toyota corolla with a mileage of about 280,000km. Still runs fine but my mechanic tells me there's a leak (hole) in my catalytic converter and that it's gonna need changing sooner than later for 2,500$. Im not willing to spend that much. I notice a bit of a rattling noise but nothing else. I dont know for sure if it's really a hole or not i havent checked underneath the car. Is it fixable?
$2500 for a cat? That sounds outrageous!
I just went to Rock Auto and a new cat go's for between $335 and $450.
$2000 just to put it on?
I'm in the wrong business! 😮
Right. Im not talking in american dollars though im canadian. Still pretty high for an old car.
That's too much money for the job. Toyota OEM converters are more expensive than most because they contain higher percentages of precious metals, hence why they don't pollute much.
The rattling you hear is probably the honeycomb baffling inside the converter that has broken. When they go bad, it is very common for them to sound almost like marbles in a can.
Anyway, I highly recommend using an OEM converter replacement as a lot of times universal cats do not burn as clean and sometimes trigger an engine light. But $2500 is excessive. Here is a site that sells genuine OEM cats:
https://www.oemgenuineparts.com/toyota-catalytic-converters/2006-toyota-corolla?
Looks like they only offer the cat along with the rest of the pipe for $1400. OEM parts aren't cheap, but they are the best quality.
Your mechanic obviously is scamming you or just doesn't want the job. When I was a building contractor, I would bid the jobs I didn't want really high. If I got it, the profit was gravy. If I didn't get it, I didn't care.
Autozone - #99205HM - SKU# 275070 - $194.99 USD.
You'll have to add for cutting and welding at a muffler shop.