Catalytic converter needed for our 2004 Solara convertible… thoughts?

Toyota Passenger and Sports Car Forums Camry and Solara
1

So, my wife took her 2004 Solara convertible (V6, 140k miles) for an emissions test today. When they hooked it up, all the dashboard lights came on. They kept the car for diagnostics and called back later to say it needs a new catalytic converter. They said we can still drive it, but it will fail emissions.

The quote is $800, and they’ll need to order the parts. We trust this service center since we’ve been going there for decades, but this is a hefty repair. If Toyota hadn’t stopped making Solara convertibles after just a few years, we’d probably think twice about spending this much to keep the car going.

Anyone have suggestions or thoughts? Is $800 reasonable for this job?

2

Call a few exhaust shops in your area. You might get a better price.

3

Terry said:
Call a few exhaust shops in your area. You might get a better price.

Do you think $800 is too high? Or is it in the ballpark?

4

Ann said:

Terry said:
Call a few exhaust shops in your area. You might get a better price.

Do you think $800 is too high? Or is it in the ballpark?

Most of that cost is for the parts. Catalytic converters have precious metals, so $800 is fairly standard.

5

Ann said:

Terry said:
Call a few exhaust shops in your area. You might get a better price.

Do you think $800 is too high? Or is it in the ballpark?

That price sounds pretty normal for a reputable shop.

6

Ann said:

Terry said:
Call a few exhaust shops in your area. You might get a better price.

Do you think $800 is too high? Or is it in the ballpark?

Or just straight-pipe it and move somewhere emissions tests don’t exist. Problem solved.

7

You could try using O2 sensor spacers to trick the system. It’s a bit of a hack but works for some people.

8

I’ve heard of people flushing out catalytic converters to clean them. Might be worth researching.

9

A couple of years back, I bought a cheap cat for around $250, and it passed smog. I knew it wouldn’t last long, and it didn’t. Ended up paying someone for a smog pass later. Honestly, $800 isn’t bad if you want to keep the car running. 145k miles is great! I just let go of my Solara last month at 293k.