Chevy Trailblazer Catalytic Converter Scrap Price - Expensive Part?

When we are talking about catalytic converters and their scrap prices, we should remember the popular American vehicle - Chevy Trailblazer. You may not think that the cat converters in this car cost a fortune when they are clogged or broken. But you can actually get some money for these old cats even though they can't function anymore.

Today, we'll tell you about the possible price for the scrap catalytic converters that you can take off the Chevrolet Blazer of different generations. We'll look at the ways of selling this part and at the possible prices you may get from different buyers. This is important, so just remember some key things from this article to get the maximum the next time you will sell the old converter.

Here's what we'll tell you today about:

• What kinds of converters are used in Chevy Trailblazers?
• How long will the OEM Trailblazer cats live?
• How much will buyers pay for your old cat converter?
• Who will want to buy a Trailblazer catalytic converter?
• Is there a need to install a replacement cat converter?

Let's get started!

Types and location of the Chevy Trailblazer catalytic converters

The Trailblazer was sold in the US from 2001 to 2008 and earlier as a Blazer trim line. So, the youngest Chevy Trailblazer is now more than 14 years old. This is a lot and we should now start thinking about how to sell its catalytic converter and get the most money out of it. It can be hard because Americans usually get about half for their old cat converter just because they don't know the basics.

So, the Chevy Trailblazer was a big SUV with big 6- and 8-cylinder engines. It's a classic American vehicle in its best traditions. Big engines mean that the vehicle has big converters and they can be sold for decent money. Yes, they are domestic cats and this makes their price a little lower, but still, the revenue may be quite impressive.

So, here's what you should know:

• all Trailblazers are equipped with catalytic converters, some of them have two while some may have up to four cats in their exhaust system;
• pre-cats are usually located close to exhaust manifolds, they are smaller, but they still contain some precious metals;
• also, main converters are placed in the exhaust system, close to the muffler, they are bigger and hence more valuable;
• all catalytic converters are pretty durable, they are GM OEM cats that are made of tough metals and live quite long;
• still, all of them will die sooner or later, this depends on the conditions these cats are used under;
• OEM catalytic converters in your Trailblazer should have the serial number on them, it's important to locate it.

So, you may have OEM or aftermarket converters. OEM ones were installed by GM when the car was manufactured. You could also replace the malfunctioning OEM converter with another OEM cat that you bought from a dealer. But in most cases, people buy aftermarket converters that are 4-6 times cheaper than OEM ones.

If you have an aftermarket converter in the system and it malfunctions, selling this cat will not bring a lot of money. Unfortunately, aftermarket converters are usually bought for $30-40 maximum because they don't contain a lot of precious metals. If you have aftermarket cats, reading the article further doesn't make sense. Just sell them to one of the local scrapyards.

What's the durability of the OEM converter in the Trailblazer?

The OEM converter from your Chevy Trailblazer should be OK for at least 150,000 miles. If the vehicle doesn't show any kinds of malfunctions, it may go well beyond this mileage. But sooner or later, this part will still die and leave you with the choice: to scrap your car or buy a new converter.

We've also seen Trailblazer owners with quite a little mileage on their cars but with replaced converters. The explanation for this is the age of the cat. Old converters tend to rust and get some other damage types, so they may malfunction even if they still haven't hit the 100,000-mile mark.

How much is an OEM catalytic converter from the Chevy Trailblazer?

It's hard to say a certain price because these prices vary. One day the price of palladium may go up or down sharply and all buyers will have to reduce their offers. So it's a matter of today. But we can say that at the moment when we are writing this article, a Trailblazer main converter should cost about $210 while the pre-cat will be priced at $60 or something like that.

You may wonder why we are talking about hundreds of dollars but your local scrapyard offered you just $80 for your main cat from the Trailblazer. The secret is that the price is not a stable thing and it may change according to numerous factors.

Here are some of the most important factors that may change the price of your converter much:

• the condition of the cat - it's quite usual that companies will offer less money for some rusty and destroyed cats;
• the prices for platinum, palladium, and rhodium that are not stable and can change every day of the week;
• the type and style of the cat - different converters may have different weights of precious metals inside even though they may look the same;
• also, the buyer is important - while some buyers offer just a little money, others will be glad to pay a couple of times more.

So, you can't control most of these factors. But you can change the last one - choose a buyer. This is what we'll be talking about in the next part of our article. And this is what will help you sell the catalytic converter at a much better price than at your local scrapyard.

Choosing a buyer for the Chevy Trailblazer converter

It's kind of the tradition for American car owners to sell scrap parts to one of the local scrapyards. But those guys are not always fair to you. They may say that they recycle these converters and only sell one or two grams of precious metals from your Chevy converter, so the price should be very low. But actually, they resell these converters to other companies and don't bother themselves with all those recycling things.

So, we've gathered some types of companies you can sell your Trailblazer cat to and added our explanations:

• exhaust shops and mechanics - not the best choice, you will likely get a small discount for their labor only;
• scrapyards - we've already told you that they are just resellers and they will offer too little money for the converter;
• eBay - a great choice for those who have working cat converters, but scrap cats will be sold for little money only;
• private buyers who are usually just middlemen and offer you twice less money as you can actually get;
• recycling companies - these are the best options for those who want good money and no problems in the process of selling the cat.

We would choose only recycling companies because they are fair with their clients and even pay for shipping, in most cases. They will offer you a better price and will always guide you till they get their hands on your cat converter.

Of course, not all recycling companies are good. Some of them still try to trick you out of money and buy your converter cheaper.

Here's how to sell your cat to a recycling company:

• just take the converter off the Trailblazer and clean it a little;
• take pictures of it showing the condition and the serial number;
• go to the websites of recycling companies and send them those pics;
• wait till they reply and tell you how much they are ready to pay;
• find out which company offers you more money and follow its instructions.

It's as easy as that. You will spend just a couple of hours starting from sending pictures and finishing with getting your cat converter to the office of the shipping company.

Will you need a replacement cat for the Trailblazer?

Your good old Trailblazer will never pass a fog test without a catalytic converter. So if your state has this rule, you should install a replacement catalytic converter inevitably. It will cost you a fortune, so sometimes it's really not worth it. Your other alternative is to scrap the vehicle or sell it in a salvage auction but this way you will only get a little money back.

And still, you can't drive your Chevy Trailblazer on public roads without any catalytic converter in the exhaust system.

Final words

Unfortunately, the scrap catalytic converter from your Chevy Trailblazer will not cost a thousand dollars. But you may sell it for a couple of hundred bucks if you find a recycling company that will want to buy it. In this article, we presented you with all the needed information to succeed in this. Want more information? Just follow the steps above and you'll get the needed data from the chosen recycling company