Lexus LS400 Catalytic Converter Scrap Price – Will You Get Good Price?

If you look at your Lexus LS400, you will immediately understand that the vehicle is not new. This model name is used for the first two generations of the LS sedan vehicle. And this is the vehicle that formed the history of Lexus in the US and in many other countries. We can tell you a long story about this wonderful car, but we are afraid this story will not be very up-to-date now.

Instead of telling you something about the wonderful Lexus sedan, we'll tell you some facts about its cat converter. Today, we are going to discuss the catalytic converter scrap price for the Lexus LS400. How much will you be able to get for the old piece of metal that you are holding in your hands?

Here's what we'll be talking about:

1. The type, size, and location of the catalytic converter in your LS400.
2. How much should a Lexus cat converter cost?
3. How can you sell the converter at a good price?
4. What's the replacement cost for the Lexus LS400 cat converter?

Let's get started!

Some facts about the Lexus LS400's converter

The LS400 catalytic converter is a simple Toyota bread-loaf converter. For all engines, the same type was used. But in some cases, the assembly consisted of several units instead of the single one. This is a relatively small but still pretty precious catalytic converter that can easily be sold to recycling companies because it contains some precious metals.

Japanese catalytic converters are somewhat harder to sell than American ones. Japanese manufacturers don't always use serial numbers or put logos on their cats. This makes it harder to differentiate between aftermarket and OEM catalytic converters for your Lexus LS400. But professionals will do that easily.

Here are some important things you should know:

• the OEM cat converter from your Lexus LS400 contains palladium, platinum, and also a little amount of rhodium;
• these converters are optimally protected from rust, so they are not damaged badly even after all those years of use;
• these converters may look like aftermarket ones having no serial number on them, but they are quite heavy;
• inside, they usually have a couple of ceramic elements resembling honeycombs, these are the most important parts;
• these cats are easily fixed with their collars - just unscrew the bolts to take them off, though unscrewing can be difficult in old cats;
• replacement is pretty easy if you manage to unscrew the bolts, then just bolt-on converters will be needed;
• these Toyota cats are valuable because they aren't damaged and hold all their precious metals inside for many years.

You should know that the LS400 was produced between 1989 and 1997. It's a pretty old vehicle and not a lot of them are still left on the road. Many vehicles are now living their last days and are going to be sold to scrapyards soon.

What you should remember is that the absence of the cat converter in such a vehicle will not reduce the price offer from a scrapyard. But it can add some bucks to your pocket. So, just delete the converter before sending your car to a salvage yard. In the next part of the article, we'll explain to you why it's actually important.

How much should an old OEM converter from a Lexus LS400 cost?

The scrap price of a catalytic converter from the Lexus LS400 will depend on too many factors, but we can tell you some averages to rely on.

So, the short answer: the OEM Toyota catalytic converter from your Lexus LS400 should cost about $240 if it's not damaged.

But bear in mind that pre-cats and smaller cat converters from assemblies with multiple cats cost less. You may also try to sell it more expensive, and you should remember that our estimated price is true for June 2022. It may change rapidly and sharply depending on numerous factors.

Here are some of the most important reasons for price change:

• prices for precious metals - once rhodium, palladium, and platinum go up in price, old cat converters may be sold at higher prices to recycling companies;
• average prices of scrap cat converters offered on the market - once a lot of cats are offered for sale, the price may go down a bit;
• the condition of the LS400 converter - sometimes, the awful condition may be the reason for a worse price offer from a buyer;
• the place you are selling your catalytic converter - maybe, you are able to find a better buyer who will offer you a much better price;
• other factors like taxes in a certain state, local laws for recycling companies, and other changes in the industry of scrap converters recycling.

Basically, the only important factor is the process of selling the cat. We mean, the only vital factor that you can control is basically the choice of the buyer. And here you have a wonderful choice - you can go to private buyers, to scrapyards, to car mechanics, or even exhaust shops. And all of them will offer you some bad prices.

If we had an OEM catalytic converter from a Lexus LS400, we would only sell it to a recycling company. And to make this, you will also need to know the algorithm. It's not that complicated, but it requires a couple of actions from you.

Selling your LS400 cat converter to a recycling company

To sell a converter, you basically need to take it off the vehicle. After that, pay attention to its condition. Unfortunately, cats with holes and other fatal damages are not bought at a good price. They need individual study in order to see if the honeycomb is not damaged much.

Also, try to understand that you have an OEM catalytic converter. If not, you won't be able to sell it at a good price. All aftermarket converters, even the high-quality ones, are sold at a low price of $20 or something like that.

Here's what you should do next with your Lexus LS400 catalytic converter:

• Take some pictures of it. It's important for inline applications and quotes so that you could just send these pictures to professionals and ask them to say the price.
• Find some recycling companies. We recommend comparing price offers, so it would be nice if you could find several recycling companies ready to buy your converter.
• Send the cat pictures to them. Not the cat that meows in your kitchen, but the one you have just taken off your car.
• Then, wait for a day or two. These companies will answer you back and tell you which price they may offer for a catalytic converter.
• After that, just compare the offers. Try to find some price offers that are the most lucrative for you. Pay attention to companies that pay for shipping.

These are some simple ways to sell your catalytic converter from an old Lexus. And you can actually do it 24/7. The only thing we recommend doing before is to make sure that the cat is OEM. But even if you don't know that, just send pictures to the companies and they will easily find it out for you.

If you don't like the price offers that recycling companies give, you can try to sell the catalytic converter on eBay or some specialized forums. People sometimes buy these cats to try and get the precious metals in their garages out of the converters. Or they repair them and sell them as remanufactured ones.

How much is it to replace a cat converter in your Lexus LS400?

This is a hard question because we need to understand that the vehicle is very old and its price is extremely low. If you want to install a really good aftermarket catalytic converter (OEM one will be insanely expensive and hard to find), you will probably need to pay at least $1,000 for each catalytic converter.

This is a lot. So, we would probably try and find some cheaper options. Though, if you live in a state like California with strict ecology rules, you will not have the choice. Your Lexus won't pass the fog test without a proper catalytic converter. In some other states, you may try much cheaper cat converters.

Also, we would probably find a mechanic who would agree to replace the converters for $50 or something like that. Because usually, it's not a hard task for a Lexus LS400 - just 6 bolts need to be unscrewed.

Final words

Although the Lexus LS400 is an old vehicle, it can still make some money for you. The most obvious thing you can do to get some revenue is to sell the catalytic converter from the vehicle. To do it, just follow the recommendations we've already listed in our article.

Want to get more money for the cat? You can do it on eBay and other similar websites where you can advertise your cat for sale. But in this case, you will have to spend much more time to get at least some advantage.