Toyota Corolla Catalytic Converter Scrap Price and Options to Sell It

The Corolla is one of the most popular models of one of the top car manufacturers in the world - Toyota. This is the car that has survived more than a dozen generations and is now still extremely popular. In the US, the vehicle usually sells over 300,000 cars a year with only a slight drop in 2020 and 2021. This means we are having loads of Corollas on our roads.

Today, we'll be talking about Toyota Corolla catalytic converters. How much can you get for the OEM converter that you've taken off your Corolla? And who should you sell this converter to? We know well what exactly you should do with the old catalytic converter to get more money for it. And we are going to share that information with you today.

Here's what exactly we'll be talking about today:

• What kinds of converters are used in Corolla vehicles?
• Where's the converter located in a Toyota Corolla?
• How much will buyers pay for an old converter from your Corolla?
• Where and how should you sell the catalytic converter?
• Are Toyota Corolla vehicles prone to cat converter theft?

Let's get started!

The type and location of the Corolla catalytic converter

Toyota has been using numerous kinds and types of catalytic converters in their compact vehicle. The Corolla may have one, two, or even three converters depending on such factors as year and engine type. Earlier vehicles tended to have one converter while modern cars usually have one or two pre-cats and one main catalytic converter.

The usual location of any pre-cat is very close to the exhaust manifold or right in the manifold. Pre-cats are pretty small and sometimes they are hard to locate. Still, they don't need to be replaced as often as main converters. Main cats in a Corolla are located between the engine and the muffler which is the standard location for this part in the majority of cars.

Here are some facts about Corolla converters:

• they are not very big and heavy, this is the key factor that makes them not very valuable when you sell them used;
• still, these converters contain platinum and palladium, some models may also contain one or two grams of rhodium;
• all Toyota converters are pretty durable, they can live for dozens of years unless they are physically damaged or overheated;
• buyers like Toyota catalytic converters because these cats are of high quality and almost never have the damaged honeycomb;
• inside them, these cats have a ceramic honeycomb and all the precious materials are placed directly on this honeycomb;
• pay attention to serial numbers and the Toyota logo on the body of the converter, they are proving that the cat is OEM.

Actually, the catalytic converter should always be OEM if you want to sell it at a good price. It means that this cat was produced or certified by Toyota. Unfortunately, many cars will have aftermarket catalytic converters in them because they have already been repaired and the cats have been replaced.

You can't sell the aftermarket cat from your Corolla at a decent price because these converters usually cost about $20. Aftermarket catalytic converters may also contain some precious metals, but they are quite risky to buy. That's why buyers only offer little money for them.

What should be the scrap price for the Corolla catalytic converter?

So, your catalytic converter started malfunctioning and you now have it in your hands while some other new converter was installed in your vehicle. What should you do? Selling this old cat is the best decision you can make.

Usually, the OEM pre-cat will be sold for about $60 while the main catalytic converter (OEM only) will be sold at $140, on average. This is not the vehicle with the most expensive catalytic converter in the world. But still, why should you lose that money?

Also, you should know that you have no chance to sell an aftermarket catalytic converter more expensive than $20 or $30 because these cats are unpredictable in their price.

One more thing to consider is that the eventually offered price for your catalytic converter depends on quite a lot of factors. Here are the most important ones:

• the year and the model of the vehicle;
• the serial number on your cat converter;
• the condition of the cat - damages, cracks, bad rust;
• the prices for platinum, palladium, and rhodium;
• the availability of other old converters for purchase;
• the buyer who you sell your converter to.

These factors are mostly independent and you can't control them. But you can control who you are selling the catalytic converter to.

Who to sell the cat converter from your Toyota Corolla to?

You have to know that there are at least four types of buyers that will gladly buy your cat converter from a Corolla. And the choice of the buyer will significantly change the amount of money you can get from the old cat.

Here are some of the possible choices:

• eBay - this is a wonderful way if your cat converter is still operational and can pass the fog test;
• scrapyard - you can sell the catalytic converter to a scrapyard but you shouldn't think they will pay you a lot of money;
• middlemen - those are private buyers who want to resell your catalytic converter and earn something, they are not too generous;
• recycling companies - all converters end up here and these companies are ready to pay a fair price for your converter.

Well, it's clear that selling your cat directly to recycling companies is one of the best possible ways. You should know that catalytic converters are bought at a fair price not in all places. While a scrapyard may offer you $60 for your Corolla OEM cat, one of the recycling companies may give over $140 and even pay for shipping.

To check the current price for the Corolla cat that you have in your hands, you just need to do the following:

• take the catalytic converter off your Toyota and clean it a little to see the serial number;
• take pictures of the car and make sure you can see the serial number on those pictures;
• find three or four websites of recycling companies that buy old cats;
• find the way to quote - this is the easiest way to get the estimated price offer;
• after that, you should just wait for these guys to evaluate the converter and send the offer to you.

When you have all those offers in your hands, you may decide which company you like the most and which offer is the best. This will not take a lot of time to quote. Also, pay attention to other important advantages and perks you may get from each buyer.

Unfortunately, prices for old catalytic converters are not the most stable and firm thing in this world. You may notice that prices for precious metals go up and down almost unpredictably. And this makes the cat converter prices fluctuate, too. So, instead of trying to find out in this article how much your Corolla cat converter may cost, you should ask one of the recycling companies about this.

Are Toyota Corolla converters prone to theft?

You may have heard that people steal catalytic converters and then sell them. And now you know that the main OEM cat from your Corolla may cost as much as $140. So, will thieves hunt for your vehicle to take the catalytic converter off?

The answer is simple: they most likely won't. The Corolla doesn't have a very precious catalytic converter. Also, these vehicles are pretty low (we mean the road height). So, it's pretty hard to get under the vehicle without jacking it up. The thief will most likely choose an SUV or truck to steal a more precious converter and do it faster.

But if your vehicle is left in a remote place without proper security, thieves can use all their skills to cut off the catalytic converter. They will then sell the cat to one of the scrapyards that deal with such criminals and pay $20-$50 for each converter. So, these thieves will not even be able to get decent money.

Anyway, you will be left with a torn exhaust pipe and a problem that will cost you $500 to $2000 to repair depending on what type of catalytic converter you will choose. Driving without a cat in America is forbidden in almost all states.

Final words

When your Toyota Corolla shows signs of a malfunctioning catalytic converter, the best idea is to buy the new one. Once everything is settled, you will have the old cat in your hands. The best choice for you is to sell this cat to a recycling company or to any other buyer that is ready to pay enough for it.

Just use recycling companies' websites to quote and get to know the price. You will most likely find the best solution for selling your catalytic converter fast and without any hassle.