My 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe has about 132k and failed inspection due to needing a catalytic converter. I cannot buy a new car at this time. The estimate from one repair shop is 1000 for the part plus labor and from another about 1950 done (a highly recommended shop). Any ideas how to make this cheaper?
IDK how much of a DIYer you are but go to autozone and have them read the codes to make sure its the cat and not an o2 sensor or something else. If so some shops may let you bring your parts or call some friends and order a pizza. A cat might be $200-$500 from an autoparts place.
Ha I am not that crafty!
witch engine do you have?
Go by a local muffler shop and see how much they’ll charge you for a new cat. I bet it will be less than half of what you’re being quoted.
No need to dump the car for an expensive repair bill, if it otherwise meets your needs. Good luck.
Aftermarket cats are not as expensive as the originals from the factory as they do not have to meet the federal waranty standard for a new car. I think that’s ten years or 100K miles, so you’re out of luck there. (Someone here will konw for sure.)
After you get it scanned to see if the issue truly is the catalytic converter, find a NON-CHAIN STORE muffler shop for a second opinion. I know one that has told customers that they won’t install a new cat until that has been done because sometimes the new cat doesn’t cure the problem. Then they have an upset customer.
Yea, lets start by getting those codes. That CEL (check engine light) is just a kid in class waving her hand trying to get you attention because she has the answer. You need to have the codes read. Some places will read them for FREE. Try Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. Get the exact code (like P0123) not just their translation into English and post it back here.