I purchased a used 2005 6-cylinder Camry. Recently I had to replace the muffler assembly, resonator assembly, converter-direct fit, and 3 gaskets. Parts cost me $1,371 (not including a “shop supplies” charge of $46) and labor was 199.50 for two hours. Final cost after tax: $1738.22.
Now the VSC and TRAC OFF lights are on, and the shop says I need to replace the Bank 1 rear converter (and an air filter). With labor, $1100.
This sounds like a lot of money to me. I haven’t had to pay for major repairs for a long time (had a Saturn that ran forever). So I don’t know. What do you all think?
a v6 might have a front and rear manifold cat and a 3rd midstream cat and resonator. if you have all of them replaced with california carb stuff than it could be thousands of dollars. my v6 rear cat fed directly into mid-pipe resonator so depending on rust issues you may have to change out a cat. usually a failed cat is not changed due to rust. it is for lack of cat efficiency due to some motor issue like running too rich or so on
I would get a 2nd and 3rd opinion/estimate. The parts for your first job should be around $600ish retail. Of course a shop will mark that up somewhat. With labor and tax you should’ve been around $900-$950ish. If you have California emissions, you can tack on another $200 or so. To me it seems that they are really marking up the parts unless they are getting OEM parts from the dealer.
A direct fit aftermarket converter/manifold retails for around $260. If it’s the firewall-side bank, then the labor to get to it could be more. But even for allowing a significant mark up on the parts, $1100 is pretty steep. I’d shop around. I’d also get another diagnosis, and see if another mechanics thinks your problem is the same as the first one. Given the prices that are being charged, I’d be a bit leery.
Find another mechanic,this guy is ripping you off. I never changed the catalytic converter on my Corolla and its 6 years older than yours. Did they give you an explanation why they replaced the cat?
You have absolutely no idea what condition op’s car is/was in when it got the cat replaced
I don’t think we’re yet in a position to label this mechanic as a thief . . . we’ve only heard one side of the story. What if the exhaust system was severely corroded and the car wouldn’t pass inspection?
The car could have had P0420 and P0430 for years. Cats could be toast, due to overheating, excessive oil consumption, ignition misfires, etc.
We also don’t know what brand parts were installed . . . it makes a big difference. Not to mention if this car has california emissions. Some states require california spec components to be installed, if the car has california emissions specs, even if the car is registered outside of california.
I never paid more than $600 to get my entire system replaced.Wagner exhaust parts are cheap enough that you can do it yourself. Most aftermarket cats cost around $250 and mine never got replaced.I live in the rust belt and my Corolla endured 19 long winters.
Your personal experience is yours. Without seeing the actual invoice saying the mechanic overcharged or charged too much is impossible. There are to many times when posters leave out details or don’t fully understand that should ask questions of the shop.
The car is 14 years old and even if California is an issue who says the car has spent that entire 14 years in CA? Maybe the first 10 was in Chicago…
Dealer parts are usually higher than aftermarket parts through the local parts store. I’ve been involved with some repairs that involved friction over parts pricing and the irate customer is pointing the finger at the wrong person. If they’re mad complain to the car manufacturer who sets those prices ot the dealer.
Case in point. Customer mad (rightfully so…) over 5 grand for a brand new Subaru transmission The dealer COST on that transmission was 4 grand so a 25% markup is not that bad.
