Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary
Take my 2006 Toyota Prius with 215,000 miles for an example. Not only does it need an HV battery, but also an expensive catalytic converter and an engine block. We're talking over $6,000 just in parts if I get all new parts from Toyota, which to me is the only way to go with the battery and legally the only way I can replace the catalytic converter.
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Aftermarket cats are legal, but they may only last the 2.5 years they are warrantied.
That was my experience with my Accord.
I didn't like cheaping out, but Google says the dealership with the lowest price is Honda Parts Cheap, and they want $1,245.94 for a car I would have sold to a stranger for $1,500.
Can you imagine?
Six times what my nephew paid me and I never would have needed to deal with it again!
It isn't legal to buy a used cat or to remove a working one, so when I see a Prius that needs one it would supposedly be illegal to buy a wrecked Prius and pull its CC, but whenever I see a junk Prius for sale the ad always says the catalytic converter is already gone.
Google Shopping only showed 4 dealerships.
I told it to only show units over $450 and it just showed fewer aftermarket ones, but 20 of them cost about as much as a Toyota one!
I wish there were a website that compared part prices from different dealerships!
I searched for the part number and only saw 3 dealerships--and a bunch of other random results.
Since it is illegal to remove a functioning catalytic converter, Consumer Reports, for example, couldn't buy 10 brands, have the emissions checked, and then I guess drive 10,000 miles, and see if they change at all.
Different sources say the average American drives 12-15k miles a year, so arguably they should drive 35,000 miles with each one because that is roughly what the average American would drive during the factory-mandated warranty, but there is no way that anyone would do all of that and it seemed like I was the only person who ever cared which one was the best.
Who wants to replace their cat every 30 months?!