Catalytic Converter Replacement Cost by State, 2026

In Texas, a midsize car with a dead converter usually gets a federal aftermarket part for about $395 to $1,680 installed. Drive the same car in California, New York, Colorado or Maine and that part is illegal to install. The shop has to use a CARB approved converter or the carmaker's own, and both cost more.

I'm Anthony, the lead tech at Supercanic in San Jacinto and Hemet, California. We list 48,054 shops and mechanics on MechanicRank. A converter is the one repair where your state can matter more than your car. It's also one of the few big repairs that's sometimes free, if you check the warranty first.

What a Converter Job Costs by Car

The car decides how big the part is and how hard it is to reach. These ranges come from our catalytic converter cost guide. They price a quality aftermarket part and independent shop labor at $95 to $140 an hour.

• Compact or economy car$350 to $1,470
• Midsize sedan or small SUV$395 to $1,680
• Hybrid$435 to $1,850
• Full size truck or large SUV$480 to $2,060
• Luxury or European$605 to $2,605

From MechanicRank's catalytic converter replacement guide as of October 2026. Diesel exhaust parts are a different job and aren't shown.

AAA's converter cost page runs higher, at $1,000 to $4,000. It prices parts at $300 to $2,500 and labor at $160 to $200 an hour. It also says an OEM converter costs 40 to 70 percent more than an aftermarket one. So the gap between our number and theirs is mostly the part you pick and where you take the car.

Two add ons show up on a lot of converter quotes. AAA says a failing converter often takes oxygen sensors with it, at about $300 each. Rusted pipe, gaskets and heat shields can add more. Our oxygen sensor guide puts one sensor at $110 to $460 installed.

Why CARB States Pay More

Most states follow the federal rules. A federal aftermarket converter only has to cut NOx by 30 percent for 5 years or 25,000 miles. That's from a 2023 letter the converter makers' trade group sent Colorado lawmakers. A CARB converter has to keep the car at its original emissions level for 5 years or 50,000 miles. The same letter says CARB parts use more advanced catalysts. AAA says CARB parts carry more precious metal and cost more.

Each CARB part carries an Executive Order number, stamped on the shell, that lists the exact cars it's approved for. The table shows how the four CARB states handle it, next to three states on federal rules.

Prices are our guide's independent shop ranges with a federal aftermarket part. In the four CARB states, plan on a higher part price on top of these. Rules from the state agencies in the Reading List below.

The fine print differs a bit by state. Maine lets federal only cars and anything older than 2001 keep using federal parts, per Maine DEP. Maine will also look at a non CARB part when the OEM converter costs more than 75 percent of the car's value. New York goes the other way. Its installer guide says the CARB rule covers federal only cars too, and a first violation can cost up to $18,000.

In California, the Bureau of Automotive Repair says the Smog Check inspector has to find the EO number and confirm the part is approved for your car. If the number can't be validated, the car fails. A cheap part off the internet can cost you the whole job twice.

Check the Free Paths First

Before you approve a converter, run through these. Each one can drop the bill to zero or close to it.

• The emissions warranty. Colorado's air agency, CDPHE, says new cars carry a federal emissions warranty of 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first. If your car is inside that window, call a dealer with your VIN.
• Hybrids and PZEV cars. Maine DEP says converter warranties run from 8 years and 80,000 miles up to 15 years and 150,000 miles on hybrids, plug in hybrids and PZEV models.
• Theft. If someone cut it off, call your insurer before you call a shop. Coverage depends on your policy.
• A recall. The old EPA policy bars an aftermarket converter on a car where the part is under recall or warranty. Run your VIN through the carmaker's recall lookup.

One more catch. Inside the warranty window, CDPHE says only an OEM converter can go in. So a shop that offers you a cheap aftermarket part on a five year old car with 40,000 miles is skipping a step. The dealer might owe you that part.

Old Advice That Stuck

P0420 means you need a new converter. Not always. That code compares the oxygen sensor ahead of the converter with the one behind it. A lazy rear sensor or a small exhaust leak can fool the comparison. Our guide puts a sensor at $110 to $460, and an exhaust leak repair at $125 to $600. Both beat a converter. Ask for the test results that rule them out.

Any converter that bolts on is fine. In most states, a federal part is legal. In the four CARB states, it isn't, and AAA says universal weld in converters are illegal there too.

Grab a good used one from the junkyard. CARB says no used converter can be sold or installed in California, and New York, Colorado and Maine ban them too. Even under the old EPA policy, a used converter had to be tested and labeled first. Installing one a customer brings in was a violation, even if it came off the same car.

The warranty ended with the bumper to bumper coverage. The converter has its own longer emissions warranty, covered above. Most people never ask about it.

A dead converter also has a cause. Misfires, burning oil or a rich running engine cook the inside of it. If nobody fixes that, the new one dies the same way.

Reading a Converter Quote Line by Line

Start with labor. Our guide puts a bolt in converter at 1 to 2 hours. At our own shop rate of $150 an hour, that's $150 to $300 before the part. A welded in converter, rusted studs or a second converter on a V6 can add time.

Then ask these before you say yes.

• Which certification is the part? Federal, CARB with an EO number, or OEM. In a CARB state, get the EO number on the estimate.
• What proved the converter failed? Sensor readings, a leak check, a failed emissions test or a rattle. The New York and Colorado rules both require a documented need before a new converter goes in.
• What killed it? Get the cause in writing, so you don't buy two.
• Is the car still under the emissions warranty? If it might be, call the dealer first.
• Are the oxygen sensors on the quote? Ask if they tested bad or if they're just being swapped.
• In California, can I have the old part back? BAR's repair rights page says you can ask for replaced parts. Ask before you approve the work.

If your check engine light is flashing, stop driving soon. Raw fuel from a misfire is what melts converters. Our post on a flashing check engine light covers what to do.

Find a Shop That Knows Your State's Rules

MechanicRank lists 48,054 repair shops and mechanics in 6,649 cities. Every listing shows the shop's phone, reviews and hours, and the phone rings the shop direct. Search your ZIP code and ask whoever you call which converter they plan to use.

At Supercanic, our own shop, labor is $150 an hour, with a 90 day or 5,000 mile labor warranty.

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