Catalytic converter replacement cost: federal or CARB part, labor and state
Choose the vehicle type and the state, and under More options the converter type: federal, or CARB-approved where state rules require one.
Catalytic converter, sedan, national: typical cost
$388
Range $302 to $676 · one converter · before sales tax
| Labor time, sedan | 1.2 h |
| Shop rate, national | $114 to $159 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $161 |
| Parts, typical listing | $226 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How costs are estimated · automaker labor times, BLS technician wages, parts read October 20, 2026 · not a quote
Replacing one catalytic converter on a sedan costs about $388 with a federal (EPA) converter at the national median shop rate of $134 an hour, in a range of $302 to $676 before tax. With the same kind of part, an SUV comes to about $554, a pickup $512 and a luxury car $827. The 4 automaker labor times read run from 1.2 h to 2.6 h, the longest for an all wheel drive SUV. The federal converter has a median listing of $226 for the reference sedans, while a CARB-approved one, required in California, lists at $464 in the catalog read on October 20, 2026. That part choice can outweigh the state rate: a sedan comes to about $414 in California with a federal part and $651 with a CARB-approved one. With federal parts, the sedan job runs from $352 in West Virginia to $421 in the District of Columbia.
What a converter replacement involves
The catalytic converter is the canister in the exhaust that turns most of the carbon monoxide, unburned fuel and nitrogen oxides from the engine into less harmful gases. It holds a ceramic or metal honeycomb coated with precious metals. It can fail when it is clogged, melted by an engine misfire, cracked or poisoned by oil or coolant, and it can also be cut off the car by thieves. A check engine light with a converter code does not by itself prove the converter is bad, since an oxygen sensor or an engine fault can trigger the same code. A mechanic has to confirm the cause before a converter is fitted, or the new one may fail in turn.
The work itself is usually short. The exhaust is unbolted at the flanges on either side of the converter, the oxygen sensors are moved to the new part, and new gaskets and nuts go in. Where the converter is built into the exhaust manifold, the job reaches the engine side of the exhaust. Rusted studs and bolts, common on older cars, can add time that no reference can predict, and a car whose converter was cut out by a thief often needs pipe work as well.
Labor times from the automakers
The times below come from General Motors special coverage programs filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in which the automaker extended the warranty on a converter and printed the labor it pays dealers. The sedan figure is a converter built into the exhaust manifold. The SUV pair shows how much the drivetrain matters: 1.3 h for front wheel drive and 2.6 h for all wheel drive on the same model. The pickup figure is a warm up converter close to the engine. No bulletin was found for a luxury car, so its range uses every time read, 1.2 h to 2.6 h.
| Type | Vehicle and engine | Bulletin filed with NHTSA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 / GMC Sierra 1500, not stated | GM Special Coverage N262548050, April 2026 | 1.3 h |
| Sedan | 2006-2009 Chevrolet Malibu / Pontiac G6 / Saturn Aura, 2.2L (L61) / 2.4L (LE5, LAT) I4 | GM Special Coverage 10134C, September 2013 | 1.2 h |
| SUV | 2010-2011 Chevrolet Equinox / GMC Terrain, 2.4L I4 (LAF) | GM Special Coverage N151702790 (15810, revision 03), July 2018 | 1.3 h |
| SUV | 2010-2011 Chevrolet Equinox / GMC Terrain AWD, 2.4L I4 (LAF) | GM Special Coverage N151702790 (15810, revision 03), July 2018 | 2.6 h |
Each figure is for one converter. Many V6 and V8 engines have two or more, one per bank of cylinders plus sometimes one further back, and a quote for several converters will count each one. A Ford hybrid pickup bulletin was left out because its times can only be claimed together with a diagnosis operation.
Federal converters and CARB-approved converters
Two kinds of replacement converter are sold. A federal converter is built to the EPA aftermarket converter policy, revised in a Federal Register notice of 2008, and is the kind fitted in most states. A CARB-approved converter has been tested and given an executive order by the California Air Resources Board for specific vehicles. California requires a CARB-approved replacement, and Colorado does as well according to the state rules read for this site. Other states set their own rules, and the state pages give the rule where we read it in the statute or the agency's guidance.
The price gap is large. For the federal parts, the reference sedans listed from $165 to $485 and the pickups at a median of $337; the two luxury cars at $572.
| Type | Reference vehicle | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 2016 Honda Accord 2.4L L4 | $165 | $201 | $362 |
| Sedan | 2017 Toyota Camry 2.5L L4 | $176 | $252 | $485 |
| SUV | 2016 Ford Explorer 3.5L V6 | $187 | $333 | $499 |
| SUV | 2017 Honda CR-V 2.4L L4 | $182 | $252 | $362 |
| Pickup | 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 | $150 | $353 | $619 |
| Pickup | 2017 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 | $224 | $322 | $369 |
| Luxury | 2016 BMW 328i 2.0L L4 Turbo | $626 | $626 | $626 |
| Luxury | 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L L4 Turbo | $330 | $518 | $706 |
The catalog held CARB-approved listings for only some of the reference vehicles: 2017 Toyota Camry 2.5L L4, 2016 Ford Explorer 3.5L V6, 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 and 2017 Ford F-150 5.0L V8. It had none for 2016 Honda Accord 2.4L L4, 2017 Honda CR-V 2.4L L4, 2016 BMW 328i 2.0L L4 Turbo and 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L L4 Turbo, so the luxury type has no CARB price on this site and the estimator counts labor only when a CARB part is selected for it. On the pickups, CARB-approved listings reach $2,218, and the pickup median of $978 compares with $337 for the federal kind.
| Type | Reference vehicle | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 2017 Toyota Camry 2.5L L4 | $289 | $464 | $640 |
| SUV | 2016 Ford Explorer 3.5L V6 | $645 | $930 | $1,457 |
| Pickup | 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 | $818 | $1,518 | $2,218 |
| Pickup | 2017 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 | $439 | $439 | $439 |
Converter cost with the part your state requires
Catalytic converter, sedan, California: typical cost
$651
| Labor time, sedan | 1.2 h |
| Shop rate, California | $133 to $184 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $187 |
| Parts, typical listing | $464 |
The bill in your state
With labor of 1.2 h to 2.6 h, the shop rate moves the bill less than the type of converter does. With federal parts, a sedan costs about $352 in West Virginia and $421 in the District of Columbia, rates from a shop survey scaled by technician wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In California a pickup with a CARB-approved part comes to about $1,181. The state comparison ranks every state for this repair, using federal parts.
Before you approve the quote
Ask which converter the shop will fit, federal or CARB-approved, and for which vehicle it is listed: a converter must be approved for your exact model and engine to be legal where approval is required. Ask how many converters the quote covers, whether oxygen sensors or pipes are being replaced, and whether a diagnosis fee is included. The quote checker then compares the hours, rate and part with your state's band. On an old car with several faults, the repair or replace page puts the bill against the car's value.
This page gives the cost of a converter that a mechanic has found must be replaced; it cannot tell you whether yours has failed.