How much does a catalytic converter cost?

May 24, 2004 5:14 PM

The catalytic converter on my 97 Ford Escort blew out today, and I suspect it ruptured part of the exhaust works in front of the muffler. I can find out how much parts cost on my own, but I'm not going to be doing the service myself, so could someone knowledgeable in the realm of automotive repair hazard a ballpark guesstimate as to how much this might cost me to fix? I just need a general idea so I can figure out how much blood to sell to pay for the repairs.
posted by headspace to travel & transportation (4 answers total)

Ballpark is all I can do, I'm afraid. 5 years ago, in my 1987 Chevrolet Beretta, it was a couple hundred bucks, with labor.
posted by Hildago at 7:58 PM on May 24, 2004

Here in Missouri, you can get an aftermarket (non OEM) cat for eighty or ninety bucks. The pipe from the exhaust manifold should be in the neighborhood of fifty. Labor, two hours. However, they're likely gonna want to put in a new O2 sensor, which isn't a bad idea - fifty bucks, and less than fifteen minutes labor. Heck, they may not be able to salvage the old O2 sensor from the old pipe.

If you go to a local shop - not a chain - they may be able to "get you by" without replacing the cat-forward pipe.

If the car doen't have very many miles on it, you may be able to get some sort of emissions variance from Ford.
posted by notsnot at 8:08 PM on May 24, 2004

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. I was sitting here fearing the "couple thousand" ballpark figure, this made me feel a lot better. Unfortunately, our little Escort has been treated like the family wagon it is, and thus, has more than a hundred thousand miles on it, so no emissions variance for us, I don't think. Thank you again, you all put my mind at rest!
posted by headspace at 8:11 PM on May 24, 2004

Ffrom my experience, $100 bucks, installed. Call around the non-chain muffler shops, your phone is your friend.
posted by thomcatspike at 1:36 PM on May 25, 2004