We recently took my wife’s good old 97 Tercel, “Jack”, in for his yearly emissions test. Sadly, he failed – it seems that his catalytic converter had gracefully given up the ghost. After 15 years, that’s not unexpected. So we began to check local repair shops for a replacement. What I found was a real eye-opener. Here are the quotes I was given from local service people. Prices reflect parts and labor.
| Brent Brown Toyota, Orem, UT | $1078.59 |
| Larry Miller Toyota, Salt Lake City | $973.00 |
| Midas Salt Lake | $300.00 to $350.00 |
| Exhaust Unlimited | $220.00 to $1000.00 |
| Auto Performance Napa Autocare, Provo, UT | $350.00 |
| Autoworks Car Care, Payson, UT | $220.00 |
Most places quoted me based on some ultra-special converter they said the car needed, which in itself cost around $800.00. We ended up going through Autoworks in Payson; they did a fine job, Jack passed his test, and off we went, happy at having saved significant money.
I have nothing against a business model based on honest markup for a fair profit, but some of these places definitely don’t have the customer’s best interest in mind.
Another story that I just happened to recall, since I’m on the subject. Years ago, my first wife and our children took a trip to SoCal in our 1983 Buick Skylark. We had a wonderful time, and about 15 minute after we had gotten on the freeway in San Diego to head home, our transmission went out. I arranged a tow truck, and not knowing anyone in the area, had our car taken to AAMCO.
Big mistake.
They hauled our car in, took the transmission off, quoted us $1875 to repair it, and refused to put it back in unless we paid them to do it. Bastards. I later found out that nationwide, AAMCO is known for meaning “All Automatics Must Come Out.” I told them where they could stick their scam, and arranged for Interstate Transmissions to come get our car (and the tranny in a box). I sent my family home by air, rented a vehicle and stayed with my brother-in-law for a few days until the car was done, and Interstate charged me something like $1175, which included a lifetime warranty. And a good thing, too – because the transmission did go out again a year later, and they honored their warranty and fixed it at no additional cost.
Never take the first quote you get on something; always check around; and remember, a big name doesn’t guarantee honest or fair service. Be careful out there.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Playing in the World Game 
The Toyota Dealers were installing the exact-fit Factory Catalytic – which is bought from an outside manufacturer, marked up by Toyota, marked up again by the Dealer, installed by the high-priced Dealer techs, and includes a Toyota Service Lifetime Warranty that is worthless for 98% of owners – The car is going to rust to nothing or get scrapped from advanced old age before it goes out again – but if it does, they’ll replace it again..
The real prices were for Aftermarket ‘Universal fit’ Catalysts that a Muffler Guy welds in, and you get a year or three of realistic warranty
You got lucky – there are no CARB Approved aftermarket cats for my Work Truck – Not enough demand for Chevy C-3500 Series to go through Approval process. First estimate was ~$2200, Factory part (complete with Muffler and tailpipes stem to stern) was only $850 on Internet – I beat the local GMC dealer down to ~$1300 installed, take it or don’t.
And AAMCO is still scamming people – Find a good local shop with an ATRA Warranty good anywhere. I will wholeheartedly recommend the Leon’s Transmissions chain in So-Cal. (But note that the Simi Valley shop is owned by a cousin on the outs with the rest of the clan.)
Great appendix with good information! Just a dumb question: $850 for the part online, and you still had to pay $450 labor for the install? That still sounds like piracy to me…
Well, they had to mark the price up a little on the parts, and add CA Sales Tax – No warranty if I ordered the parts from the Chevy dealer in Oregon and put it on myself, Three gaskets that don’t come with the muffler kit, Most important, I don’t have a service lift at home, which turns a two- hour job into a nightmare.
I’d have to get the truck up on jackstands and be under there all day on a creeper (always too low or too high, with bolts you can’t reach lying on your back) practicing my Advanced Cursing – which more than makes up the difference.
“A man’s got to know his limitations.” Mine is that a decent 12,000# rated two-post lift, a slab, and a 14′ tall carport cover is about $5K.