Greetings:

2001 A6 2.7T Quattro just over 150K miles needs catalytic converter replaced according to both a dealer and an independent shop.

Not a do-it-yourself type, I pay people whom I hope know what they're doing to work on my vehicles. The purpose of this post is guidance for price range so I'm not taken for a ride here.

What would a reasonable price be for replacement of driver's side catalytic converter? Dealer quote was approaching $3K, but this is the same dealer who couldn't figure out brake lights didn't activate when headlights were on because someone used the wrong bulbs. I think they wanted me to buy a new car.

Another shop quoted around $1500, stressing the importance of OEM catalytic converter vs. aftermarket.

Thoughts?

Thanks much.

 

I spent about $2k for Billy Boat downpipes and catbacks from ECS Tuning. Cost another grand to replace including new O2 sensors. I still get CELs every 100-200 miles fo rboth cats, even after installing anti-foulers. If I was to do it again, I would definitely buy oem cats. The only good thing is that I have a Innova reader so I can reset the CELs and I try and believe the downpipes help the turbos run cooler. One other comment -- since I live in a non emissions state, if I had it to do over I would have left the cats alone and learned to live with the CEL (just as I do today).

 

I've been lucky I guess. I have magnaflow aftermarket cats on my 00 and they have given me zero problems over the last 3 years. Could be 2-4 years as my memory isn't so great. I think I pad 500.00 total for both cats and install from a local exhaust shop.

 

my dealer will do both of mine for $2500.00. So it seems it's a similar fee everywhere.
Can't help you with the non-OEM, as I'm trying to figure out all that too.

 

Ouch!. Back in about 2000 I needed to replace one of the cat's in my 1993 2.8 with about 100k miles. The part was $900 from the dealer and another $300 for installation of just one of the two cats. I ended up going with a re-cored cat from Connecticut Catalytic. These were factory pipes and cats which are cut open, cleaned out and rebuilt with a new core. A local shop installed the part for another $300 for a total of $600. I sold the car with 130k miles and the new owner was still driving it with over 200k miles. I was very pleased with the the rebuilt part.