The short answer
Catalytic converter scrap prices depend on the metal inside, the exact part and that month's metal market. On November 6, 2026, recycler RRCats listed a national average of about $86 each, from $5 for aftermarket units to over $1,100 for the priciest type. On a car you're junking, leave it in: buyers price the whole car with it.
Catalytic converter scrap prices come down to three things: how much platinum, palladium and rhodium the converter was built with, which exact part it is, and what those metals are trading for that month. There's no single price, and a buyer who quotes one without seeing the part number is guessing.
For a sense of the range, here is one recycler's list. These are guideline prices from the converter recycler RRCats, not what our buyer partner pays.
Scrap price by converter type (RRCats, November 6, 2026):
| Converter type | RRCats price, each |
|---|---|
| National average | $85.98 |
| Aftermarket | $5 |
| Small domestic | $30 to $174 |
| Regular domestic | $20 to $127 |
| Small GM | $18 to $764 |
| Large GM | $80 to $278 |
| Small foreign | $30 to $222 |
| Large foreign | $90 to $449 |
| Exotic (from foreign cars) | $200 to $582 |
| Diesel | $15 to $504 |
| Torpedo (larger Ford vehicles) | $110 to $1,146 |
RRCats calls these prices guidelines only and quotes individual converters by serial number (RRCats price list). An older data point: in 2023, the National Insurance Crime Bureau said metal recyclers often paid $50 to $250 for a converter, and up to $800 for one from a hybrid (NICB). Both sets of figures follow metal prices.
If the converter is still on a car you're junking, leave it there. Buyers price a complete car with its converter. Cutting it out usually lowers the offer for the car, and selling it loose now takes ID, ownership papers and, in some states, a wait for your money.
What makes a catalytic converter valuable?
A converter is worth money because of the platinum-group metals coated on the honeycomb inside it, mostly palladium, platinum and rhodium. The U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 says catalytic converters were the leading U.S. use of these metals, and that about 50,000 kilograms of palladium and 8,600 kilograms of platinum were recovered from car converters in the United States in 2025.
How much metal a particular converter holds, and so what it brings as scrap, depends on a few things:
- Buyers grade converters by the numbers stamped on the shell, which tell them which unit it is and what it was built with. RRCats tells sellers to check the corners, under shields and the down pipes for those numbers, and notes that not every converter has them.
- The converter a car left the factory with and a cheaper aftermarket replacement are graded separately, and their prices can be far apart, as the $5 aftermarket row above shows.
- Engine size, fuel type and the number of converters vary by model. USGS notes that palladium has been used in place of platinum in most gasoline-engine converters because it was historically cheaper, and that in diesel converters about 25% palladium can routinely be substituted for platinum, rising to as much as 50% in some applications.
- A cracked, empty or gutted converter has lost the part that's worth money.
- Prices follow the metals market, so the month you sell matters too.
Treat NICB's 2023 range as dated. Through 2025, palladium and rhodium averaged below their 2023 levels, according to the USGS figures above, even after both rose in 2025.
Why do catalytic converter prices change so much?
Converter prices move with palladium, platinum and rhodium, and those metals have swung hard in just a few years. These are USGS annual average prices per troy ounce:
| Year | Palladium | Platinum | Rhodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $2,419 | $1,094 | $20,254 |
| 2022 | $2,134 | $967 | $15,585 |
| 2023 | $1,352 | $973 | $6,661 |
| 2024 | $995 | $961 | $4,660 |
| 2025 (estimate) | $1,100 | $1,200 | $5,800 |
Rhodium lost more than three quarters of its value between 2021 and 2024. Then in 2025, USGS estimates, average prices rose 25% for platinum, 24% for rhodium and 11% for palladium, which it put down to lower production and higher demand. So a converter that brought a big check in 2021 is likely worth far less now, and the same part can be worth noticeably more or less a few months from now. If you're comparing quotes, get them in the same week.
How much will a junkyard give you for a catalytic converter?
For a loose converter, RRCats' list on November 6, 2026 averaged $85.98, with most types between a few dollars and a few hundred, and what a yard pays depends on the converter's type and part number. Still on a junk car, the converter is part of the price of the whole car. Buyers start from the car's metal value, about $310 for a complete midsize sedan and $450 for a pickup at $186 a ton (November 2026), then add for the parts they can use, the converter included. Our scrap car prices page explains how those figures are set.
A car without its converter is an incomplete car. Our junk car value calculator lowers its estimate when you say the engine, transmission or converter is missing, and buyers make the same cut. To see what the converter adds, ask for a quote on the complete car.
Should you take the catalytic converter off before you scrap the car?
Usually not: on a car you're junking, pulling the converter yourself tends to lose money.
- The car's offer drops, because buyers price a car without its converter as incomplete.
- Selling it loose takes paperwork. States such as California, Texas and Minnesota require proof that you own the car it came from, and recyclers record your ID and the VIN.
- You may wait for your money. California and Minnesota both limit cash payment for detached converters.
- Cutting out a section of exhaust takes tools and a safe way to get under the car, and a damaged converter is worth less.
- If anyone will drive the car again, removing the converter is an emissions tampering problem (more on that below).
What should you take off the car before you scrap it? Your belongings, toll tags and garage remotes, plus the plates if your state keeps them with the owner. Leave the parts on. Our checklist for before you junk a car covers the rest.
What are the rules for selling a catalytic converter?
In a growing number of states, a business buying a loose converter has to verify who you are, record which car it came from and sometimes hold your payment. NICB tracked 163 converter-theft bills across 37 states in 2022, and 31 became law (NICB). Three examples:
- California. Under Vehicle Code 10852.5, a used converter may be bought only from licensed businesses or from a person with documentation, such as a title or registration, showing they own the vehicle it came from, with a VIN that matches the number permanently marked on the converter. A core recycler has to record the seller's name and driver's license number and the year, make, model and VIN of the source vehicle. It can't pay an individual in cash: payment goes by check or another traceable method, mailed or picked up on the third business day after the sale (Business and Professions Code 21610).
- Texas. The seller has to give the recycler the year, make, model and VIN of the car the converter came from, plus a copy of the title or other proof of ownership, and the recycler can't buy without them (Occupations Code chapter 1956). The recycler's record also has to include the seller's thumbprint, with a narrow exception for holders of a state cash transaction card.
- Minnesota. A scrap metal dealer can't buy a detached converter unless it's marked with the date it was removed and the VIN (or a number linked to it) and the seller provides a copy of the title or registration. Payment can't be made until at least five days after the sale, by check or deposit to the seller's bank account (Minn. Stat. 325E.21).
These rules differ by state and change often, so ask the buyer what they need before you bring a converter in.
What does the Clean Air Act say?
If the car will be driven again, federal law adds another layer. EPA's tampering policy says the Clean Air Act prohibits tampering with emissions controls, including catalysts, and that the prohibition applies for a vehicle's entire life, even after the warranty ends. EPA lists hollow straight pipes that replace catalysts as a common example of prohibited hardware. Many states have their own tampering laws and emissions inspections on top of that. If you're keeping the car, have a shop install a replacement that's approved for it.
Who pays the most for a catalytic converter?
Buyers that price a converter by its serial number or part number usually pay the most for a high-grade unit, because they know what metals it holds. RRCats, for example, publishes prices by serial number as well as the averages in the table above. A yard that pays one flat rate for every converter can't reward a better one, so a high-grade factory converter may bring less there than at a buyer that grades it. Either way, the buyer has to be one your state allows to buy loose converters.
How much does a catalytic converter cost to replace?
A new catalytic converter costs far more than a used one brings as scrap. NICB put the cost of replacing a stolen converter at $1,000 to $3,500 or more in 2023, against $50 to $250 for what metal recyclers often paid for one (NICB). That gap is why a car with its converter is worth more to a buyer who can drive or resell it, and why pulling a converter off a car you'll keep driving costs far more than it brings.
Where can you legally sell a catalytic converter?
Sell a loose converter only to a business your state lets buy them, usually a registered scrap metal dealer, core recycler or licensed auto dismantler, and bring your ID and the car's title or registration. In Texas, for example, metal recyclers hold a state registration and have to declare whether they deal in converters.
Be wary of anyone who offers cash with no questions, wants to meet somewhere other than a place of business, or never asks for the VIN. In California and Minnesota, a buyer that hands an individual seller cash on the spot for a loose converter isn't following state law.
The simplest legal sale is often the whole car. The converter goes with it, and the buyer handles the rest.
How common is catalytic converter theft?
Thefts climbed fast in the early 2020s. Insurance claims for stolen converters rose from 16,660 in 2020 to 64,701 in 2022, and California and Texas together had more than 32,000 thefts in 2022, according to NICB. It says thieves can remove one in a few minutes and that replacing a stolen one can cost $1,000 to $3,500 or more. Its prevention tips: park in well-lit areas or a garage with cameras, consider an anti-theft device, and etch the VIN on the converter.
That last tip helps sellers too, since a VIN on the converter is what California's and Minnesota's laws look for. If your junk car's converter has already been stolen, say so when you describe the car, so the offer reflects it.
Ready to sell the car with the converter on?
Selling the complete car is usually the easiest way to get paid for its converter. Tell us about the car, including whether the converter is still on it, and our cash for junk cars service passes the details to our buyer partner, which makes the offer and includes free towing. You can request a free offer in about two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a scrap catalytic converter worth?
Anywhere from a few dollars to over $1,000, depending on the part number, whether it's original or aftermarket, its condition and that month's metal prices. RRCats' list on November 6, 2026 averaged about $86 per converter, and NICB's 2023 range was $50 to $250 for a typical one. Ask a licensed buyer to quote by the numbers stamped on the shell.
Can you sell a catalytic converter without a title?
Often not. California, Texas and Minnesota all require proof that you own the car the converter came from, such as the title or registration, before a recycler can buy it. Check your state's rules before you go.
Does car insurance cover catalytic converter theft?
Usually, if you carry comprehensive coverage. The NAIC says comprehensive pays for damage that isn't caused by a collision, such as theft (NAIC), and you pay your comprehensive deductible first, as the Texas Department of Insurance explains. Liability coverage pays for damage you cause to others, so a liability-only policy won't pay for your stolen converter.
Is it illegal to remove a catalytic converter?
On a car that will be driven, removing or disabling the converter is tampering under the Clean Air Act, and many states have their own rules too. Selling a converter once it's off is regulated by state law, which often requires ID, ownership papers and records.
What car has the highest catalytic converter scrap value?
There's no official ranking, and prices shift with the metals market. NICB said in 2023 that converters from hybrids could bring up to $800, against $50 to $250 for a typical one. On RRCats' November 2026 list, the highest range was for torpedo converters, which it says are generally found on larger Ford vehicles. The exact part number decides it.
How do you identify a catalytic converter?
It's the metal canister in the exhaust system under the car, between the engine and the muffler; NICB describes converters as bolted to the underside as part of the exhaust. To identify the exact part, look for numbers stamped on the shell. RRCats says aftermarket units often have a silver plate with an arrow on it.