Catalytic Converter Scrap Price (2026): Value by Type

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Catalytic converter scrap price by type (September 2026)
What platinum, palladium and rhodium cost right now
What sets a catalytic converter’s scrap value
OEM or aftermarket: how to tell before you ask for a quote
Sell the converter separately or with the car?
Who pays the most for a scrap catalytic converter
Catalytic converter theft and scrap laws by state
Mistakes that cost sellers money
Get a real number for the whole car

The catalytic converter scrap price averages $103.30 on RRCats’ buyer list as of September 2026, but the range is wide: about $15 for a low-end diesel unit, up to $1,150 for a Ford torpedo. The part code stamped on the converter sets the price, along with the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside it. The age of your car matters far less.

If the converter is still on a junk car, read the sell-separately section before you pick up a wrench. For an average unit the math is a wash at best.

Quick answer

$103average per converter, Sept 2026

RRCats’ buyer list (updated Sept 30, 2026) shows a $103.30 average. Quotes run from $15 to $1,150 by type. On a junk car, leaving the converter attached is usually the better deal.

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Catalytic converter scrap price by type (September 2026)

Scrap buyers price converters by type first, then by part code. The table shows ranges from RRCats’ public buyer list as of September 30, 2026, next to single-point prices from ScrapMonster’s September 22 report. The $103.30 “national average” is RRCats’ own figure. Rockaway Recycling’s page posts the same number and refers to RRCats, so count them as one source, not two.

Converter type	Buyer-list range	ScrapMonster point price
Regular domestic	$20–$133	not listed
Small domestic	$30–$184	not listed
Extra-large domestic	not listed	$250
Large GM	$80–$283	$180
Small GM	$18–$770	not listed
High-grade domestic	$68–$618	$166
Small foreign	$30–$225	not listed
Medium foreign	$40–$450	not listed
Large foreign	$90–$454	$210
Extra-large foreign	not listed	$329
Exotic	$200–$587	$546 (super exotic)
Torpedo (Ford)	$110–$1,150	$659 (high grade)
Diesel	$15–$508	$13
Aftermarket	$10–$30 (May 2026 blog)	$17

Read the ranges before the averages. Most rows swing by a factor of three or more, because one bucket such as “large foreign” holds many part numbers with very different metal loading. Exotic is the tightest at under 3x. Small GM is the widest, $18 to $770, more than 40 times. RRCats calls its own list guidelines only and says final quotes depend on serial numbers, condition and the market. Treat any single figure, including ours, as a starting point.

How much is a scrap catalytic converter worth on popular cars?

A scrap-buyer blog dated May 2026 (older than the tables above) gives per-vehicle examples. Use them for scale, not as offers.

Vehicle	Scrap range per converter
Toyota Prius (hybrid)	$300–$700
Ford F-250 diesel	$250–$450
BMW 3 Series	$150–$300
Ford F-150 V8 dual	$150–$250 each
Chevy Silverado V8 dual	$125–$225 each
Honda Accord 4-cylinder	$75–$150
“Standard cars”	$50–$250

Hybrids top the list because, per the same blog, they need more catalyst surface area. A Prius converter ($300–$700) and an Accord converter ($75–$150) don’t overlap at all, which is why model year alone can’t price a 2003 or 2005 converter.

What platinum, palladium and rhodium cost right now

Every converter holds small amounts of platinum, palladium and rhodium, together called platinum group metals (PGMs). Scrap buyers pay for the metal, so those three markets set the ceiling. Here is the September 30, 2026 snapshot from Trading Economics (platinum, palladium, rhodium).

Metal	Price per ounce	1 month	1 year	All-time high
Platinum	about $1,700	-5.24%	+8.58%	$2,923.70 (Jan 2026)
Palladium	about $1,228	-10.95%	-2.54%	$3,440.76 (Mar 2022)
Rhodium	about $9,150	+1.11%	+28.87%	about $29,800 (Mar 2021)

Sources disagree by the hour. At 1:46 a.m. ET that day, Kitco had platinum near $1,697 and palladium near $1,204, and RRCats’ own sheet used $1,768 and $1,245 at 8 a.m. Treat the table as a snapshot and check a live quote before you sell.

Why scrap catalytic converter prices sit far below the 2021–2022 peaks

Platinum peaked most recently: its record was January 2026, and it is about 42% below that now. Palladium (peak March 2022) and rhodium (peak March 2021) sit roughly two-thirds below theirs (our arithmetic from the table). One scrap-buyer blog says palladium and rhodium fell about 66% from the 2022 highs as automakers substituted cheaper platinum. Take that as a rough direction only.

The past year is mixed: platinum up 8.58%, palladium down 2.54%, rhodium up 28.87%. Edmunds listed high-grade torpedo converters at $820 each in February 2026, while ScrapMonster shows $659 for the same class on September 22. Different sources and dates, so don’t read a trend into it.

Peddle’s converter article, which we cite for its 30% figure, still lists rhodium above $15,000 an ounce and palladium near $2,000. Both are stale: about $9,150 and $1,228 as of September 30, 2026. If a page gives you 2022 metal prices, close it.

What sets a catalytic converter’s scrap value

Five things set the catalytic converter scrap value of a given unit.

Metal loading. How many grams of platinum, palladium and rhodium are inside. Factory (OEM) converters carry substantially more than aftermarket replacements, and luxury and hybrid vehicles carry more.
Size. Buyer lists split converters into small, medium, large and extra-large because size changes value.
OEM or aftermarket. One scrap-buyer blog puts OEM units at $200 and up against $10–$30 for aftermarket. ScrapMonster’s aftermarket point price is $17.
Condition and paperwork. RRCats says condition changes the quote. In the 36 states covered below, a buyer also has to keep records of your ID, VIN and proof of ownership.
The market that day. Palladium fell almost 11% in a month. A quote from two weeks ago can be wrong today.

How a buyer turns metal into your quote

Recohub’s price explainer lays the math out as assay result, dry weight, payable percentage, spot price and deductions. Two buyers looking at the same spot price can still quote differently if they apply different payable percentages and deductions. Ask each buyer for both numbers before you compare quotes.

OEM or aftermarket: how to tell before you ask for a quote

OEM versus aftermarket is the biggest swing you can check yourself. The blog numbers above put OEM at roughly 7 to 20 times aftermarket (our arithmetic), and Peddle says a cheap aftermarket converter often uses less precious metal. You don’t need the part off the car to get a first idea of which one you have.

Check the repair history. If a shop replaced the converter, the invoice should say OEM or aftermarket. If nobody can tell you, price it as aftermarket until a buyer says otherwise.
Read the part code. Buyers price by the serial or part code on the converter body. If you can see it on a fully cooled exhaust, take a clear photo. Do not cut anything.
Send the car’s details. Year, make, model and VIN get you a ballpark from vehicle-based lookups. Ecotrade lists prices by model and brand, and CatDB, a pricing app, says it prices from a VIN database. A code beats a vehicle lookup.
Get it in writing. A quote should name the grade or code it is pricing, not just a dollar figure.

RRCats also lists oxygen (O2) sensors on its sheet as a separate item. That is a different part from the converter, so don’t let anyone fold the two into one number.

Sell the converter separately or with the car?

Sell them together. Here is the math.

The average converter lists at $103.30 (RRCats, Sept 30, 2026).
A 3,000 lb car at iScrap’s $177.58 per ton headline average (read September 30, 2026) is worth about $266 in scrap weight (3,000 / 2,000 x $177.58, our arithmetic). Our scrap car prices page has the full per-ton picture.
iScrap defines a “complete car” as one with its engine, transmission, catalytic converter, battery, radiator, rims and tires and wiring harness, and warns that selling the converter separately could reclassify your car as incomplete. It gives no number for the hit.
Peddle says a missing converter can cut a car’s value by 30% or more, and that replacing one can cost over $2,000. CarBrain puts replacement at $945–$2,475, parts and labor.

Now apply Peddle’s 30% to CarBrain’s $250–$750 average payout for a junk car. That is $75–$225 off, and the $103.30 average converter sits inside that range (our arithmetic, mixing two companies’ numbers). You take on the work and the paperwork and end up about where you started.

The math changes for a high-value unit: a hybrid converter listed at $300–$700 (older blog range) could beat a $75–$225 haircut. But Peddle says removing a working converter is illegal under federal rules, and states regulate detached ones, so we won’t tell you to pull it. If you think yours is worth real money, get the part code priced first.

The clean exception is a converter that is already off the car legitimately, such as the old one a shop swapped out during a repair. Then you are selling a part, not a car, and the state rules below apply.

Do not pull a working converter to sell it

Peddle says federal rules make removing a functioning converter illegal. We have not checked that against EPA, so treat it as Peddle’s claim. Whatever the federal position, in many states a detached converter falls under record-keeping laws. Leave it on the car.

If your converter is already missing

Say so. Peddle says it buys cars as-is, including ones with a missing converter, and CarBrain says it makes offers as-is too. Peddle’s condition questions include one on the converter.

Do not skip that question. In a BBB complaint dated June 22, 2026, a seller says a $470 online offer for a 2004 VW Passat was cut to $250 at pickup because the converter was missing. CarBrain’s written reply said the submitted information did not accurately reflect the car’s condition. That is one complaint and one reply, not a finding, but it shows the catch: an offer can be revised at pickup when the car does not match the description.

Who pays the most for a scrap catalytic converter

No buyer wins every time. The highest quote comes from whoever prices your exact part code on the day you ask, so get two or three written quotes the same day.

Scrap yards and recyclers

Local yards are the easy first call. In the 36 states on the MOST table, buyers have to keep your ID, VIN and proof of ownership on file, so bring the title or registration. Ask which grade they are pricing yours as, and get the number in writing.

Yards that buy whole cars work differently. They pay by weight, and iScrap says missing key parts, the converter included, can drop a car into a lower “incomplete” rate. Our guide on how much junkyards pay for cars covers that side.

Specialist converter buyers and apps

Ecotrade lists prices by car model and brand, RRCats publishes a full sheet with photos, and CatDB says it prices from serial codes and a VIN database. The buckets stay wide because each one holds many part numbers. RRCats’ small GM row alone runs from $18 to $770.

In the 36 states on the MOST table, a buyer who skips ID and ownership proof on a detached converter is a red flag. If you would rather skip the shopping, the list of junk car buyers covers companies that buy the whole car.

Catalytic converter theft and scrap laws by state

These laws regulate buying and selling detached converters. The MOST Policy Initiative’s table (dated January 30, 2024, so counts may have changed) lists 36 states with converter-sale policies. All 36 require detailed seller and vehicle records: ID copy, VIN, title or registration, proof of ownership, a signed statement of lawful acquisition, and the payment amount and date.

By our tally of that table, 27 states require the buyer to be permitted, 19 require the buyer to file an electronic record, and 8 require a unique permanent ID on the converter. Here are four states, as of September 2026.

State	What the law says	Law
California	Core recyclers buy only from a commercial seller or the verifiable owner. A private owner needs a VIN-marked converter and a matching title. Payment must be traceable, not cash. Recycler fines start at $1,000.	AB 1740
Texas	Since 2021, sellers to a recycler give year, make, model, VIN and title or ownership proof. The recycler marks the converter, reports it electronically and holds it five working days.	HB 4110
Florida	Only registered secondary metals recyclers may knowingly buy a detached converter. Knowingly buying, selling or possessing stolen ones is a third-degree felony.	Stat. 860.142
Maine	Non-recyclers cannot buy removed converters. Recyclers keep records five years and pay only by card or check.	29-A MRSA 1113

Under California’s bill text, a business that buys intact vehicles is not a core recycler. In general, selling a whole car with its title to a licensed buyer is a different transaction from selling a loose converter, but check your state.

Not legal advice

This is a sample, not a 50-state survey, and laws change often. Confirm the rules with your state DMV or attorney general before you sell a detached converter.

Mistakes that cost sellers money

Pulling the converter first. You add legal exposure and risk the 30% or larger cut to the car’s value that Peddle describes.
Taking cash with no paperwork. A buyer who skips ID and ownership proof is at odds with the record-keeping rules in the 36 states on the MOST table. Do not sell to that buyer.
Trusting one price sheet. RRCats itself says its list is guidelines only.
Quoting old metal prices. Rhodium at $15,000 an ounce is a stale number. Use a dated one.
Counting the converter twice. Peddle and CarBrain price the whole car, and neither publishes a converter figure, so do not add $103 on top of a whole-car offer.

Get a real number for the whole car

For most junk cars, the simplest plan is one whole-car offer with the converter still attached. Work through these steps in order:

Run the numbers on our junk car value calculator for a quick estimate.
If you are weighing parting out, read selling a car for parts first.
Get free offers from Peddle and CarBrain below and answer the converter question honestly. You can decline either one.
Have the title ready. Our guide to selling a junk car covers the steps, and the page on a junk car without a title covers the missing-title cases.

Compare both offers the same day. If one comes in far lower, ask what it assumed about the converter.

Get a whole-car offer with the converter still on

Free online quotes. Free towing. Compare two offers before you say yes.

FAQ

Who pays the most for catalytic converters?

No single buyer wins on every converter. Prices follow the part code and that day's platinum, palladium and rhodium market, so the top quote goes to whoever prices your exact code. Get two or three written quotes on the same day and ask each buyer what percentage of the metal value it pays. In many states a buyer must also collect your ID, VIN and proof of ownership, so a buyer who skips the paperwork is a red flag.

How much is a 2003 or 2005 catalytic converter worth?

Model year alone cannot tell you. RRCats' buyer list, updated September 30, 2026, shows a $103.30 national average, with categories running from $15 (diesel) to $1,150 (Ford torpedo). A regular domestic converter lists at $20–$133 and a small foreign one at $30–$225. The part code, not the age of the car, decides where yours lands.

What is the scrap value of a Ford F-150 catalytic converter?

A scrap-buyer blog dated May 2026 puts an F-150 V8 dual setup at $150–$250 per converter. Ford torpedo-type units list at $110–$1,150 on RRCats, so confirm which type your truck carries before you accept a quote. None of the RRCats ranges in our table tops $1,150, so treat a $2,000 promise with suspicion.

Should I sell my catalytic converter separately or with the car?

With the car, in most cases. Peddle says a missing converter can cut a car's value by 30% or more, and iScrap warns that selling it separately could make yards treat your car as incomplete. Apply 30% to CarBrain's $250–$750 average payout and the hit is $75–$225 (our arithmetic), a range that includes the $103.30 average converter. Detached converters also fall under state record-keeping laws.

Is it legal to sell a catalytic converter for scrap?

Often yes, with conditions. The MOST Policy Initiative's January 2024 table lists 36 states with converter-sale rules, and all of them require detailed seller and vehicle records such as ID, VIN and proof of ownership. Some limit buyers to registered recyclers, and California core recyclers must pay by traceable, non-cash methods. Rules change, so confirm with your state before selling a detached converter. This is general information, not legal advice.

Do junk car buyers pay extra for the catalytic converter?

Not as a separate line. Peddle and CarBrain price the whole vehicle, weighing parts, scrap weight and demand, and neither publishes a per-converter dollar figure. Peddle's condition questions do include one on the converter, and Peddle says a missing one can cut the value by 30% or more. Answer honestly so the offer you accept holds at pickup.

Sources we checked

Written and fact-checked by the Junk Car Worth team. Prices and buyer policies checked September 2026. How we estimate value.