Catalytic Converter cut, but not stolen - question

My 2007 Prius with 170,000 with original Cat was cut in a botched heist. I am on the east coast and my son - who is doing a physician residency in Vegas and was using the car - thought the Cat was stolen b/c of the typical sound. I had it towed to Toyota dealer who said the front was cut off but they could not get the rear bolts out (rusty) so they stripped the heads and ran. Spoke to Toyota dealer who said a new OEM is $3650 and a new anti-theft Cat Cover is an addn'l $565. Way too much money for a car that old and with those miles...but then he told me that the Cat is still there - but they cannot work with "refittings". He said the Cats look fine but the pipe in front is cut, O2 sensor cut out and rear flange w/bolts needs replacing b/c of the extensive rust. Can this not be retrofitted at a muffler shop for substantially le$$? I would like to have the original salvaged and a sleeve welded to the front and new rear blots and bracket installed, along with new O2 sensor. Is there something I should be aware of that might make this solution not a viable one? Also, if anyone knows of any good shops in Vegas (son is in South Summerlin area) where the "fix" could be accomplished, I would greatly assist. Being 2800 miles away I cannot be there to assist. Thanks.

 

Well, my insurance opted to pay the Toyota dealer $3400 and I pay the $250 deductible for a brand new Cat assembly. I ordered the MillerCAT SS Cat Shield Kit (comes with the deadbolt) for $360 and they shipped it to the dealer and they will put it on for 1 hr's labor rate, so I figure it will cost me around $500-525 for the MillerCat installed. I am 2800 miles away, so I would have had that into a muffler shop so fast with the cat converter still dangling, by distance dictates. My son had no time to diddle with it, as he starts surgery at 4am and works to 12 noon and then on call until 8pm from Mon-Sat, so impossible to be directly involved. I bought the Prius brand new and always took care of it and flipped it to my son last year, so hopefully it will last for his 3-yr residency now in Houston Texas in Neurology. I would have rather put the $4000 toward a new car, but that buys little these days, so the Prius will hopefully be good for 3 more years. Thx for all of your feedback. Cheers.

 

Roger, I asked the Toyota dealer to put the old Cat in the car and when I go out in 7 weeks to help him move from Vegas to Houston, I would like to sell it somewhere to recoup the $810 I had to pay for the deductible and MillerCAT. I have police report, and all sorts of info to show it was vandalized, so they can't look at me as the thief. Any suggestions as to where these Cats are being sold to - salvage wise?

 

The Prius has the NH Plates on b/c my son's training was temporary status in Las Vegas (PGY1) after graduating med school in Boston and going to Houston for 3-yr residency in Neuro this June. I gave him the Prius b/c I thought no one would bother it, as it is a 2007. First indication that something was odd was he was paged by hospital security to come with them and they showed him the car up on two jacks - right in the hospital parking lot in mid-afternoon about a month ago. Security came out and the bandits ran. So he started parking right outside the Emergency entrance and no problem. He lives 8 miles from the hospital in a gated apartment complex, and the attempted swipe happened right in front of his apartment inside the gated community in Summerlin. He never spent the time crawling under and knew by the sound it was most likely swiped. The ins co - in Maine - said they hadn't had claims in Vegas for this by any NH residents, so were letting me decide where I wanted it taken to, so I asked that it be towed to the Toyota dealer. If for no other reason, they could assess any other damage possibly.

The dealer finished taking off the full cat assembly and took pics of the car and all it would need, with an asterick for "possibly more items after full diagnostic is done". That cost was $3600 and my insurance called me and told me it was approved, with the caveat that additional charges may still come in. I was so stunned I literally said, "wow, your sure you want to do this?" as it crossed my mind "give me half ($1800) and I'll go get a generic one on", but that is just my Yankee pragmatic attitude. She said it was either satisfying the claim, or not, so take it or leave it and not file the claim. With the weekly rental car they supplied, as well, it is easily around $4000, and that is why I thought they were going to total it, and scrap out the car to get their money back. It was ony after lengthy discussion that I found out the old full cat assembly was still there! That is when I asked the SA to put it in the car, and he agreed. The plan was that I fly out to Vegas in 7 weeks and drive the car to Houston, as my son only has 3 days between one training segment and starting the next. At least I will be able to check it out well. It has 170,000 miles but I took care of it and had it garaged for most of its life. Should have 50K more miles in it I am hoping.

Thanks to all those with great feedback. At least this cat-cut-crap isn't happening here in NH - yet. Good luck thieves, as this is the Live Free or Die State. Any state that puts death in its license plate doesn't mess around. Keeping the Peace...with an adequate Piece at the ready at all times. Cheers.