Two questions related to cat shields— 1) The local dealer quoted me $160 for parts plus $280 for labor to install a cat shield on my 2012. Has anyone compared these supplied by Toyota with the $60. kits available via eBay? Has anyone had a bad experience (stolen cat) after having installed either of these? 2) Some shops are offering to install an off market cat in exchange for the original and paying out $xxx. for the exchange. I know these off market brands are not acceptable in CA. I am not in CA. Do these off market cats allow the car to pollute more than with the original? Is there any reason not to go off market?
"install aftermarket in exchange for original". Have you checked the prices? $100 for an aftermarket, $1600 for an original Aftermarket ones will last a very short time compared to an original one. Keep the original one and buy an aftermarket.....that's usually the route to take
Sell it in CA (or to a recycler) for $1000 or when your aftermarket one fails, you have something to fall back on
This is where DIY pays off... You can replace your cat with this one for $129 that comes with 5 year warranty: Catalytic Converter For 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Toyota Prius 1.5L EPA OBD2 | eBay and this cat shield is only $58: Cat Shield For 2010-2015 Prius Catalytic Converter Protection Security Shield | eBay It takes an hour or two pull out your existing cat, replace it and put the cat shield on. And your original cat can be sold to a precious metal scrapper or auctioned online for anywhere between $800-$1600 depending on who you work with.
I appreciate the comments and would still welcome responses to my original questions— 1) Any thefts from Toyota's or "eBay" cat shields? 2) Do the cheap after market cats pollute more than the original? (my assumption is there is a reason Toyota used such a cat in the Prius)
