New car or not?

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Topic Author
hbdad
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:29 pm

New car or not?

Post by hbdad »

Just had my catalytic converter stolen out of my 2010 Prius. The car has about 130k miles on it. I haven’t received any quotes yet for a new converter but have been told it can be a couple thousand (2-3). My deductible is 500. Should I get a new converter and pay out of pocket, get a new converter and make a claim, or get a new car, probably looking at an Accord. Thanks.
SubPar
Posts: 452
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:48 am

Re: New car or not?

Post by SubPar »

Start by getting an actual quote for a replacement cat so you can make an informed decision based on actual repair costs. $2-3K sounds high to me, though can be an expensive part, generally speaking. See if there's a reasonable aftermarket cat that would fit the bill and not break the bank.

I wouldn't run this through my insurance, personally. Also, I don't think you're going to have a lot of luck selling or trading the car without fixing the issue first. It's not emissions-compliant in its current state...not to mention the noise of having part of your exhaust system removed.
bogledogle
Posts: 656
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 4:34 pm

Re: New car or not?

Post by bogledogle »

Go through your insurance and make your car whole. What is the point of having insurance if you are going to pay out of pocket for theft? This is not even an at-fault accident to be worried about higher premiums.
surfstar
Posts: 2853
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:17 pm
Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Re: New car or not?

Post by surfstar »

Buy a Prius Prime :)

Seriously. With the Toyota rebate, state/local/utility potential rebates, plus $4502 federal tax credit, it is the most efficient car you can purchase at the best value.
02nz
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Re: New car or not?

Post by 02nz »

surfstar wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:08 pm Buy a Prius Prime :)

Seriously. With the Toyota rebate, state/local/utility potential rebates, plus $4502 federal tax credit, it is the most efficient car you can purchase at the best value.
OP is in CA (stated in earlier thread). Unfortunately the Prius Prime no longer qualifies for the state's CVRP incentive. It qualifies for a reduced Clean Fuel Reward incentive (about $900, vs. $1500 for BEVs).
surfstar
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Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Re: New car or not?

Post by surfstar »

02nz wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:16 pm
surfstar wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:08 pm Buy a Prius Prime :)

Seriously. With the Toyota rebate, state/local/utility potential rebates, plus $4502 federal tax credit, it is the most efficient car you can purchase at the best value.
OP is in CA (stated in earlier thread). Unfortunately the Prius Prime no longer qualifies for the state's CVRP incentive. It qualifies for a reduced Clean Fuel Reward incentive (about $900, vs. $1500 for BEVs).
Yeah, I assumed hb could be Huntington Beach.
The 2022 Prime gets $900 CFR, $2000 Toyota cash/rebate, and $4502 tax credit. Used to be able to get dealer discounts as people don't want to buy Prius', but harder to negotiate in this market.
If there are any 2021s left, there could be a higher cash/rebate offer still (AutoNation is showing $5400, not sure if that is still available though)

Or Rav4 Prime gets $1500 CA CVRP and $7500 tax credit - I found one at MSRP last month. Prius is more more efficient and the value buy, by far though.

Basically is you *have* to buy a new car now, the market is so tight that you should buy new and not used, and you should purchase a PHEV to take advantage of the tax credit and other offers. Hyundai Ioniq or Honda Clarity might be options too. The tax credit will likely offset any depreciation if you decide to swap cars in a year or two.
Topic Author
hbdad
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:29 pm

Re: New car or not?

Post by hbdad »

Thanks for the help. Insurance won’t cover as I dropped collision and comprehensive last year. As another poster stated, I can’t trade in or sell my car without a cat. If I do private sale, it will take a hit equal to the price of replacing one, so no matter what, it seems like I’ll be out of pocket the price of replacement. Called a couple places and they all basically said there is no after market cat for my car, so I need to get one through the dealer. The part is about 1850, plus another 150 or so for oxygen sensor. Grand total will be about 2600. I think I’m just going to bite the bullet and keep the car another 18 months or so at least as planned.
nura
Posts: 344
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:24 am

Re: New car or not?

Post by nura »

Perhaps you can buy (back) a stolen catalytic converter cheaper than your deductible?
Mr. Rumples
Posts: 2963
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:16 am

Re: New car or not?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

At 130,000 miles, the battery is approaching the end of its lifespan:

https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/38127 ... ttery-life

Personally, I'd keep it. My rule of thumb is I will replace my vehicle - now 20 years old - when the cost of repairs is greater than one year's theoretical payments.

On the other hand, at a certain point, the rubber and plastics connectors/gaskets will start to deteriorate, but my mechanic says that normally happens when a vehicle approaches 20 years in age. I experienced a bit of this in 2021; with only one vehicle, if it happens again, I am considering a new vehicle, but right now what I want is not on the lot.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect answer.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
mrsmitt
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:14 pm

Re: New car or not?

Post by mrsmitt »

Now is the worst time to buy. I would fix the car and wait for the market to come to senses.



hbdad wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:25 pm Just had my catalytic converter stolen out of my 2010 Prius. The car has about 130k miles on it. I haven’t received any quotes yet for a new converter but have been told it can be a couple thousand (2-3). My deductible is 500. Should I get a new converter and pay out of pocket, get a new converter and make a claim, or get a new car, probably looking at an Accord. Thanks.
iamlucky13
Posts: 3512
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:28 pm
Location: Western Washington

Re: New car or not?

Post by iamlucky13 »

hbdad wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:09 pm Thanks for the help. Insurance won’t cover as I dropped collision and comprehensive last year. As another poster stated, I can’t trade in or sell my car without a cat. If I do private sale, it will take a hit equal to the price of replacing one, so no matter what, it seems like I’ll be out of pocket the price of replacement. Called a couple places and they all basically said there is no after market cat for my car, so I need to get one through the dealer. The part is about 1850, plus another 150 or so for oxygen sensor. Grand total will be about 2600. I think I’m just going to bite the bullet and keep the car another 18 months or so at least as planned.
I just checked because even for a CARB-compliant cat, $1850 sounds ridiculous, but it seems to be true. Rockauto had no CARB-compliant cats listed for the Prius. Even, the EPA-compliant cats for the Prius seem to be about twice the price as they were for my Civic. I'm sorry to say, you seem to have been financially harmed more than most by this crime.

It's a pity the law forbids junkyards from selling salvaged cats.
squirm
Posts: 4239
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:53 am

Re: New car or not?

Post by squirm »

What do the finances look like? I say get a new converter. Worry about a new car later when or if things calm down.
mervinj7
Posts: 2496
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 3:10 pm

Re: New car or not?

Post by mervinj7 »

hbdad wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:09 pm Thanks for the help. Insurance won’t cover as I dropped collision and comprehensive last year. As another poster stated, I can’t trade in or sell my car without a cat. If I do private sale, it will take a hit equal to the price of replacing one, so no matter what, it seems like I’ll be out of pocket the price of replacement. Called a couple places and they all basically said there is no after market cat for my car, so I need to get one through the dealer. The part is about 1850, plus another 150 or so for oxygen sensor. Grand total will be about 2600. I think I’m just going to bite the bullet and keep the car another 18 months or so at least as planned.
What is the cost to lease a Nissan Leaf for 24 months? What is the cost to dump your car? Not saying you should do it but you should consider all options.
adamthesmythe
Posts: 5761
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:47 pm

Re: New car or not?

Post by adamthesmythe »

You can't drive it and you can't sell or trade it in without the catalytic converter. So you have to replace it.

Once you have a working car you can take your time evaluating whether it makes sense to buy a car now or later.
iamlucky13
Posts: 3512
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:28 pm
Location: Western Washington

Re: New car or not?

Post by iamlucky13 »

I might as well add that there actually are aftermarket catalytic converters available for your car, for much cheaper than the OEM.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toy ... erter,5808

However, I assume California law prohibits these, which would be why reputable mechanics are quoting you the OEM version.

It's really unfortunate that it is also banned, as far as I know, to reinstall used converters. It makes far more sense to regulate the resale so they have a way to audit scrap yards to verify they aren't reselling stolen converters. They have basically created a big financial incentive to scrap cars like yours rather than fix them, which is extremely wasteful. I also would wager a lot of people run without cats (aside from tuners who sometimes do it for performance) because it is so expensive to replace. OEM cats have very long lives, and it would be far better to have a used cat in good enough condition to keep the check engine light off than no cat.

Sorry, I guess that's more of a rant than any useful information, but perhaps you could sell it for more out of state (dislosing the stolen cat, of course), than in California, since a DIY'er could fix it up legally in some states for far cheaper than in California.
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