A Toyota Corolla catalytic converter is a volume unit, not a jackpot. US buyers in August 2026 quote roughly $110 to $400 for most OEM units from 2003 to 2019, with one part-number database paying $320 to $481 for specific 2013–2016 numbers and pre-2003 cars dropping as low as $12. For reference, the national average across all converter types on the RRCats board was $101 each on 21 August 2026.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| E110 (1998-2002) | $12 | $207 | USD/unit |
| E120/E130 (2003-08) | $100 | $320 | USD/unit |
| E140/E150 (2009-13) | $110 | $400 | USD/unit |
| E170 (2014-19) | $150 | $481 | USD/unit |
| E210 (2020+) | $90 | $456 | USD/unit |
| Aftermarket replacement | $5 | $50 | USD/unit |
| Country | Typical Range | Per Tonne | Cur. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $50 – $450 /unit (typical OEM) | — | USD |
| Canada | C$65 – C$600 /unit | — | CAD |
| United Kingdom | £40 – £350 /unit | — | GBP |
| Germany / EU | €45 – €400 /unit | — | EUR |
| Australia | A$75 – A$650 /unit | — | AUD |
| India | ₹4,000 – ₹35,000 /unit | — | INR |
| UAE / Dubai | 180 – 1,600 AED /unit | — | AED |
The Corolla matters because there are so many of them. Nobody gets rich on one. A yard that handles a dozen a week needs to know which ones grade up, and that comes down to reading the Denso number correctly.
Corolla scrap value by generation and engine
| Generation | Model years | Engine | Reported 2026 range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E110 | 1998–2002 | 1.8L 1ZZ-FE | $12–$207 | AutoCatalystMarket gasoline listings. Old, thin loadings, often already replaced with aftermarket. |
| E120 / E130 | 2003–2008 | 1.8L 1ZZ-FE; 1.8L 2ZZ-GE in XRS | $100–$320 | ConverterGuys numeric Toyota codes at the low end; RecycleFind foreign import grade at the high end. |
| E140 / E150 | 2009–2013 | 1.8L 2ZR-FE; 2.4L 2AZ-FE in S and XRS | $110–$400 | RecycleFind $110–$320; Cash Auto Salvage $150–$400 for this sedan class. |
| E170 | 2014–2019 | 1.8L 2ZR-FE and 2ZR-FAE | $150–$481 | ScrapMetalBuyers quotes $320–$481 against part number 17150-928-10C for 2013–2016. |
| E210 | 2020–2026 | 2.0L M20A-FKS; 1.8L hybrid | $90–$456 | Graded as large foreign on the RRCats board, 21 August 2026. No model-specific quote published. |
| GR Corolla | 2023–2026 | 1.6L G16E-GTS turbo | Photo quote only | No public price. Low volume in yards. Buyers want images and the stamped code. |
These ranges come from six different buyers and they do not agree. That is normal. Part-number databases tend to publish conservative numbers; full-service recyclers who assay in-house publish higher ones and then discount on grade. Do not average them. Work the top of the range and let the buyer argue you down.
Why the Corolla pays a fraction of what a Prius does
Same manufacturer, same supplier, very different money. Three reasons.
Lower original loading. A conventional Corolla engine runs continuously once warm and lights the catalyst off once per trip. It never needed the dense loading Toyota built into the hybrid units. Ledoux and Company, in a page published 21 April 2026 and modified 25 June 2026, puts hybrid and plug-in hybrid loadings at 5 to 15 percent above comparable gasoline vehicles.
More heat, more damage. The Corolla converter spends its whole life at operating temperature. Thermal ageing sinters the washcoat and shrinks active surface area, so recovery yield on a 180,000-mile unit is lower than on a hybrid of the same age.
Aftermarket contamination. Corollas are cheap to run and get cheap parts. Aftermarket converters carry a fraction of the metal and are graded accordingly — U-Pull-It, in a guide published 14 June 2026, prices aftermarket units at $5 to $50 against $100 to $250 for a typical factory unit. Check for an OEM stamp before you get excited.
The Denso five-digit part number format
Toyota and Denso number every exhaust assembly the same way: five digits, a hyphen, then five alphanumeric characters. ScrapMonster documented the format in its identification guide dated 25 January 2026, citing examples such as 17140-31150 and 25051-31120.
What the five-digit prefix tells you
The prefix identifies the assembly, not the vehicle. On Corollas you will see four:
- 17410 — front exhaust pipe assembly with converter. The most common Corolla number by a wide margin.
- 17141 — catalytic converter with integrated exhaust manifold.
- 17104 — older-style exhaust manifold converter, used on 2003–2007 cars.
- 25051 — converter sub-assembly on its own.
Be aware that buyer databases sometimes list their own reference strings rather than the true Toyota number — ScrapMetalBuyers, for instance, prices a 2013–2016 Corolla against 17150-928-10C, which is not a standard Toyota format. Match on the stamped code, not on a website string.
The five-character suffix is the application code. It groups by platform and emissions market, which is why a Corolla built in Japan and one built in North America for the same year carry different numbers. Go-Parts, in a page updated 19 August 2026, lists 17410-37260 for Japan-built 2009–2011 cars against 17410-0T080 for non-Japan build. Same car, same year, different number, different money.
The short stamped code is what the buyer actually prices
Nobody at the counter looks up a ten-character part number. They read the two-to-five character code stamped on the shell near a weld seam or an end flange. ConverterGuys publishes Toyota recycling prices against exactly these codes:
- U50 at $225 and 28180 at $220 — the top of the Toyota numeric range.
- 28310, L38020, X02 and X09 at $145.
- 28080, 28090, LA2, LA4, MA1 and MA3 at $120.
- 28100, 28330, GA1, GC1 and GE2 at $100.
- GB2, GD9, AB7 and AG1 at $30 — the bottom.
That is a 7.5-to-1 spread on codes that all say Toyota. Wire-brush the shell and read it before you sell.
| Model years | Engine | Assembly | Toyota part numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | 1.6L 4A-F, 4A-FE | Front pipe with converter | 17410-01031 |
| 1999–2002 | 1.8L 1ZZ-FE | Front pipe with converter | 17460-0D070 |
| 2003–2007 | 1.8L 1ZZ-FE, 2ZZ-GE | Manifold converter | 17104-22100, 17104-22110, 17104-0D040 |
| 2003–2008 | 1.8L | Front pipe with converter | 17410-0D190, 17410-0D340 |
| 2009–2013 | 1.8L 2ZR-FE, 2.4L 2AZ-FE | Converter sub-assembly and front pipe | 25051-28350, 17410-0T240 |
| 2009–2011 | 1.8L, Japan build | Front pipe with converter | 17410-37260 |
| 2010–2013 | 1.8L | Front pipe with converter | 17410-37420 |
| 2010–2019 | 1.8L, 2.4L | Manifold with converter | 17141-0T080, 17141-37130 |
| 2014–2019 | 1.8L | Front pipe with converter | 17410-0T560, 17410-0T561 |
| 2019–2021 | 2.0L M20A-FKS | Front pipe with converter | 17410-24250 |
| 2019 | 1.8L | Manifold with converter | 17141-F2010 |
| 2020–2024 | 1.8L, 2.0L | Front pipe with converter | 17410-F2170 |
| 2023–2025 GR | 1.6L G16E-GTS | Converter sub-assembly | 25051-18030 |
How the Corolla is built matters when you cut it
From 2009 through 2019 the Corolla runs one primary converter on Bank 1, integrated into the front exhaust pipe assembly rather than bolted to the manifold as a separate can. Go-Parts confirms this in a page updated 19 August 2026. You cut the whole assembly out and sell it as one piece. Do not try to separate the can — a de-canned unit gets graded down or refused.
On E210 cars from 2019 onward, several applications move the converter into the exhaust manifold itself, which is why 17141-F2010 exists. Those take longer to pull and often bring a different grade.
The metal prices behind the number
| Metal | Spot, 20 Aug 2026 (Trading Economics) | Recycler board, 21 Aug 2026 (RRCats) | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | $1,816.20/oz | $1,706/oz | +35.4% |
| Palladium | $1,338.50/oz | $1,280/oz | +22.1% |
| Rhodium | $8,800/oz | $8,499/oz | +17.7% |
All three metals are up year on year, which is why Corolla quotes in mid-2026 are stronger than they were in 2024. Heraeus, cited by Ecotrade on 28 January 2026, forecast platinum at $1,300–$1,800, palladium at $950–$1,500 and rhodium at $6,000–$9,000 for the year. Rhodium has traded the full width of that band already.
Watch out for stale boards. RecycleFind in August 2026, JunkyardInventory in May 2026 and ScrapMetalBuyers all still display rhodium near $4,800, platinum near $1,050 and palladium near $1,020. Those numbers are roughly half the real rhodium price. Check Trading Economics or Kitco yourself before you accept a quote built on them.
Paperwork
A single Corolla converter draws less suspicion than a Prius unit, but the rules are the same. Bring government photo ID, the donor VIN, and proof you owned the car — title, registration or a signed bill of sale. Photograph the converter still fitted before you cut it.
State rules differ. California AB 1740 requires seller ID, VIN and origin documentation and treats unmarked converters as presumed stolen. New York S4154, from 2024, mandates VIN engraving and two-year dealer records. Texas SB 224, from 2023, makes possession of a stolen converter a state-jail felony. Minnesota, Illinois, Oregon and Washington impose one to three day holds before resale. Separately, federal rules at 40 CFR 85.1701–1716 require any replacement converter to be EPA or CARB certified for the exact year, make, model and engine — which is why a used Corolla converter cannot simply be bolted onto another car.