Most Chevy Blazer catalytic converters bring $18 to $290 at the scrap counter. A 1995–2005 4.3L Blazer underbody cat grades as a Large GM unit and runs roughly $60 to $300 depending on who is buying. The 2019–on crossover with the 3.6L V6 carries two converters, so it pays the most of any Blazer. A 1969–1974 K5 has no converter at all.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| K5 bead cat (1975-80s) | $15 | $300 | USD/unit |
| Full-size Blazer (to 1994) | $55 | $300 | USD/unit |
| S-10 Blazer (1983-94) | $18 | $130 | USD/unit |
| Blazer 4.3L (1995-2005) | $60 | $300 | USD/unit |
| Crossover 2.0T/2.5 (2019+) | $18 | $180 | USD/unit |
| Crossover 3.6 V6 (2 units) | $60 | $300 | 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 |
Blazer converter values at a glance
Chevrolet has put the Blazer name on four completely different vehicles. The money follows the vehicle, not the badge. Bands below are the published GM grade bands the unit will fall into, current 17–21 August 2026.
| Vehicle | Years | Engine | Converter setup | Band per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K5 Blazer | 1969–1974 | 250/292 six, 307/350 V8 | None fitted | $0 |
| K5 Blazer | 1975–early 1980s | 250 six, 305/350/400 V8 | GM pellet (bead) cat | $15–$300, commonly near $20 |
| Full–size Blazer | early 1980s–1991 | 305/350 V8, 6.2 diesel | Single underbody monolith | $55–$180 |
| Full–size Blazer, GMT400 | 1992–1994 | 5.7 V8, 6.5 diesel | Underbody, larger shell | $60–$300 Large GM |
| S–10 Blazer | 1983–1994 | 1.9/2.0/2.5 four, 2.8 V6, 4.3 V6 | Small underbody | $18–$130 |
| Blazer, S–series | 1995–2005 | 4.3 Vortec V6 | Single underbody | $60–$300 Large GM |
| Blazer crossover | 2019–2021 | 2.5 four | One close–coupled unit | $18–$130 |
| Blazer crossover | 2020–on | 2.0 turbo four | One close–coupled unit | $55–$180 |
| Blazer crossover | 2019–on | 3.6 V6 | Two units | $60–$300 each |
| Blazer EV | 2024–on | Electric | None | $0 |
Note the spread on Large GM. RRCats posts $76–$274, Rockaway Recycling posts a $60–$300 range around a $80 current price, ScrapMonster posts a single national figure of $180, and iScrap App still shows $165 from a year–old update. Those are real disagreements, not rounding. Anyone quoting you one exact number for a Blazer cat without seeing it is guessing.
Work out which Blazer you have first
K5 and full–size Blazer, 1969–1994
The original. First generation ran 1969–1972, the square–body second generation 1973–1991, and a GMT400 third generation 1992–1994 before Chevrolet renamed it Tahoe for 1995.
The date that matters to a scrapper is 1975. Nothing before that has a converter. If someone offers you a converter off a 1971 K5, it is an aftermarket unit somebody added, and it grades accordingly.
S–10 Blazer, 1983–1994
The compact one. Engines ran from a 2.0L four and a 1.9L Isuzu four through the 2.5L Iron Duke and 2.8L V6, with the 4.3L V6 becoming the only engine by 1990. Small converters, small money. Most grade Small GM or GM medium.
Blazer, S–series, 1995–2005
This is the one most people mean and the one you will see most in a yard. It dropped the S prefix for 1995. In North America the 4.3L Vortec V6 was the only engine for the entire eleven–year run, 190 to 200 horsepower. That makes it easy: one engine, one converter layout, no guessing about trim.
Blazer crossover, 2019–present
A car–based crossover that shares nothing with the truck. Launch engines were a 2.5L four and a 3.6L V6 at 305 hp. A 2.0L turbo four arrived for 2020 on 2LT and 3LT. The 2.5L was dropped after 2021 when the L and 1LT trims went away. A facelift landed for 2023.
The V6 is the one worth stopping for. It runs two converters, both close–coupled, and both are OEM GM ceramic units.
TrailBlazer is not a Blazer
Two different vehicles wear a similar name. The 2002–2009 TrailBlazer was a body–on–frame SUV with inline–six and V8 engines. The 2021–on TrailBlazer is a small crossover. Neither is a Blazer and neither grades the same. Read the tailgate before you quote.
The bead cat trap on 1975 to early 1980s units
GM used pellet–type converters in that era — a shell packed with loose ceramic beads rather than a honeycomb monolith. They matter for two reasons.
- They pay differently. Bead cats currently run about $20 each, with a range of $15 to $300 depending on size and bead content.
- Do not cut them open. A bead cat sold intact holds its grade. Once the beads are out, buyers pay loose–bead rates, which are a fraction of the unit price. Every source that mentions bead cats says the same thing: keep them whole.
You can identify one by feel. Tip it and a bead cat sloshes and rattles like a gravel jar. A monolith cat sounds dead or, if it is broken up, rattles in chunks.
What the 2019–on crossover carries
These are the genuine GM service part numbers for the 2020 Blazer. The V6 having two listed converters is the single most useful fact in this article.
| GM part number | Engine | Description | Dealer MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12676948 | 2.5L four | Converter assembly with upstream three–way catalyst | $1,500.78 |
| 55516911 | 2.0L turbo four | Converter assembly with upstream three–way catalyst | $1,790.09 |
| 85513026 | 3.6L V6 | Converter assembly, one of two | $1,105.12 |
| 85513028 | 3.6L V6 | Converter assembly, one of two | $1,207.47 |
Those are new–part prices, not scrap. They are here because the gap between them and scrap value is exactly why these units get stolen, and because the part numbers let you confirm what you are holding. Note the 85513026 and 85513028 pair sits in a newer GM 855 series rather than the classic 126 and 253 prefixes.
Reading the GM number
- GM converter serials run 7 to 10 digits, all numeric on older units.
- Common OEM prefixes: 126, 127, 253, 255. Examples in circulation include 25317499, 12672145 and 15226295.
- Look on the corners of the shell, or stamped into the middle of the heat shield. GM does not usually run secondary shields, so numbers are easier to find than on a Ford.
- Around 90 percent of GM units carry a readable serial, which is better than most makes. Steel wool brings up a faded stamp.
- GM vehicles typically carry two to four converters. Check the whole exhaust before you decide what the car is worth.
How the buyer grades it
| Grade | RRCats, 21 Aug 2026 | Rockaway, 21 Aug 2026 | ScrapMonster, 17 Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small GM cat | $18–$757 | $18 current, $18–$757 range | GM low grade $55, regular $100 |
| Large GM cat | $76–$274 | $80 current, $60–$300 range | GM medium $130, large $180 |
| Bead cat | — | $20 current, $15–$300 range | — |
| Pre–cat | $20–$100 | — | $25–$50 |
| Aftermarket | — | — | $17 |
Three things drop a Blazer cat a grade or more:
- Aftermarket. Replacement converters carry roughly a tenth of the platinum–group loading of a factory unit. They grade $5 to $50 against $100 to $250 for OEM. Aftermarket shells look newer and cleaner and carry an EPA or CARB number instead of a GM serial.
- Gutted or burned out. A unit that rattles loose, sounds hollow or has been cut open gets reclassified down. Buyers want it full of material.
- No serial. No number means generic grading, which is the bottom of the band every time.
Metal prices behind the numbers
| Metal | Spot, 19–20 Aug 2026 | 2026 forecast range |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | $1,793–$1,799/oz | $1,300–$1,800 |
| Palladium | $1,299–$1,312/oz | $950–$1,500 |
| Rhodium | $8,550/oz | $6,000–$9,000 |
A gasoline converter holds somewhere between 3 and 15 grams of platinum–group metal. Sources genuinely disagree on that spread — U–Pull–It says 3 to 7 grams for a typical unit, IndexBox says 10 to 15 grams for gasoline cats. The truth depends heavily on the vehicle. A 4.3L Blazer cat sits toward the lower end, not the high end.
Rhodium at $8,550 is doing most of the work in any modern Blazer quote. Palladium is mid–forecast and in surplus, which is why 1990s and 2000s cats are not rising the way people expect.
Converter prices move with spot every day. Photograph the serial and a top–down view of the unit, send it to two or three buyers, and take the best number. Do not accept a phone quote given without a serial.