Since 1975, most vehicles sold in the United States have been equipped with at least one catalytic converter, or "cat." Part of the exhaust system in your Toyota car, SUV, truck, or van, it's a crucial component when it comes to keeping toxic fumes from collecting in the atmosphere and poisoning the air that we all breathe.

How a Catalytic Converter Works

The catalytic converter is located between your exhaust manifold and muffler. It contains a metallic catalyst coating, usually some combination of platinum, rhodium, and palladium, which collects most of the noxious byproducts created when your engine burns the air-and-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Nitrogen gets trapped while oxygen passes through, with the end result being that the pollution gets converted into water vapor and carbon dioxide that then get released through the tailpipe.

Unfortunately, those metals have value in the marketplace. That means that thieves often attempt to steal cats and sell them to scrapyards. It's also possible for even the best catalytic converter can begin to go bad. Either case, you need to replace yours as soon as possible in order to drive cleanly and not run afoul of the EPA.

How to Spot Catalytic Converter Problems

Fortunately, it’s easy to tell the signs of theft or failure. They include:

Darker exhaust emissions
Weaker acceleration
Sluggish engine performance
The distinct smell of rotten eggs
Loud noises when you accelerate
Excessive heat coming from under your Toyota

You Can Trust Genuine OEM Catalytic Converters to Perform Best

There's only one authority you should turn to when purchasing a replacement cat. That's your manufacturer, since they make the only catalytic converters that are guaranteed to be compatible in fit and performance. Find the right one for your model right here in our online Toyota auto parts catalog. Buy now, and we'll take care of getting it shipped directly to your front door!