My 97' 3.0L V6 Taurus won't pass inspection without a new catalytic converter. Of course I was looking for a cheap way out and several different shops told me the only way was to replace the converters completely; a repair on them is not possible.

The service engine light has been on for a while but the car doesn't have any noticeable hiccups while driving. I'm not certain of the exact error codes, maybe 0403 or 0407.

I received an offer to replace the converters and one O2 censor for $750. Hopefully the other 3 censors are okay. I went with this option.

They stressed that there is a chance the other 3 O2 censors could set the light off again. But I was guarenteed my inspection sticker.

So my question is did I get a fair price? Would you have done something differently? Could I have replaced just the O2 censors and kept the cat converter since there were no holes or flaws in it?

As you may or may not be able to tell, I am a novice with car repairs.

you could try replacing the O2 sensors first, but a continually bad cat could foul the downstream sensor again.

You got a fairly good price for the services that were performed if they were performed correctly.

What did the catalyst in the old converter look like? Was it all broken up, melted, clogged?

What did the catalyst in the old converter look like? Was it all broken up, melted, clogged?

I'm not certain since I didn't take it off myself. (since I don't have the proper jack stands to get under there)

I'll ask the guy when I pick it up today to show me the old converters so I can inspect them