On average,between about $800 and around $1,200,depending on your vehicle's make and model, and that's only the value of the converter itself. (Parts and labor on catalytic converter repair or replacement can make it a lot more expensive for you.) The long story, short: the larger your engine, the more valuable (and thus, sought-out) the converter.

As you can probably tell, they're high-value, but for two, more-specific reasons.

• The market prices of the metals they contain are volatile enough that increases in their prices can make converters themselves much more expensive.
• They can therefore be sold for a lot of money, both to junkyards and private companies, who can then resell them at a profit.

That varies according to the average cost of repair relative to the average cost of the converter. The former can run between around $945 and about $2,475, with parts and labor factored in. The cat itself can make up approximately $2,250 of that.

These numbers don't factor in a car that's taken its maximum depreciation hit, though. If you're driving one, that cost could end up being equal to or even greater than your car's value. So, you could suddenly find yourself in a situation where it's financially better to sell your car than have the work done -- put simply, in trouble, as pertains short-term transportation, at least.

Not to worry. That's where Cat Security cat shields come in.