Petrol Volkswagen catalytic converters run about $30 to $300 for one original unit in 2026. Golf, Jetta and Beetle units bring $50 to $200, Passat and Tiguan units $60 to $225, and Touareg units $100 to $300. TDI diesel units are different hardware and sit far lower, at $25 to $125 for the oxidation catalyst.
One badge, two price worlds. Almost every mistake VW sellers make comes from applying one world's numbers to the other, so this page works through the four corrections in order.
Correction one: a TDI unit is not a petrol unit
This is the expensive one. Sellers see a Golf figure, assume it applies to their Golf, and it does not — because a TDI does not carry a three-way catalytic converter at all.
A petrol catalyst uses platinum, palladium and rhodium together, and holds roughly 10 to 15 grams of the three. A diesel oxidation catalyst uses mostly platinum, very little palladium and essentially no rhodium, and holds around 2 to 3 grams. Rhodium is where much of a petrol unit's value sits, so its near-absence changes the number substantially rather than slightly.
The second half of the correction: on 2007 and later TDIs there is also a diesel particulate filter, a physically larger component downstream of the catalyst. It carries platinum and sells on its own line at $50 to $250 — often more than the catalyst ahead of it. Sellers who quote "the diesel exhaust" as one item are usually being paid for one part and handing over two.
Volkswagen catalytic converter scrap prices by model
Model Years Notes Indicative range (USD) Measurement Model years covered What sets the unit apart Buyer quotes for one complete unit, honeycomb intact Touareg (petrol V6 and V8) 2003 to 2018 Large unit, two fitted; shares the Q7 and Cayenne platform $100 to $300 Passat and CC (petrol) 1998 to 2019 Mid-size petrol unit $60 to $225 Tiguan (petrol TSI) 2008 to 2019 Compact SUV, petrol only in this row $60 to $225 Golf, GTI and Jetta (petrol) 1998 to 2019 The volume VW unit; shared with Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia $50 to $200 Beetle and Bug (1998 onward) 1998 to 2019 Modern water-cooled Beetle; the classic air-cooled car has none $50 to $200 Scirocco and Eos 2006 to 2016 Petrol coupe and convertible $50 to $200 Touran and Caddy (petrol) 2003 to 2018 Compact MPV and van $50 to $175 Polo and Up (petrol) 2002 to 2019 Smallest VW units $30 to $125 TDI diesel particulate filter (DPF) 2007 onward Large platinum-bearing filter, priced separately from the cat $50 to $250 TDI diesel oxidation catalyst 1998 to 2018 Mostly platinum, little palladium, almost no rhodium $25 to $125 Manifold pre-cat, any model Various Small unit cast into the exhaust manifold $20 to $100 Aftermarket replacement, any model All years Universal unit, trace metal $5 to $50
Ranges are compiled from published core-buyer code lists, catalyst exchange transaction data and current scrap guides; they are not a live per-code feed. Petrol and diesel rows are listed separately because they are different products, not different grades of the same one.
Correction two: the badge does not set the price
VW sellers often assume a Volkswagen unit prices differently from a Skoda or Seat one. Catalyst databases say otherwise, and they say it plainly.
Open a reference for a common VW code and you will find it listed against several cars at once: a Golf V 2.0 TDI alongside an Audi A3 2.0 TDI, a Skoda Octavia and a VW Touran. Another covers a Golf VI 1.4 TSI with a Seat León, a Passat 1.4 TSI and an Audi A3 1.4 TFSI. These are not similar units. They are the same part number fitted to four badges.
The practical consequence is that quoting the model name tells a buyer less than the code does. VW codes appear in formats such as DD-12193, JD-22444 or short strings like GDN and QDN. Photograph the code and quote that. It also means the Audi page numbers apply to many VW units and the reverse, which is worth knowing before accepting a badge-based discount.
VW prices around the world
Platinum, palladium and rhodium settle in US dollars, so a VW code holds the same metal value everywhere. The currency and the local buyer pool are what change. The table converts the petrol VW span into each market's money at today's rate.
Market Currency Unit Equivalent range United States USD per unit $30.00 to 300.00 United Kingdom GBP per unit £22.19 to 221.92 Canada CAD per unit C$41.49 to 414.92 Australia AUD per unit A$41.63 to 416.30 Germany EUR per unit €25.83 to 258.32 India INR per unit ₹2,836 to 28,364 Bangladesh BDT per unit ৳3,688 to 36,878 United Arab Emirates AED per unit AED110.18 to 1,102 Saudi Arabia SAR per unit SAR112.50 to 1,125 Turkey TRY per unit ₺1,454 to 14,538 South Africa ZAR per unit R478.72 to 4,787 China CNY per unit CN¥201.58 to 2,016
These conversions are the metal-value anchor rather than a local quote. Europe matters more for this brand than most: VW's diesel share was far higher there, so a European seller is more likely holding TDI hardware than the petrol units the table above prices.
Correction three: Beetle, Bug, and the car that has neither
A Bug is a Beetle. The two words are the same car, so listings and price lists using either term refer to the same units.
The correction that actually matters is generational. The modern water-cooled Beetle, from 1998 onward, carries a normal converter worth $50 to $200 — and in fact shares hardware with the Golf and Jetta of the same era, which is why a single aftermarket part is commonly listed as fitting Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat together.
The classic air-cooled Beetle carries no catalytic converter at all. Catalysts arrived on US cars in 1975, and the air-cooled Beetle had left the American market by then. If you are searching converter prices for a classic Bug, there is nothing under it to sell.
Correction four: what dieselgate actually changed
Volkswagen's 2015 emissions scandal covered 2.0 and 3.0 litre TDI engines, and the US buyback programme took a large number of those cars off the road and out of private hands.
Two things follow, and neither is the one people usually assume. First, a dieselgate-affected unit is not worth more or less because of the scandal — buyers price the platinum in it, exactly as they would any other diesel catalyst. Second, US TDI hardware is scarcer in the general parts market than the original sales figures suggest, because so many cars went through the buyback rather than into ordinary scrappage.
Outside the US the picture is different again, since those markets kept their TDI fleets. If you are in Europe, the diesel rows in the table above are the relevant ones.
Common mistakes
- Quoting a petrol Golf figure for a TDI Golf, which overstates the value several times over.
- Selling the diesel oxidation catalyst and the particulate filter as one item.
- Giving the model name instead of the stamped code on a brand that shares codes across four marques.
- Accepting a lower price because the badge says Skoda or Seat rather than Volkswagen.
- Expecting a scandal premium, or discount, on a dieselgate-era TDI.
- Searching converter prices for a classic air-cooled Beetle, which never had one.
Questions people actually ask
Is a TDI catalytic converter worth anything?
Yes, but far less than a petrol one. The oxidation catalyst brings $25 to $125 because it is mostly platinum with almost no rhodium. The particulate filter fitted to 2007 and later cars is worth more, at $50 to $250, and should be quoted separately.
Does a VW Golf converter price the same as an Audi A3?
Often identically, because it is frequently the same part. Catalyst references routinely cover a Golf, an A3, a Skoda Octavia and a Seat León under one code. Compare by code rather than badge, and see the Audi page for the sibling numbers.
How does a VW compare with a Toyota or Honda unit?
A petrol Golf sits close to a Honda Civic unit and near a Toyota Corolla unit. None of them reaches hybrid money. A TDI sits below all three.
Figures on this page are indicative buyer ranges for complete, uncut original units and are not offers to buy. Converter types, codes and selling rules are covered on the main catalytic converter price page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a VW catalytic converter worth as scrap?
Petrol units run about $30 to $300 for one original converter in 2026. Polo and Up units bring $30 to $125, Golf, Jetta and Beetle units $50 to $200, Passat and Tiguan units $60 to $225, and Touareg units $100 to $300. TDI diesel catalysts sit lower at $25 to $125.
Why is my TDI catalytic converter worth so much less?
Because it is a different component. A diesel oxidation catalyst uses mostly platinum with very little palladium and essentially no rhodium, holding roughly 2 to 3 grams of precious metal against 10 to 15 grams in a petrol unit. Rhodium carries much of a petrol unit's value.
Is a VW diesel particulate filter worth selling?
Yes, and separately from the catalyst. The DPF fitted to 2007 and later TDIs is a large platinum-bearing component worth roughly $50 to $250, often more than the oxidation catalyst ahead of it. Ask for both to be quoted rather than accepting one figure for the exhaust.
Do VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat converters price the same?
Frequently yes, because they are often the same part. Catalyst references commonly list one code against a VW Golf, an Audi A3, a Skoda Octavia and a Seat León at once. Quote the stamped code rather than the badge to avoid a badge-based discount.
Does a VW Bug have a catalytic converter?
The modern water-cooled Beetle from 1998 onward does, worth $50 to $200 and sharing hardware with the Golf and Jetta of the same era. The classic air-cooled Beetle does not, since catalytic converters arrived on US cars in 1975 after that model had left the market.
Are dieselgate VW converters worth more or less?
Neither. Buyers price the platinum content, not the car's history, so an affected TDI unit sells like any other diesel catalyst. The buyback did make US TDI hardware scarcer in the ordinary parts market, since many cars were removed rather than scrapped normally.