Saturn catalytic converters run about $50 to $225 for one original unit in 2026. Outlook and Vue V6 units lead at $75 to $225, Aura, L300 and Sky units bring $75 to $200, four-cylinder Vue units $60 to $175, and Ion, SL2 and SC units $50 to $175.
A brand that stopped, and hardware that did not
Saturn built its last car in 2010. The badge is gone, the dealers are gone, and owners reasonably assume the parts market went with them.
It did not, for a straightforward reason. Saturn was a General Motors division, and the converters are described plainly by the trade as ordinary General Motors units in varying shapes. They are graded on the same GM class list as a Chevrolet or a Buick, and a core buyer looking at the reference number sees a familiar domestic part rather than an orphan.
What has genuinely changed is who you sell to, and that is covered further down.
Saturn 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 Outlook (3.6 V6) 2007 to 2010 Lambda platform; three units, as on the Acadia and Enclave $75 to $225 Vue (V6) 2002 to 2010 One to three units depending on year and engine $75 to $225 Aura and L300 (V6) 2000 to 2009 Mid-size saloon, two units $75 to $200 Sky 2007 to 2010 Roadster, GM Kappa platform $75 to $200 Vue (2.4 four-cylinder) 2002 to 2010 One main unit plus pre-cats on some years $60 to $175 Ion, SL2, SW2 and SC 1991 to 2007 Compact range; the volume Saturn units $50 to $175 Manifold pre-cat, any model Various Small unit close to the engine; some cars carry two $20 to $100 Aftermarket replacement, any model All years Universal unit, trace metal $5 to $50
Ranges are compiled from published core-buyer class lists, catalyst exchange transaction data and current scrap guides; they are not a live per-code feed. Figures are per unit, and the count varies more on this brand than on most.
One to three: the count is not fixed
This is the single most useful thing on the page, and it is unusual enough to be worth stating carefully.
On the Vue, the number of converters fitted ranges from one to three depending on the year and engine. Some assemblies carry a main unit with one pre-cat, some carry a main unit with two pre-cats, and some carry only a single main unit. The four-cylinder and V6 versions differ, and so do model years within the same generation.
That means a parts diagram or a friend's experience is not reliable here. Get under the vehicle, trace the exhaust from the manifolds backward, and count what is actually there.
The practical consequence is money. If your Vue carries a main unit at $75 to $225 plus two pre-cats at $20 to $100 each, the vehicle total is materially different from a single-unit car, and a buyer quoting one figure is quoting one part.
The Outlook is a Lambda
One Saturn belongs to a family covered elsewhere on this site, and knowing that gives you a cross-check.
The Outlook 3.6 is built on the General Motors Lambda platform, the same architecture as the GMC Acadia, the Buick Enclave and the Chevrolet Traverse. Those vehicles carry three converters, and replacement sets are routinely listed as fitting across the group.
So if you are working through an Outlook, expect three rather than two, and use the Acadia and Enclave figures as a comparison if a quote looks light.
If you searched Saturn 4 dot
Some sellers arrive here having searched for dot markings on a Saturn unit, so it is worth answering directly and honestly.
Graders do read markings stamped or cast on domestic converter shells, and dots are among them. What they are not is standardised. As the GM class reference sets out, the whole domestic grading vocabulary grew up across competing scrap businesses rather than being set by any standards body, and sub-classes read from markings are exactly where usage differs most from yard to yard.
So the useful advice is not a price for a dot count. It is this: photograph every marking on the shell, including any dots, letters and numbers, and send the images rather than a description. Let the buyer identify it against their own list, then check the class they name against the table above. If they will not explain what puts your unit in a class, that tells you something about the buyer.
Saturn prices around the world
Platinum, palladium and rhodium settle in US dollars, so a Saturn reference holds the same metal value in every market. Currency and local buyer depth are what change. The table converts the Saturn span into each market's money at today's rate.
Market Currency Unit Equivalent range United States USD per unit $50.00 to 225.00 United Kingdom GBP per unit £36.99 to 166.44 Canada CAD per unit C$69.15 to 311.19 Australia AUD per unit A$69.38 to 312.23 Germany EUR per unit €43.05 to 193.74 India INR per unit ₹4,727 to 21,273 Bangladesh BDT per unit ৳6,146 to 27,659 United Arab Emirates AED per unit AED183.63 to 826.31 Saudi Arabia SAR per unit SAR187.50 to 843.75 Turkey TRY per unit ₺2,423 to 10,904 South Africa ZAR per unit R797.87 to 3,590 China CNY per unit CN¥335.97 to 1,512
These conversions are the metal-value anchor rather than a local quote. Saturn sold almost entirely in North America, so nearly every reader here is working the US column.
The twenty dollar offer
The real risk on a discontinued brand is not that the metal is worth less. It is who you happen to walk into.
Buyers on these units vary enormously, and reported offers on the same converter have gone as low as 20 dollars from a yard treating it as generic scrap. That is not a valuation. It is a business that does not price converters properly buying at a level that leaves room whatever the part turns out to be.
Three habits fix it. Send the serial number engraved on the casing rather than the model name, since that is what a real buyer prices from. Approach a converter specialist rather than a general scrap yard. And get a second quote before agreeing, because on an unfamiliar badge the spread between a careless quote and a proper one is most of the money.
For context on the repair side, replacing a Vue converter is estimated at roughly $1,217 to $1,314, with aftermarket parts listing from about $112 to $290. If the car is bound for a dismantler, the originals are worth more sold as cores than left underneath it.
Questions people actually ask
How much is a Saturn catalytic converter worth as scrap?
Between roughly $50 and $225 for one original unit in 2026. Ion, SL2, SW2 and SC units bring $50 to $175, four-cylinder Vue units $60 to $175, Aura, L300 and Sky units $75 to $200, and Outlook and V6 Vue units $75 to $225.
How many catalytic converters does a Saturn Vue have?
Between one and three, depending on the year and engine. Some assemblies use a main unit with one pre-cat, some a main unit with two pre-cats, and some only a single main unit. Count them on the vehicle rather than trusting a diagram.
Is a Saturn converter worth less because the brand closed?
No. Saturn was a General Motors division and its converters are ordinary GM units, graded on the same domestic class list as a Chevrolet or Buick. The practical risk is a careless quote from a yard that does not price converters properly, which quoting the serial number solves.
What does a 4 dot marking mean on a Saturn converter?
Graders do read dots and other markings on domestic shells, but those sub-classes are not standardised and usage differs between buyers. Rather than looking for a price per dot, photograph every marking and let the buyer identify the unit, then check the class they name against the published ranges.
How many converters does a Saturn Outlook have?
Three. The Outlook 3.6 is built on the GM Lambda platform alongside the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse, and replacement sets for these vehicles are sold as three-piece kits.
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 Saturn catalytic converter worth as scrap?
Between roughly $50 and $225 for one original unit in 2026. Ion, SL2, SW2 and SC units bring $50 to $175, four-cylinder Vue units $60 to $175, Aura, L300 and Sky units $75 to $200, and Outlook and V6 Vue units $75 to $225.
How many catalytic converters does a Saturn Vue have?
Between one and three, depending on the model year and engine. Some assemblies use a main unit with one pre-cat, some a main unit with two pre-cats, and some carry only a single main unit. Count them on the vehicle rather than relying on a parts diagram.
Is a Saturn converter worth less now the brand has closed?
No. Saturn was a General Motors division and its converters are ordinary GM units graded on the same domestic class list as a Chevrolet or Buick. The practical risk is a careless quote from a yard that does not price converters properly rather than any loss of metal value.
What does a 4 dot marking mean on a Saturn catalytic converter?
Graders do read dots and other markings cast or stamped on domestic shells, but those sub-classes are not standardised and usage varies between buyers. Photograph every marking and let the buyer identify the unit, then check the class they name against published ranges.
How many converters does a Saturn Outlook have?
Three. The Outlook 3.6 sits on the General Motors Lambda platform alongside the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse, and replacement sets for these vehicles are sold as three-piece kits.
Why did one buyer offer me only twenty dollars for a Saturn converter?
Because some general yards treat converters as generic scrap rather than pricing the reference. Reported offers on the same unit have ranged from around $20 upward. Send the serial number to a converter specialist and get a second quote before agreeing to anything.