Petrol Audi catalytic converters run about $30 to $325 for one original unit in 2026. A3 and TT units bring $50 to $200, A4 and Q5 units $60 to $225, A6 units $75 to $275, and Q7, A8 and RS units $100 to $325. TDI diesel catalysts sit far lower at $25 to $125.
Audi owners arrive at this question honestly. The car cost more, it feels more substantial, and it is reasonable to expect the parts to follow. Whether they do is a question of evidence rather than impression, so here is the evidence, model by model, with a verdict on each.
The question, stated fairly
Audi sits inside the Volkswagen Group alongside VW, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini. Cars across those brands are built on shared platforms, and shared platforms frequently mean shared exhaust hardware.
A scrap buyer does not weigh badges. They price the precious metal in a specific part number. So the real question is not whether Audi is a premium brand — it plainly is — but whether the converter bolted under your particular Audi is a different part from the one under its cheaper twin.
Sometimes it is. Often it is not.
Audi 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 A8, S and RS models 2000 to 2018 Largest petrol units, two fitted $100 to $325 Q7 (petrol V6 and V8) 2006 to 2018 Shares the Touareg and Cayenne platform; two units $100 to $300 A6 and A7 (petrol V6) 2000 to 2018 Executive saloon, usually two units $75 to $275 A4 (petrol) 1998 to 2018 The volume Audi saloon; twin of the VW Passat era $60 to $225 A5 and S5 2007 to 2018 Shares A4 hardware $60 to $225 Q5 (petrol) 2008 to 2018 Mid-size crossover $60 to $225 A3 and TT (petrol) 1996 to 2018 Same code as VW Golf, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon $50 to $200 Q3 (petrol) 2011 to 2018 Shares Passat and Golf era codes $50 to $200 A1 2010 to 2018 Smallest Audi unit; Polo hardware $30 to $125 TDI diesel particulate filter (DPF) 2007 onward Large platinum-bearing filter, priced separately $50 to $250 TDI diesel oxidation catalyst 1998 to 2018 Mostly platinum, 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 components.
Ruling one: A3 and TT — no premium
The evidence here is unambiguous. Catalyst references for common A3 codes list them against a VW Golf, a Skoda Octavia and a Seat León simultaneously. One reference covers an A3 2.0 TDI with a Golf V 2.0 TDI and a VW Touran. Another covers an A3 1.4 TFSI with a Golf VI 1.4 TSI, a Passat 1.4 TSI and a Seat León. A third puts an Audi TT 2.0 TFSI alongside a VW Scirocco and a Tiguan.
These are not comparable parts. They are one part with several badges printed on the cars around it.
Verdict: no premium. An A3 or TT unit is worth what the equivalent Golf or Jetta unit is worth, roughly $50 to $200. If a buyer offers less for the VW version of the identical code, that is a negotiating position, not a valuation.
Ruling two: Q7 versus Touareg versus Cayenne
All three large SUVs came off the same group platform, and this is the ruling people most want settled — particularly the Porsche comparison.
On the exhaust hardware the three sit far closer together than the price lists of the cars ever did. A Q7 petrol unit and a Touareg petrol unit occupy the same $100 to $300 band. The Cayenne’s advantage, where it exists, comes from engine specification rather than the badge on the bonnet.
Verdict: near-parity, with variance by engine rather than marque. Quote the code and the engine, not the SUV’s original list price.
Audi prices around the world
Platinum, palladium and rhodium settle in US dollars, so an Audi code holds the same metal value in every market. Currency and local buyer depth are what differ. The table converts the petrol Audi span into each market’s money at today’s rate.
Market Currency Unit Equivalent range United States USD per unit $30.00 to 325.00 United Kingdom GBP per unit £22.19 to 240.41 Canada CAD per unit C$41.49 to 449.50 Australia AUD per unit A$41.63 to 451.00 Germany EUR per unit €25.83 to 279.85 India INR per unit ₹2,836 to 30,728 Bangladesh BDT per unit ৳3,688 to 39,952 United Arab Emirates AED per unit AED110.18 to 1,194 Saudi Arabia SAR per unit SAR112.50 to 1,219 Turkey TRY per unit ₺1,454 to 15,750 South Africa ZAR per unit R478.72 to 5,186 China CNY per unit CN¥201.58 to 2,184
These conversions are the metal-value anchor rather than a local quote. Europe is the larger Audi market and also the more diesel-heavy one, so a European seller is more likely holding TDI hardware than the petrol units priced above.
The rest of the docket
The A4 is the volume Audi and behaves like the Passat of its era: same class of unit, same band, $60 to $225. The A5 and Q5 draw on A4 hardware and land in the same place. The Q3 sits with the Golf and Passat codes.
The A6, A7 and A8 are where the picture genuinely changes, and the reason is physical rather than reputational: larger V6 and V8 engines need larger catalysts with heavier loadings, and those cars carry two units rather than one. An A8 or RS pair reaches $100 to $325 each because of what is inside the shell, not what is on the grille.
When Audi does price higher
Three situations, and only three.
Engine size, as above: a V8 unit outprices a four-cylinder unit on any badge, Audi included.
Unit count: most V6 and V8 Audis carry two converters. A whole-car total therefore doubles, even where the per-unit figure matches a cheaper twin. This is the single most common way Audi sellers undersell — quoting one unit on a car that has two.
Originality: European cars attract aftermarket exhaust replacements at high rates, so a surviving original Audi unit stands out against a market full of thin universal shells worth $5 to $50.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a badge premium on an A3 or TT, where the part is a Golf part.
- Quoting one unit on a V6 or V8 Audi that carries two.
- Applying a petrol figure to a TDI, which is a different component entirely.
- Selling the TDI oxidation catalyst and the particulate filter as a single item.
- Giving the model name rather than the stamped code, on a brand whose codes span four marques.
- Accepting a lower offer because the seller before you had a Skoda with the same code.
Questions people actually ask
Is an Audi catalytic converter worth more than a VW one?
Usually not, because it is frequently the same part. A3, TT and Q3 units share codes with the Golf, Octavia and León. The genuine differences appear on the larger V6 and V8 cars, where bigger catalysts and two-unit exhausts raise the total.
Which Audi catalytic converter is worth the most?
The A8, S and RS units at $100 to $325 each, followed by the Q7 at $100 to $300. Because these cars carry a pair, the whole-vehicle figure is roughly double the per-unit range.
Are Audi TDI converters worth anything?
Less than the petrol equivalents. The oxidation catalyst brings $25 to $125 because it is mostly platinum with almost no rhodium, while the particulate filter on 2007 and later cars is worth $50 to $250 and should be quoted separately. The VW page covers the diesel distinction in full.
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 an Audi catalytic converter worth as scrap?
Petrol units run about $30 to $325 for one original converter in 2026. A1 units bring $30 to $125, A3 and TT units $50 to $200, A4, A5 and Q5 units $60 to $225, A6 and A7 units $75 to $275, and Q7, A8 and RS units $100 to $325.
Is an Audi catalytic converter worth more than a Volkswagen one?
Usually not, because it is frequently the same part number. Catalyst references list common A3 and TT codes against a VW Golf, a Skoda Octavia and a Seat León at once. Genuine differences appear only on the larger V6 and V8 Audis with bigger catalysts and two-unit exhausts.
Which Audi catalytic converter is worth the most?
The A8, S and RS units at $100 to $325 each, then the Q7 at $100 to $300. Both carry two converters rather than one, so the whole-vehicle total is roughly double the per-unit figure quoted.
Does an Audi Q7 converter price the same as a Touareg or Cayenne?
Close to it. All three large SUVs came off the same Volkswagen Group platform and their petrol units occupy the same $100 to $300 band. Variation comes from engine specification rather than which badge the vehicle wore.
Are Audi TDI catalytic converters worth anything?
Yes, but far less than petrol units. The diesel oxidation catalyst brings $25 to $125 because it uses mostly platinum with almost no rhodium. The particulate filter fitted from 2007 is worth $50 to $250 and should be quoted as a separate item.
How many catalytic converters does an Audi have?
Four-cylinder models such as the A3, A4 and Q3 usually carry one main unit plus a small manifold pre-cat. V6 and V8 models including the A6, A8 and Q7 carry two, one per cylinder bank, so ask for a price on each rather than one vehicle total.