Cat chat: 2002 stock EX replacement cost?
 

[edit: ok, did look at some online wholesale prices, haha. Maybe not OEM! $$$]

Just got my Civic yesterday. Everything's stock and in great shape. But the dealer/inspector cleared the emissions when I realize now that they shouldn't have! There's a lot of exhaust coming into the cabin at stoplights when the outside air intake is on (none I can smell with recirculation.)

So I had looked under the car intensively before buying and used my camera to take pics of what I couldn't see. The pic of the cat showed rust on the little LCD but didn't look too bad. After I bought the car and noticed this problem driving home, I pulled up the pic on my big monitor, and it's clear it needs to be replaced! It's a little loud when accelerating, too, but the rest of the system had only medium to minor rust (I did take a pic of behind the muffler.)

Yeah, I kinda got a bit hosed, but I literally did not have the money, I thought, to have a pre-purchase inspection. I know, I'd have come out ahead with the inspection and the price knocked down for the cat! Oh, well, it's otherwise a great car, and I will cherish the $25 I now have to my name. :0

So, about what is the kind of price I'm looking at to replace it? I'd like OEM or better, since this car was obviously otherwise cared for like a little baby (inside the engine looks like it's off the showroom among many other things.) I'm assuming 3rd party is suckage.

I also wanted to show the pic!

They also put on new brake pads. I assume they're ****, so I should probably have the brakes looked at at the same time, you think? I'm worried about damaging the rotors.

Thanks,

Kristen