1SIKBRU

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I forgot that part. All the aftermarket downpipes are illegal in California. None of them will pass smog. So its illegal for a dealership to sell you that car. Pretty sure you can make them take it back at this point. At the least they have to make your car legal and functional.

sleepy_doe807

iTrader: (1)

sorry for the threadjack, but do you mean they fail the "visual" inspection or not clean enough emissions/sniffer test?

i can understand a newer car not requiring a new catalytic converter, but an older car with > 100K miles might require a new catalytic converter. back in 95, i had an 85 mr2 with 165K miles on it and failed the emissions test due to high CO levels. the place i was getting tested at told me i needed a new cat. Toyota wanted $500 for a factory cat. i found a no-name cat for $75 that bolted in fine and i passed smog the next day.

sorry, my point was i installed a cat that wasn't a stock factory part. but it still did the job it was intended for, cleaning up emissions.

i left CA in 05 due to navy changing duty stations, but have the smog laws become that stringent? i might be coming back next year.

Mulder

Modifying the exhaust from the cats forward is illegal under federal law in all states. There are also states such as CA with their own stringent laws in addition.
People do it all over and get away with it, but that doesn't mean it's legal, and what allows you to pass inspection in your state may not actually be legal under the federal laws.
If a cat fails on a car with less than a certain mileage, it is supposed to be replaced with only the exact OEM unit in the OEM location. At higher mileage an aftermarket cat meeting the proper specs may be permitted (someone who knows for sure can correct me if I'm wrong on this).
At no time is it legal (state or federal) to remove a cat, functioning or not, and not replace it with a new cat.

1SIKBRU

iTrader: (2)

Yup, thats my understanding of the laws too.
You're right with the high mileage ones, they can have non-oem ones welded on in the oem location, but that's it.

Any news on the 07 WRX??? Dealers fixing it?