My check engine light came on in my 2008 Subaru forester the other week. At the same time the cruise control quit working. I took it to the dealer who said that the catalytic convertor was the problem. They want around 1000 for the parts. I found them both online for 500 for the pair. Anyone else run into this?

they also reset the computer at the same time however the light came back on today so I'm in the same boat that I was in last week.

so. . .i'm guessing your emissions warranty is out ?
check with a muffler shop and see what their price
to install a new one is and what the warranty would be.

Car is older than 8 years, so no emissions warranty.

$500.00 for a pair online will get you a pair on converters that will last a year, maybe two. Huge difference in quality between O.E and aftermarket converters. Been there, done that. High ethanol content in the fuel elevates combustion temperatures and shortens the life of these components, just an unfortunate fact of life. But the aftermarket ones, especially at that price, typically don't last long at all.

pzev emission warranty in some states is
15 years/150,000 miles.
basic fed warranty is 8/80

Ahh. I was not aware of that. Thanks for the info.

Car has federal emissions

pulled the plugs and they were covered in oil. I gather that I need new valve cover gaskets.

...or head gaskets dumping oil right into the cyls. Are all the plugs oily or just 1 or 2? It's unlikely that both head gaskets would go at the same time.

I had a cat problem with my Titan. The dealer had Midas put one on. Midas charged them 1100 bucks. That f'ing cat lasted about 2000 miles before the light came on again. It was under warranty, just for the cat but not the labor. They wanted 400$ for that. So I said F you.

I got a Walker brand for 520$ and paid 200$ for labor. Rockauto has them for 320-360$. But for me, I like doing business local.

I have put new spark plugs in too. The next parts to replace are the PCV valve and hoses, they are a little oily.