Muffler Repair and Replacement Cost 2023
A muffler can be found underneath a vehicle. Its presence is mainly to reduce the loud noises produced by vehicles and also reduce the production of harmful fumes generated which are allowed to escape through the silencer.
Some vehicle owners term the loud noise from their vehicle as irritating sounds while it appears as strange signs to some.
One quick way to know if your vehicle is suffering from a faulty muffler is when you get unusual sounds accompanied by uneasy acceleration when you try to apply the brake.
When you ignore this sound and continue to drive your vehicle in this condition, it could result in reduced engine performance and may in fact result in complete engine damage.
When that happens, you will be left with no choice but to visit any of the muffler shops around you for a replacement.
Not to worry, if you are reading this because you want to know what muffler replacement cost estimate is, how much it will cost you to repair a muffler, then you should read on because you will find answers to these and many more frequently asked questions on muffler replacement cost.
Bad Muffler Symptoms
There are always signs to look out for in a failing muffler. When you can know what is wrong with your vehicle in time, you will be able to save yourself some stress and time.
Instead of completely replacing a part like in this case, the muffler you can repair and save yourself some cash. Highlighted below are some symptoms to check out for in case of a bad muffler.
1. Excessive, Unusual and/or Irritating Exhaust Noise
This would most probably be the most defined indication that there is a problem with your exhaust. This type of engine noise could be because your muffler is rusted.
It could be as a result of cracks in the exhaust pipes or due to a leaking exhaust manifold gasket.
You wouldn’t want to ignore excessive noise from your vehicle because it could result in a reduced fuel economy and also cause loss of engine performance.
In some countries, you could be risking being fined for the high noise level of your exhaust.
2. Reduced Fuel Economy
A noticeably reduced fuel economy could be due to a lot of other factors aside from a bad failure but it is a symptom that your exhaust system is underperforming. Are you wondering why this is so?
Well, this is because when a vehicle exhaust system is failing, the exhaust system will have to do a harder job and this would result in more fuel usage and of course a reduced fuel efficiency.
3. Slow Response of the Accelerator
If you do not get your accelerator picked until after you have pressed and pressed on it then your exhaust system might be failing you.
Most of the time, this is caused by exhaust leaks. If you noticed this first before the unusual loud noises, it probably means that the exhaust leak is probably still too small to emit a noticeable amount of noise.
4. The stench of Exhaust Gases
The moment you begin to notice noxious exhaust gases coming from anywhere around your vehicle, you probably have an exhaust leak.
The exhaust gas can be dangerous to health so it is better addressed as soon as it is noticed.
5. Low Hanging Exhaust Pipe
If you notice that your exhaust pipe is hanging lower than it normally used to be, it could be caused by a lot of factors but you should go ahead to check to identify what exactly the problem is.
Not addressing it can cause the problem to exacerbate.
6. An Exhaust Manifold that Leaks
A cracked and leaking exhaust manifold can cause the exhaust valves to burn. A burnt exhaust valve will cause the seal over the engine cylinders to be affected.
Back Pressure resulting can cause an engine’s loss of power.
7. Noise from Beneath the Car
The muffler’s location is underneath the car. So when you get a noise that sounds like some pack of rocks in a box are being shaken, then you have a bad failure.
The noise can point at the catalytic converter suffering from a serious breakdown and this translates to mean that the important exhaust components are failing and will need a replacement muffler.
You might not need a replacement if your muffler hasn’t gone so bad, repairs on the bad component might just be all you need. If you like to know what the estimates are like, read on.
Related topic: what exhaust sounds good on a v6
Muffler Leak Repair Cost
A muffler leak if not taken proper care of can damage your engine. A leaking muffler can result in a burned exhaust valve which will, in turn, result in exhaust fumes from the combustion chambers flowing in the wrong way.
In the majority of the muffler shops, the cost for a repair of a muffler leak is charged on an hourly basis.
A muffler leak repair will most likely take about 2 – 3 hours to run. So the repair cost is a summation of the labor cost and parts cost.
Muffler Repair Cost = Muffler part cost + Labour Cost (Muffler Installation charge)
The labor rates for the majority of the independent shops are $80 to $90 for one hour. So for 2-3 hours of labor on repairing a muffler leak, you will likely get charged $160 – $270.
If you are going to prefer a dealership for the repair, you will need to spend more. A dealership will most likely charge about $100 – $110 per hour and that will leave you at a labor fee of $300 – $330.
The Muffler part cost will vary depending on the model, make, year of your vehicle, and the number of cylinders the engine has.
For example, For a jeep liberty muffler replacement cost, you can expect to pay between $683 at a local auto parts chain retailer while you could be paying $559 for a ford f150 muffler replacement cost and $323 for Honda civic muffler exhaust replacement cost.
This cost does not include the labor cost yet. If you are looking to get the parts cheaper, an aftermarket muffler will do well the work of a new quality muffler too.
For minor muffler repair, that includes the fixing of a damaged muffler clamp, the fixing of muffler hangers, repositioning of the combustion chambers may have a price range of $30 – $400 depending on the labor rates and also depending on the country you are in and how much the muffler shops charge in there.
Catalytic Converter Replacement
The catalytic converter is a part of the automobile exhaust system. It does the work of converting harmful compounds in exhaust fumes into harmless compounds.
A typical vehicle has its catalytic converter looking like a muffler in terms of shape.
One of the frequently asked questions is if a catalytic converter is worth replacement. Read on!
Repairing the catalytic converter may be on the expensive side. So you might have to weigh your options i.e. for some car model type it might be a better option to sell your car instead of replacing your catalytic converter.
Replacing a catalytic converter is not at all cheap, the average cost of a catalytic converter repair is around $950 – $2500.
This cost is the replacement cost which is defined to be the addition of the part cost and the labor cost.
Knowing how expensive replacing a catalytic converter can be, you are left with the question “If catalytic converter replacement is expensive then can I drive my car with a bad catalytic converter?”
Well, if you live in a country like California, you would not be able to drive a car that has a bad catalytic converter because their mandatory smog test has to be met before you can drive it.
Even if you live in a country where there are no strict rules, a bad catalytic converter could result in a restriction in your exhaust flow and cause the rough running of the engine, and may even result in an engine failure.
Some of the signs to look out for to point to you that your car has a bad catalytic converter are;
- Check engine light comes on
- The engine has a rough run
- There is na noxious smell from the tailpipe
- There is a catalytic converter rattle when your car is idling
- The catalytic converter may cause a glow red hot or even cause a car fire.
Final Words
Now that you know what to expect and what to look out for when your vehicle muffler is starting to get bad. Early detection could save you the stress of getting a replacement and minor muffler repairs might just be all that is needed.
For your muffler replacement or repair cost, the above-detailed explanation would be able to guide you through the decisions. Take your time and always make the right decisions for your vehicle.
We hope that you found this article helpful. Let us know in the comment section how it helped you and if you are still not clear on anything related to this article, drop your question in the box below.
