Muffler Replacement Cost: What You Need to Know
Learn the typical muffler replacement cost
Over time, wear and tear and rust can necessitate a replacement, leading car owners to wonder about the associated costs. This article delves into the factors affecting the cost of replacing an exhaust muffler and what you can expect when budgeting for this essential repair.
Plus, it’s not just the muffler. Several other exhaust components, such as exhaust pipes, flex pipes, catalytic converters, and the brackets and isolators that hold them in place, rust out and must be replaced. Shops quite often recommend replacing those pipes along with the muffler because the labor required to separate old rusted pipes costs more than replacing them with new parts. So, let’s take a look at what goes into calculating the cost of muffler replacement.
Muffler replacement cost: How much do they cost?
Most late-model cars and trucks are built with stainless steel or aluminized exhaust parts. Mufflers made from these materials cost more than older muffler styles made from plain steel sheets and tubes, but stainless steel and aluminized products last almost four times longer.
Aftermarket mufflers (made by companies other than the carmaker) are equal to or better than the factory muffler, so there’s no reason to have exhaust or muffler work performed at the dealer. Let’s compare exhaust parts prices for a 2015 Subaru Forester. The retail price of a genuine Subaru resonator and exhaust pipe combination is $393.10 (Part #7 in the illustration). The retail price of the Subaru muffler is $368.57 (part #13 in the diagram). The labor guide shows .8 hrs. for the exhaust and resonator pipe and .6 hrs for each muffler.
Parts diagram for the 2015 Subaru Forester Exhaust System
Now, lets compare the prices for aftermarket parts from Walker exhaust.
Walker Exhaust is a major aftermarket supplier of high quality exhaust parts.
Walker exhaust parts diagram
The shop price for the exhaust resonator and pipe is about $300 and each muffler runs about $30o. So you’d save about $160 on parts if you had the work done at an independent shop.
If you do the work yourself and buy the parts from rockauto, the resonator and pipe are $117.69 and each muffler is $126.79.
Where’s the best place to get muffler and exhaust work done?
First, avoid the dealer. You’ll pay way too much for parts and labor. And, avoid your local independent mechanical shop. Exhaust just what they do best.
Instead, head for a locally owned muffler shop. This is what they do, and they do it all day, every day. But I’m not talking about the chain-operated or franchised muffler shops. In my opinion, those are the worst places to go for exhaust work. Even with discount coupons, you’ll most likely pay more for exhaust work at these shops than at an independently owned-muffler shop. The chain-operated shop will have a nicer, cleaner waiting room, but you’ll pay the dealer for that.
To learn more about exhaust system components and what they do, see this post.
©, 2017 Rick Muscoplat
Posted on by Rick Muscoplat