What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($187)MiddleHigher-cost states ($238)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $238 and AR the lowest at $187, across 51 states.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is under 50,000 (49%), against 60% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
213 owner complaints name this part.
Owners say the dealer could not fix or repeat the problem. If it comes back after a repair, ask what was tested before you pay again.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 213 owner complaints naming this part, exhaust pipe is named in 14% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Exhaust pipe: 30 complaints (14%); Catalytic converter: 28 complaints (13%).
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 37%.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
How serious did it get for owners?
Among the 213 owner complaints naming this part, injury is the outcome owners report most often.
What it shows: Injury reported is the largest at 12, followed by Towed at 6; the smallest shown is Death reported at 1.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 213 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 40 (19%), followed by 2016 at 27 (13%); the smallest shown is 2024 at 2 (1%).
How much of a repair bill is labor and how much is parts?
In the 2017 Economic Census, exhaust system repair shops took 50.6% of their repair revenue from labor charges and 49.4% from parts installed, close to the 51.0% labor share of all auto repair shops (U.S. Census Bureau, national, 1,585 shops).
| Shop type (NAICS) | Labor charges | Parts installed | All revenue of the shop type | Establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive repair and maintenance (all shop types) | 51.0% | 49.0% | $115.3 billion | 162,185 |
| Automotive exhaust system repair | 50.6% | 49.4% | $0.6 billion | 1,585 |
| Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair | 50.6% | 49.4% | $43.0 billion | 41,542 |
| Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance | 50.4% | 49.6% | $54.9 billion | 92,088 |
Has the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 1 equipment recalls that name muffler since 2015 (engine and vehicle speed control), covering 494 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Cummins, Inc. in 2021, covered 494.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Cummins, Inc.: L9 | exhaust system. | certain L9 Diesel Engines, with part number D563027BX03. | 494 |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 1 NHTSA recalls that name muffler filed 2015 to 2024, 60.1% of the 331 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 132 vehicles still carrying the defect.
| Year | Vehicles | Recalled vehicles | Repaired | Component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Honda Cbr1000rr | 331 | 60.1% | exhaust system. |
How often does this part fail a real inspection, by car age?
In 2,102,125 New Jersey initial inspections in 2025, 14.3% of cars aged 16+ years failed the emissions test against 2.8% of cars under 3 years, about 5 times as often (record counts, not a sample).
What it shows: 16+ is the largest at 14.3%, followed by <3 at 2.8%; the smallest shown is 3-4 at 2.6%.
Has the maker published a fix?
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Camaro 2018–2024 | 23-NA-216 | Jan 22, 2024 | This service bulletin provides a procedure to replace the exhaust resonator/muffler assembly to correct a customer concern of rattle noise from exhaust. |
| Ford | F-150 2021–2023 | TSB 23-2341 | Nov 14, 2023 | This article supercedes TSB 22-2388 to update the Service Procedure and vehicle model years affected. |
| Chevrolet | Suburban 2021–2023; Tahoe 2021–2023 | PIT6077 | Oct 24, 2023 | This Preliminary information communicates an issue with the exhaust tailpipe tip misaligned and dealership are to replace the muffler. |
| Ford | Explorer 2020–2023 | SSM 51824 | Aug 1, 2023 | 2020-2023 Explorer non-hybrid vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost or 3.3L Duratec engine and 2020-2023 Aviator non-hybrid vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an exhaust rattle requiring replacement of the left or right exhaust. |
| Hyundai | Sonata 2021–2022 | 21-EM-011H | Oct 29, 2021 | Certain Sonata N-Line vehicles may have an uneven appearance between LH and RH exhaust tips due to slightly misaligned rear mufflers. |
| Chrysler | Pacifica 2021; 300 2021 and 2 more | 75227 | Jun 21, 2021 | Muffler and tailpipe ? |
54 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
The car is at 59,000 miles, I paid $230 for a diagnostic run only to be told it was a "Faulty Muffler" and needed replacement for $1479.66 as it was not covered in my extended warranty.
They traced the noise to the catalytic converter and muffler and quoted $2,709.24 to replace the full exhaust system.
A few days later they send me a quote for $10K to replace the engine as well as the muffler system - more than the current market value of the car.
My bumper to bumper warranty ended at 3 years or 36,000 miles and they’re saying it’s not covered under warranty and the whole muffler/exhaust system needs to be replaced for $1200.
Check your car
Our calculator's default muffler replacement cost is $704–$1,624 for a direct-fit muffler, parts plus installation. Two choices move that number most: the type of muffler or exhaust system your car needs, and whether an independent shop or a dealership does the work.
What does a muffler replacement cost cover?
The estimate covers one direct-fit muffler and the labor to cut off or unbolt the old one and fit the new one. That's the whole job on a car whose exhaust is in good shape.
It leaves out the parts that rot alongside the muffler. Hangers, gaskets, clamps and the pipe feeding the muffler are often priced separately. Some shops also add a fee for diagnosing the noise or a leak before they quote.
How does muffler replacement cost change by muffler type and shop?
Muffler type moves the price much more than the shop. Here are the calculator's ranges by setting.
| Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: direct-fit muffler | $704–$1,624 |
| Performance / aftermarket muffler | $975–$2,707 |
| Cat-back system | $1,895–$5,955 |
| Independent shop (about $100/hr) | $633–$1,462 |
| Dealership (about $175/hr) | $882–$2,030 |
The shop rows assume the default direct-fit muffler. If a shop is quoting a cat-back system, that replaces everything behind the catalytic converter, so it isn't a like-for-like price against a single muffler.
How do I know it's the muffler, and how urgent is it?
A sudden, louder exhaust note is the classic sign. So is a rattle or metallic knock from under the car, a muffler that hangs low or drags, or visible rust holes. Small drips of water from the tailpipe after a cold start are usually just condensation.
A noisy muffler isn't an emergency, but don't let it ride for months. A hole near the cabin can let exhaust fumes in, and carbon monoxide is the real risk. If you smell exhaust inside the car, get it checked the same day and drive with the windows open until then.
What should I ask for on a muffler replacement quote?
Give every shop the same details: your year, make and model, and whether you want a direct-fit part or something louder. Then ask what is included. You want the muffler, any pipe, hangers and gaskets, and the labor as separate lines.
Ask whether the shop is welding a universal muffler or bolting on a direct-fit one. A welded fix can be cheaper on an older car, but a direct-fit part usually lasts longer and fits correctly the first time. Ask for the old muffler back so you can see the rust or hole yourself.
What does the estimate leave out?
It's a range for a typical car, not a quote for yours. Trucks and SUVs with long or tight exhaust runs take more labor. Taxes, local shop rates and a seized or broken bolt are not included.
If a quote lands well above the range for your muffler type, ask what is being added before you pay. Your next step is to enter your car in the calculator and take that range with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with a broken muffler?
For a short trip to a shop, usually yes, if nothing is dragging and you smell no fumes in the cabin. A hole close to the passenger area is a different matter, so get it looked at quickly.
Is a cheaper aftermarket muffler worth it?
It can be, if it's a direct-fit part with a warranty. A cheap universal muffler that needs welding can add labor and erase the saving.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 Economic Census, Other Services, revenue from labor charges and parts installed (EC1781LABOR) file downloaded 2017 data, published 2021
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall flat file (equipment recalls, report type E) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Vehicle Inspection Data file downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($1,138–$1,190) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Methodology