Muffler Collapse

Is it possible you backed up to a high curb and caught the tailpipe? That's kind of what it sounds like to me.

nate

Sure it can. If it's a crappy Midas Muffler made in China and/or if they put the wrong muffler on the car. You tried to save maybe $200 & you got burned.

It's not possible that I backed up into anything. The muffler sits higher than the axel and other parts. It isn't directly accessible. No evidence of scrapping or otherwise apart of the under carriage.

Yes. The force of your wife barreling it through a snow drift or your kid offroading it in winter both come to mind as things that would crush your muffler.

First of all I would scream at the $323 they charged for a muffler. They are ripping you off! All of these shops charge whatever they want to for their services. You would have been further off going to a dealer than paying those rates.My daughter took her car in for the advertised $16.95 oil change, she came out with estimates for $500 worth of thing she "needed" for her car. $94 for spark plugs which I got for about $12 and installed them in about 20 minutes. It also said she needed spark plug wires for $130, all that is there is boots that go in there, that didn't need replaced. I heard these places are real ripoffs, now I believe it!

You don't say what type of vehicle you have. What kind of car is it?

Does the muffler run lengthwise with the car or is it crosswise?

How old is the muffler / exhaust system?

Are there other drivers that drive this vehicle?

Was the car recently hoisted up to be worked on? You know a repair shop might of damaged it for you & said nothing. Did a mechanic recently "test" drive the car?

It is possible for something to contact the muffler and damage it without damaging the undercarriage.

Backing up on uneven ground can cause damage. Was the car recently parked over a ditch or in a field ( Such as a fairgrounds ) where grass area's tend to be rutted? Grass surface rubs on the bottom of the car are easily unheard by the ear.

Another poster mentioned the muffler contacting a snow drift - that's something that wouldn't show much evidence of scrape marks. Driving through deep/heavy plowed up snow could also be a possibility.

$323 was alot for a muffler

Good Luck,

harryface

91 Bonneville 309,327miles (Orig Muffler & Exhaust), 05 Park Avenue 55,125

No Nate was asking if you backed into anything with the end of your tailpipe (say backing up and the open end of your tailpipe that hangs out from *behind* the car hitting a high curb). That could potentially compress the muffler (although I've never seen it happen)

These "lifetime" warranties are often not worth the toilet paper they were printed on. The game is to put on the cheapest parts possible and when you come back to find creative reasons to extract more cash from your pocket.

You will be much better off if you find a real mechanic at a real shop who you trust to do honest work for a reasonable price using quality parts. That is almost never at a chain store like a Midas shop.

John