Life of exhaust systems

[74DartSport]

2007 Lexus RX400H. Top seam of muffler rusted out, 148k miles. Easy to replace.

 

[350Rocket]

I recall when replacing a muffler or section of exhaust system was an expected maintenance item. My 16 year old Burb still has its original exhaust system. It got so bad that Midas Muffler had to morph into a tire store. Anyone else finding that?

Yes my 20 year old Silverado original exhaust looks like it still has many years left in it. I would like to upgrade the muffler but I can't bring myself to replace something of that quality with something that will probably rust out in a few years.

 

[350Rocket]

I've thought about this on occasion. Regular repair of a rusted out exhaust system was just one of those things that had to be done, to keep a car on the road. Right along with a tune up, replacing the fan belts every 20k - 30k miles, and all the other maintenance items. It has been well over 20 years since I have had to have an exhaust system repaired.

They sure don't build them like they used to. And it's a darned good thing, too.

Fan belts every 20k? I replace them like every 10 years on my 41 year old Oldsmobile Cutlass. About the same lifespan as the serpentine belt on my 20 year old Silverado. The belts do have to be adjusted every few years on the old stuff.
I also haven't had to do an exhaust repair in a long time on the Cutlass but that's because I don't drive it in the winter.

 

[repairman54]

Decades of driving Co. fleet vans, Ford and Chevy. Since being cat equipped in the late '70's with higher quality factory systems no exhaust system failures for 250k miles and up on those vans driven in moderate climates. Why, because the get run all the time and system is getting fully up to temperature daily. As with most fleet vehicles, they get driven like they are stolen. Especially 6 cylinder loaded vans.
Get up in the north country where winter temps are low it's a different story though, you'll see water vapor coming out of vehicles exhaust cruising down the interstate at 70 mph when it's really cold, that system is not drying out and may not for days/weeks over the winter shortening the life of the system.

 

[John105]

My 1993 Nissan (built in mid 92) went to its grave with its original exhaust system intact, 30 years old and over 400k miles. That car saw all sorts of salt over the years. All the cars I owned when I started driving in the early 80's had multiple exhausts over their lifetimes.

Many more exhausts lasting longer than they did in decades past, I think we can probably attribute a lot of that not only to more OEM's using stainless pipes and mufflers, but also to only having unleaded fuels now, as well as the decrease in sulfur in todays gas. Leaded fuels had perchloroethylene, bromine, and whatever else to help prevent lead deposits, but those same additives had a nasty habit of combining with the water in the exhaust to produce acids and the pipes got eaten from the inside out.

That’s great my ‘98 Maxima’s failed in about 11-12 years. I made the mistake of going to Midas and not the dealer. Learned the hard way about their ways (when the Midas system failed I went to 3 Midas and didn’t say I had a lifetime warranty, my own investigative reports. Was quoted $500-$900 same job. The low estimate they said we can take another 20% off if you do it now—this is actually same or less than with the lifetime guarantee—no different than how vision insurance works).

 

[Boomer]

In large part, it is the absence of tetraethyl lead. When it burns, it produces lead oxides and other lead goodies that react with moisture in the exhaust gas to produce plumbous acid and other acidic goodies. The ate right through the muffler in just a few short years.