Exhaust Leak Repair Cost

As your vehicle starts to age, it requires more maintenance than usual. If you are facing an exhaust leak issue, you might be wondering how much will it cost you to fix the problem. Well, many car experts will throw different numbers at you because the cost depends on the scale of damage.

So, providing you with a dead-accurate repair cost will be out of the question, unless your car is inspected in person. But then, we can give you a ballpark number. To know more, we suggest you to keep reading.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair Exhaust Leak?

The expected cost for exhaust leak repair sits around $120 to $400. For smaller and simpler cars, the cost will be lower than bigger or luxury car models. That said, the part itself won’t cost you much. Depending on the vehicle model, you can get the required part for $12 to $75, which is to say that most of the money will go towards the labor cost.

Auto Center	Price
Midas	$150 – $270
Mr. Tire	$160 – $400
Pep Boys	$30 – $70
Walmart	$20 – $55
Your Mechanic	$140 – $250

Of course, it’s advisable to take care of the issue at the early stages of damage to keep the repair cost low. After all, a car technician will charge you more if it increases the labor time to fix any issue. Not to mention that the labor cost will be higher at a dealership. So, be prepared to spend more on any repair at a dealership.

What is the Role of Exhaust System in a Car?

To be point-blank over here, a car’s exhaust system has to do a very tough job. So, it’s likely that you will feel the need to replace or repair it at some point. For those who don’t know, the exhaust system safely transports dangerous gases to the back of the car without causing the car parts to run too hot.

Basically, its primary function is to direct the fumes/gases coming from the combustion chamber to somewhere outside of your car.

Keep in mind that exhaust leaks can be pretty dangerous both for the environment and the driver. After all, inhaling vehicle fumes can lead to serious health complications.

In a worst-case scenario, it can even cause death. Also, if you wait too long to fix the exhaust leak, you will end up spending more on repair costs.

How do you know if there is an Exhaust Leak?

Inspecting the exhaust leak comes with its share of risks because the exhaust pipe runs pretty hot. So, you shouldn’t make the novice mistake of touching it. Expert car technicians will never touch any of the exhaust parts for hours on a recently driven car. The expert will begin the inspection only once the car has completely cooled down.

The inspection will begin by popping the hood and finding the exhaust manifold from where the exhaust fumes leave the vehicle.

From there, the technician will check the exhaust components, particularly for signs of breakdown or holes on the exhaust pipe. An audible inspection is also possible if you know how an exhaust leak sounds like.

Usually, your car will make embarrassing noises, signaling you of an exhaust leak.

Why Should you Fix an Exhaust Leak?

As hinted earlier, the biggest benefit of repairing an exhaust leak at the earliest is stopping it from causing serious damages. If the exhaust leak is ignored for too long, it will harm the intake manifold, leading to a major repair in the process.

Keep in mind that an exhaust leak can also decrease fuel efficiency by making the car’s engine work harder than usual.

Not to undermine the fact that it’s not safe to drive with an exhaust leak because the fumes contain carbon monoxide, which is not good for human health. So, get your car inspected by a trained mechanic as soon as you suspect an exhaust leak.

Exhaust Leak Repair: Procedure Explained

• To begin with, a car technician will allow the car to cool down and then start his inspection. Over here, the car technician will try to get to the root of the leak by checking all the connecting parts and pipes in the exhaust system.
• Once he finds out the right place of leakage, it will be easy for him to fix the issue. Usually, it’s a crack or a hole that will be fixed with some sort of sealant. Of course, this will be a temporary fix. For a permanent fix, the technician will have to weld the manifold. Needless to say, there’s no guarantee of how long the welded part will last.
• There are times when the car technician will simply remove the affected part and replace it with a new part. This type of work will usually involve removing some screws and nuts and then reattaching them after the new part is fitted in the place of the old one.
• Whether you will have to fix or replace some parts of the exhaust system will depend on the extent of the damage. In other words, it will depend on how bad the exhaust leak is.

How to Save Money on Exhaust Leak Repair Cost?

It’s not easy to fix a leaking exhaust on your own. That said, it’s not terribly difficult too. Of course, mechanically-inclined guys will find it easier than someone who doesn’t know something as basic as changing the car tires.

If you think that you can’t save costs by doing the work yourself, you can save money by supplying the parts yourself.

That said, not all shops will allow this. So, it’s in your best interest to check whether or not the car technicians will allow you to buy the parts for them to conduct a repair. Once you receive the green signal from the shop, you can easily shop for the desired part from any online or offline auto repair shop. This will save you a small chunk of money.

Needless to say, those who are able to perform this kind of repair on their own will save a lot more.