Replace muffler/exhaust???

[slicka]

Hi, I'm new to the forums, sorry if this question has appeared before (but I didn't see an answer after searching)

Yesterday, my muffler was suddenly dragging on the ground. I immediately tied some rope around it so it wouldn't drag, and then took the car to the mechanic. The verdict? They want to replace the ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM to the tune of $500 (intermediate parts, muffler, brackets, etc).

Are they full of crap?

Here's the history of my car.
- 2002 Mazda Protege
- I live in Connecticut.
- I bought it used two years ago with 30,000 miles on it. About two months after purchase, it was making some strange noises, so I took it back to the dealer who diagnosed that the exhaust system was "loose" and they put in another bracket. It was still under warranty at that time. I'm thinking this new problem is related...
- The car now has 42,000 miles. The warranty expired last year, and now a different mechanic has given me the above suggestion.
- I haven't seen the underside of the car to know how much damage there is (or isn't).
- I called the original dealer, and they said that since this problem started while the car was under warranty, they might be able "help me out." So I'm taking the car to them for a second opinion.

Why should a 4 year old car need a whole new exhaust system?

What should I look for to know if the mechanics are full of crap or telling me the truth? (I have very little car experience, but I am pretty sure that I can recognize rust and holes.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciate. Thank you.

 

[sam1]

look underneath and see what the exhaust hangers look like. I doubt you'll need a whole new exhaust system, unless the actual metal tab coming off the muffler is broken, and even then you could pick up an axle-back in the for sale forums for relatively cheap. The exhaust hangers are just black pieces of rubber which attach to a tab on the top of the muffler to a tab coming off the body of the car. mine have ripped before, causing the exhaust to hang a bit low, and it was a easy, cheap 5 minute fix.

 

[zoomin MP3]

Was the muffler still attached, or was the entire pipe from the front of the car hanging down? Did it sound like there was a leak anywhere?

If the exhaust was dragging on the ground it sounds like something might have completely broken on the piping. If the exhaust hangers broke, the pipe would rest on your rear suspension and not drag. Get underneath with a good flashlight and check the entire pipe for disconnection.