How much does it cost to replace an exhaust silencer?
Exhaust silencer replacement cost (UK) ranges between £75 and £425.
Our figures show that the average cost of an exhaust silencer replacement stands at £213.
Can I carry out an exhaust silencer replacement myself?
Depending on how badly the parts in the system have corroded or seized in place, the job can vary greatly in difficulty. We’d suggest that a competent DIY mechanic with a wide range of experience could handle the job well enough, with the right tools for the job at hand.
For those exhausts rusted firmly in place, it’s quite likely you’ll to need to get a grinder at them, and the fixings.
If everything looks clean and tidy, it could be nice and simple. For the nastier looking jobs, perhaps the basic home mechanic would be better leaving this job to a professional fitter.
What are the exhaust silencer replacement costs at a dealership compared to Fixter garages?
| Operation | Vehicle | Dealer Price | Fixter Price | Saving |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Fiat 500 1.2ltr Petrol | £285 | £248 | 15% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Ford Focus 1.4ltr Petrol | £86 | £75 | 14% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Vauxhall Astra 1.6ltr Petrol | £217 | £184 | 18% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | VW Golf 1.6ltr Petrol | £251 | £211 | 19% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Ford Fiesta 1.2ltr Petrol | £481 | £415 | 16% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | VW Polo 1.2ltr Petrol | £269 | £238 | 13% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Honda Jazz 1.2ltr Petrol | £396 | £341 | 16% |
| Exhaust silencer replacement | Toyota Yaris 1.0ltr Petrol | £138 | £120 | 15% |
What factors can affect an exhaust silencer replacement?
When replacing any part of your exhaust system, the main factor tends to be the silencer brand you choose or the manufacturer of the parts your local garage or dealership uses. The costs of parts vary significantly, which is why so many drivers like to search around for the best deal.
At Fixter, we’ve done the legwork for you, offering savings of up to 30% on some services against dealership prices.
The other attribute that affects cost are the extra parts (and associated consumables) that may have been damaged or worn out at the same time and subsequently need replacing. You may have replacement clamps and mountings to pay for or even another section of your exhaust system to replace at the same time.
What are the costs of exhaust silencer replacement parts?
An exhaust silencer price can vary for each make and model. The average exhaust silencer cost from Eurocarparts is £73 for a rear silencer and £64 for a middle or mid-section silencer.
In our search, we looked at the averages for standard 2015 models.
| Car Make | Car Model | Silencer Prices |
| Ford | Fiesta | £155 |
| Fiat | 500 | £174 |
| Volkswagen | Golf | £65 |
| Audi | A4 | £108 |
| BMW | 5 Series | £130 |
| Volkswagen | Tiguan | £113 |
What are the labour times and rates for exhaust silencer replacement?
We found that the country’s hourly labour rates vary quite a bit, so we’ve worked out a few averages to help with your estimates. The main variations were due to business size, demand for service, and location.
The average hourly rate for garages and dealerships outside London comes in at £72, and the rate for those included in the London regions stands at £78.
How long does an exhaust silencer replacement take?
As well as digging into our data to work out the average costs for different components, services, and repairs, we also look into how long each job takes to carry out.
According to our records, an exhaust silencer replacement can take anywhere between 0.5 and 7 hours.
Consider the following figures from our latest reports. They should suggest some of the variations in replacement times from one vehicle to another.
| Car Make | Car Model | Typical Replacement Time |
| Volkswagen | Golf | 1.3 hours |
| Audi | A4 | 3.3 hours |
| BMW | 5 Series | 0.5 hours |
| Land Rover | Range Rover | 6.2 hours |
| Volkswagen | Tiguan | 0.6 hours |
How do I know if I need a new exhaust silencer?
Typical symptoms of a faulty or broken exhaust silencer include:
- The exhaust makes considerably more noise than usual.
- A lack of performance.
- The engine misfiring.
- If there is a hole or several holes in the exhaust pipes or silencer.
- The silencer is ‘blowing’ out from any area.
- Excessive condensation coming from the exhaust, with rust appearing around its seams.
- You feel the car vibrating excessively.
- If your car fails its emissions test.
What are the leading causes of exhaust silencer failure?
One of the most common causes of an exhaust silencer coming to the end of its life is the wear and corrosion it suffers, sitting underneath your car. They’re highly vulnerable to the elements, including rain, snow, salt, grit and gravel, and debris thrown up from the road. There’s also the chance of scraping the components underneath your car on elevated areas such as sleeping policemen (speed bumps), low bridges, kerbs, etc.
A silencer will also rust from the inside. They gather small amounts of water throughout the system, turning into condensation and developing into rust.
Having said that, the materials of the modern exhaust system are far more resilient than those of previous eras, and any new silencer will offer a long and healthy lifespan.
Can you fix an exhaust silencer?
There are plenty of patches, bandages, gums, and pastes available to make repairs to the leaking pipes in your system. They’ll be considerably cheaper than fitting a new pipe, and as such, your exhaust silencer repair cost could save you money.
Depending on where the problem lies and how bad it is, a simple fix may well extend the life of a damaged or worn part. Inevitably, however, most repairs will only deliver temporary fixes, and in time you’ll still have to replace the faulty part.
Why do some cars have dual exhausts?
Most typical family cars will run more than well enough with a single exhaust silencer, but high-performance vehicles with bigger engines will often have a second exhaust. A true dual exhaust has 2 full separate systems, including 2 of each component (catalytic converters, manifolds, silencers, and tailpipes).
The extra exhaust allows the engine to ‘breathe’ better, releasing more gasses from the engine’s cylinders faster. As well as releasing gasses faster, they also provide an increase in horsepower. The final advantage is it gives the manufacturer the ability to customise the sound of the exhaust.
Don’t be fooled by all twin tailpipes though. There are plenty of fake systems splitting into 2 pipes after the silencer, poking out of the back of the vehicle. These are almost always purely for aesthetic purposes.
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About Fixter
Fixter is revolutionising the car maintenance industry, one repair at a time. Fixter was founded to make car maintenance as easy as booking a taxi. Digital, transparent and stress-free, with world-class customer service. Since launching in Manchester in 2017, Fixter has expanded to more than 100 cities across the UK and provided thousands of car owners with honest, convenient and affordable car repair services.