This is what I wrote on social media regarding my expeerienc. Should give you my answer: Muffler Madness: How I Dodged a $1,300 Dealership Shakedown: I used to wonder how car dealerships could afford those giant glass palaces that look like they were designed by architects who moonlight at luxury spas. Turns out, they’re funded by mufflers. Specifically, mine.
I called a dealership to ask about replacing the muffler on my 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander. They quoted me over $1,000 for the part—plus $300 for installation. For a job that takes about half an hour. I guess their mechanics wear tuxedos and install parts with diamond-plated wrenches?​
Then I learned Mitsubishi has a patent on the muffler design and won’t let anyone else make it. Classic move. But I wasn’t ready to donate a kidney for a muffler, so I shopped around.
After some digging, I found a custom muffler maker in Ontario who whipped one up for me, shipped it in five days, and charged just $267—tax and shipping included. It came with a better guarantee than the original and even a prepaid return label. Fancy!
I took it to a local garage, and they installed it for $80. No marble floors, no espresso bar, just honest work.
So yeah—shop around. Unless you enjoy funding dealership chandeliers and heated tile floors with your muffler money.