Quick answer
Exhaust repair at Fogg’s Automotive Fleet & Service Center in Scotia, NY, minutes from Schenectady, ranges from $95 for minor leak repairs to $250–$600 for mufflers and $900–$2,400 for catalytic converters. A suddenly loud vehicle or exhaust smell in the cabin needs same-day attention — and any exhaust leak fails the New York State inspection.
What’s included
- On-lift exhaust inspection — see what we see
- Leak detection from manifold to tailpipe
- Muffler, resonator, and pipe section replacement
- Flex pipe and manifold gasket repair
- Catalytic converter replacement — OE or CARB-compliant aftermarket
- Oxygen sensor replacement and hanger/heat-shield repair
Signs you need this
- Exhaust suddenly louder, or a deep rumble under acceleration
- Rattling or buzzing underneath (heat shields, hangers)
- Exhaust smell inside the cabin — treat as urgent
- Rotten-egg / sulfur smell (catalytic converter)
- Hissing or ticking from the engine bay (manifold leak)
- Check engine light with efficiency or O2 codes (P0420/P0430)
- Exhaust leak flagged at a New York State inspection
The full guide
Road salt and brine make upstate New York one of the hardest places in America to be an exhaust system. Every winter, brine works into seams, hangers, and flanges from Scotia to Rotterdam; every spring, we meet the results.
Exhaust work is honest, visual work — we put your vehicle on the lift and show you exactly what’s rusted, what’s cracked, and what’s actually fine.
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Beyond loudness, exhaust condition matters three ways: safety — any leak ahead of or under the cabin can pull carbon monoxide inside, which is why we treat “I smell exhaust while driving” as a same-day appointment; the law — the New York State safety inspection rejects exhaust leaks, missing components, and a removed catalytic converter, and the OBD-II test fails for converter efficiency and oxygen-sensor codes; and money — a $95 clamp-and-weld repair ignored becomes a $600 section replacement by spring.
We repair and replace it all: mufflers, resonators, mid-pipes, flex pipes, manifolds, gaskets, hangers, heat shields, oxygen sensors, and catalytic converters — with honest guidance on OE versus quality aftermarket cats, where the price difference is enormous.
Note that New York requires aftermarket replacement converters to be CARB-compliant on most vehicles, so the cheapest online cat is often one you cannot legally install here; we quote only parts that will pass.
For fleet accounts
Exhaust is inspected on every fleet PM because salt eats van and truck systems from underneath, and a leak found in October is a $95 weld scheduled into the next visit rather than a failed inspection and a unit off the route in March.
Start a fleet accountCommon questions
Why did my car suddenly get loud?
A rust-weakened joint, pipe, or muffler seam finally let go — extremely common after a Capital Region winter of salt and brine. It’s usually a contained, affordable fix if handled promptly, before the extra vibration starts breaking hangers downstream.
Is it dangerous to drive with an exhaust leak?
A leak near the engine or under the cabin can draw carbon monoxide inside — colorless, odorless, and genuinely dangerous. If you ever smell exhaust while driving, crack the windows and get it inspected same-day. We prioritize these appointments.
Do I really need a new catalytic converter for a P0420 code?
Not always. A lazy oxygen sensor or an upstream exhaust leak can mimic converter failure.
Converters are expensive, so we verify with live data before condemning one — and when it is truly dead, we quote OE and CARB-compliant aftermarket options side by side, because P0420 will fail your NYS emissions test until it’s resolved.
Will an exhaust leak fail a New York State inspection?
Yes. The safety inspection rejects any exhaust leak, a missing or loose muffler or pipe, and a missing catalytic converter; the emissions test fails for converter and O2-sensor codes.
Most leaks are a same-day fix, and re-inspection at the same station within 30 days carries no additional inspection fee.
