Wife drove the car (a seat leon) down to our inlaws yesterday (I cycled), and said it sounded really loud and the power was reduced. Last MOT (12 months back) the guy said the exhaust had a small hole in it and would need to be replaced eventually. So I guess now is the time.

Just taken it out myself and it is definitely sounding loud, but the power doesn’t feel too off. My question is how immediate a problem is this? I’m going to the match today, so my wife needs to drive 70 miles back up to Manchester with the kids. Is there any chance of the exhaust totally failing or something like that? We can go to kwik fit in Telford today and try and get it done, or drive back up and get it fixed in Manchester on our own schedule.

Any thoughts? [Sry for the fretful question, but I know little about cars and with my wife driving it on her own we were worried about it].

Look underneath – grab and wiggle the back and middle parts (not when its hot obviously!). So long as its not about to fall off – a hole will make little difference.

Halfords do a temp / bodge repair for about £15.

Some folk pay extra for loud exhausts you know!

tbh you could take the whole exhaust off and drive home it would just be very loud/lack power consume more fuel- you need to make sure it is not going to fall off rather than worry about the hole tbh

Check it is secure – see where the hole is – if it is not near a join of two pipes/weld it probably wont snap on Mway miles.
Tin can [ cut length ways and wrapped round]and jubilee clips/exhaust clamps is the bodge of choice

Yeah it probably won’t make any difference to the car as long as the hole/split is past any sensors. The backbox fell off my mondeo estate 6 months ago and its fine

I’d try and get a better quality exhaust than the ones Kwik Fit stock, they tend to be quite poor pattern quality, for a replacement.

As couldashoulda, woulda, do make sure it’s all secure and it’ll be fine.

Thanks for the advice – puts the mind at rest. Ma heid is too big to get under the car – it sits quite low, but I’ve given the exhaust a wriggle and it seems ok. I recall the MOT guy saying the hole was higher up the mannifold, so a more expensive repair, but I can’t see where it is just now. We’ll get it sorted in Manc.

Drive the one side of the car up on the pavement, so it gives you more clearance to check underneath.

If you judge it right, you can get the two wheels close to the concrete edging and there’ll be plenty of safe room to take a look.