Midas Muffler

[Mark42]

I stopped at Midas Mufflers this past weekend to get an estimate on installing two performance mufflers in my car. The mufflers had rusted out, and I picked up new muffs for replacement. Car goes on lift and everything looks good. Nothing else is rotted or needs replacement (it's stainless).<br /><br />They write up the estimate as 2 hrs labor, plus hardware. Total comes to $295.00. They want to know if I want to do it now or make an appointment. I think the price is outragous. So I tell them I'll have to get other estimates. The manager says they can have me out in under an hour. So I ask why am I being charged for 2 hours labor if you can do it in under an hour (in front of a room full of customers). He stammers that it is a two hour job but it won't seem that long. I told him "I see that you charged 170 for 2 hrs labor. That's $85 an hour. Did you know the Ford dealer doesn't charge 85 an hour for trained mechanics? He says nothing. I add "That leaves about $110 balance on a job I'm supplying the mufflers for. I see it says Hardware - $30 and Misc $80. What is that?" He says "Hardware is for two muffler clamps". (OMG $15 clamps!) Now the good part.... "What is the misc $80?" He says "Nuts and washers and stuff". <br /><br />I replied "Not today... Not ever" and walked into the shop to collect my mufflers and car.<br /><br />I don't think there was anyone over the age of 25 working there. I doubt if their combined experience totaled a full year.<br /><br />After I got home I called a custom car shop that advertises custom exhaust systems installed. I call, got an older gent who quoted me $80 for the same job. He says "get here at 6:30am and you'll be out in no time". Great! I get up at 5:30!

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: Midas Muffler

My experience has been pretty similar, Mark. Seems a lot of the locally owned, franchised national chains can be way out of line. They seem to prey on the uninformed and use their name to jack the price. I prefer the smaller shops unless it's a warranty thing.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Midas Muffler

Mark, now you can afford your maple boards. <br />My best friends daughter was driving from Seattle to Portland when she looked down at the odometer and recalled that her stick shift Honda needed an oil change. Her daddy taught her to take care of her car so she pulled off the freeway into a Jiffy Lube where she had her oil changed. Well, you know how they try to sell you unneeded services when you are sitting in the waiting room, the young man came in and told her she need her auto trans serviced and it would cost her $129. Kate looked at the guy and laughed so hard she spit a mouthful of coffee in his face. She immediately called her dad and we all had a good laugh, mostly because she caught it right away...Chief

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Midas Muffler

not surprised at the pricing. i think back when i worked at an independant muffler shop they were making something like a 400% markup. and that was in the mid 80's. a few weeks ago i went to a couple of shops to get a quote on a muffler replacement on my 93 toyota p/u and both were @ $150. <br /><br />i still haven't decided on the p/u, but i just went to autozone and bought 2 turboII 2.25" in/out mufflers and replaced the old corndog type loud(aftermarket) sidepipe/mufflers on my CJ7 last weekend, with my pop's oxy/actl outfit cost=@ $38<br /><br />i'll probably do the same on my toy, if i can get a matching stock muffler at the auto parts store.<br /><br />i think our old muffler shop charged @ <br />90/tail pipe<br />50/muffler<br />85/converter<br />25-50/exhst, accdg to complexity of bends<br />5/clamp<br />3/hanger<br /><br />i think we got 10' sections of std pipe @ $20, and not sure on the aluminized, but think it was under $35... and most mufflers cost @ $12-20 i think, back then...

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Midas Muffler

PS: oh, if you do it yourself, rent the pipe expander tool. i bought a 18" $5 pipe to make up for the diff in lengths of my jeep mufflers, and had to swell the ends to overlap where i welded the extensions ahead of the muffs. i was able just use the same hangers & tailpipes (turnouts) that way <br /><br />and i used a batt/op sawzall to cut the pipes, went thru like butter with a new $2 demolition-metal blade from HD<br /><br />another good tip: if you don't fully weld joints, at least tack the clamped joints at the lap, and smear the muffler paste (caulk) around the joints. this always prevented pinhole leaks back in the shop days... that stuff is @ $4 at autozone

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Midas Muffler

In 1967 I had an overhead cam 6-cylinder Tempest. Some of you might remember them. I took it to the Midas shop to have a different tailpipe put on it. The factory tailpipe turned downward and everytime you hit the gas, a cloud of dust was blown from the roadway. I wanted a tailpipe that came straight out from under the bumper.<br /><br />Anyway, after putting it on the rack and examining it, I was told they would have to start at the head pipe off the exhaust manifold and replace everything. I was also told that someone had put a Thunderbird resonator on it in place of a muffler and it all had to come off.<br /><br />I told them to take it off the rack so that I could take it back to the Pontiac dealer. I told them I had bought it new, and the dealer needed to know that their new Tempests were being delivered with Thunderbird resonators.<br /><br />Hadn't been in a Midas shop since.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Midas Muffler

midas had a bad rep even back then, with their work... that was one i went to for a quote, and the nextdoor independant place had some bad advice for midas. <br /><br />the problem i had (other than $$$) was the indp guy said he welded everything, and midas only clamped. i don't see how midas can avoid welding in many instances, but at least the old shop i worked for tried to just clamp the mufflers(with a tack weld), so they could be replaced with less problems later...

 

[DJ]

Re: Midas Muffler

Wanna kibitz? Do the job yourself.<br /><br />Otherwise, open your own business. Charge less and go broke.<br /><br />Do you want to deal with:<br /><br />Crooked suppliers?<br /><br />Cheating employess?<br /><br />EPA?<br /><br />Suppliers, suppliers, suppliers?<br /><br />IRS?<br /><br />I don't mean to be harsh, just get a reality check.<br /><br />Your choice.<br /><br />You GET what you pay for. Prove me wrong.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Midas Muffler

DJ,<br /><br />The custom shop is charging $80.00 for the exact same job as Midas is charging $290.oo for. That is a savings of $210!!! <br /><br />And he does deal with suppliers, employees, EPA and the IRS. He just knows that 45 minutes of labor shouldn't cost $290.00. Its not some back yard operation. The custom shop is on the main route in town in a multi bay garage.<br /><br />Funny thing is I called the custom shop last thinking that they would be the most expensive. Just goes to show that a privately owned and operated outfit can make money without overcharging.<br /><br />No hard feelings bro.<br /><br />Mark

 

[rwise]

Re: Midas Muffler

I did mine my self, bought a complete system from JCW delivered to the house with everything needed. Bolted right in, and for $130.00 for 2.25 id dual exaust! Ok its louder than I wanted but it aint pluged up.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Midas Muffler

I have always found the large chain auto repair places to be huge ripoffs.<br /><br />Goodyear, Midas, Just Brakes, etc...<br /><br />Never ever go there, support your mom and pop place.<br /><br />Had a new muffler and tailpipe done on the car last year, it cost $125 at an independant place. Probably a little high, but it was close to the house.<br /><br />Ken

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Midas Muffler

Tuffy here in FTW has a similar approach. They usually extort from those who appear unknowledgeable. I agree with Ken, go to the M&P shop. They want your business, so they will give a fair price.

 

[notinbig]

Re: Midas Muffler

This conversation stinks like poo. I think it's from all the BS. Have any of you managed a service station or worked at a dealership? I have managed Champion Auto stores, Precision Tunes, and I have worked in service at a Mercedes Benz Dealer. I hear no one talking about the crap they do for free, because you like to holler at everybody cause you beat your wife and kicked your dog. (sorry a little too far, but you get the point.)

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: Midas Muffler

Originally posted by KenImpZoom:<br /> I have always found the large chain auto repair places to be huge ripoffs.<br /><br />Goodyear, Midas, Just Brakes, etc...<br /><br />Ken

Same here. <br /><br />Told close on 20 years ago by Ultra Tune that I needed a new cylinder head because Ford had a bad batch. Quoted me twice what I could get it done for at any mechanics workshop. Assured me it wouldn't last six months on a car then about 2 years old. I reckoned it was BS. Never went there again. Sold the car 15 years later. Same cylinder head with no problems.<br /><br />Had other experiences like that.<br /><br />Learned to do most of it myself. PITA but as I had to fix up half the work I paid for I might as well do it first time around anyway.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Midas Muffler

I don't have the time to do car maint anymore except for the light-weight fixes like electrical, minor body work, power seats, that sort of thing. But when the fix requires suspension, engine or trans work, it goes to the shop. I have found a good Ford dealer and a good private shop that I use for "the big stuff". I have no problem paying their prices because I know they are fair, and not gouging or over charging or charging for work not needed. That is why they continue to get my business. <br /><br />There are the good and bad places for everything you need. That Midas shop falls into the "bad" catagory.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Midas Muffler

MIDAS = Ripoff!

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Midas Muffler

i would say it ain't ez running your own business, heck my old muff/shop owner worked every day with us, and had no more than a 'comfortable' living, not really 'rich'. he was a great boss, and a good family man.<br /><br />but i was mainly pointing out that exhaust work is very marked up, by my limited life experience i think the bending machine was @ $50k, and overhead had to be rough on leasing/util/supplies. but the avg jobs were @ $250 and we often knocked out 2/hr with 4 racks <br /><br />we did take much pride in quality craftmanship, and i think that probably is the often lacking issue with many chain stores...<br /><br />just my 2c and i wish everyone a wonderful day

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Midas Muffler

Originally posted by notinbig:<br /> This conversation stinks like poo. I think it's from all the BS. Have any of you managed a service station or worked at a dealership? I have managed Champion Auto stores, Precision Tunes, and I have worked in service at a Mercedes Benz Dealer. I hear no one talking about the crap they do for free, because you like to holler at everybody cause you beat your wife and kicked your dog. (sorry a little too far, but you get the point.)

No one is asking for the job to be done for free Dammit! just do a good job at a fair price, thats all Mark was saying.<br /><br />BTW if you wanna beat your wife go ahead, but if you touch that dog i'll kick your butt

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Midas Muffler

DJ and notinbig,<br /><br />You are so right. Please continue to use Midas and Super Lube

 

[notinbig]

Re: Midas Muffler

I do ALL my work myself, If you don't, PAY the price or shut-up.