I took my 1988 Alfa to inspections today - passed, hot damn, but when I got in it it was noticably louder. It ran fine and I don't live very far so I just took it home and looked under it there: turns out they hit the exhaust on something and it's now bent and leaking from about the center of the car where the two pipes exit the center muffler. It's not bad and could easily be welded but I don't have a welder and would have to pay somebody to do it. Driving around as-is is also possible but now my car sounds more like a Civic with a dustbin exhaust than an Alfa Romeo.

Question is, if I took it back to the shop, what chance would I have of them admitting it and either fixing it or giving me money to fix it? I have no proof that they caused the leak other than my word that the exhaust was perfectly fine before it went in.

Any advice?

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1981 230E, 1984 300D.
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www.ranwhenparked.net

well perhaps you could ask them kindly to fix it, and if that does not work you could somehow file a complaint with the state. perhaps tell the state that they broke the exhaust and prove it by explaining that if the shop was any good that they would have failed the car instead of passing it if it had a bad leak when it came in.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Which shop did you take it to? I want to avoid them like the plague!!!

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Would a leaking exhaust cause an inspection failure? If so, just the pass would indicate that they did something to it.

Otherwise, I would bring it back and politely suggest that it developed a problem between the time you brought it there and when you brought it home. If it is a simple weld job, they might just do it from a customer service perspective, or to avoid any unpleasantness. When I was a shop manager, I would gladly trade a small repair (that the owner believed our shop caused) for a happy customer. Even something I knew was not our fault, I would be willing to repair , if it were a labor only proposition.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

If they broke it, give them a chance to fix it. If they dont, throw up their name here. If it was noticeably louder immediately after you got in, shoulda said something immediately...

~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

they could also say you broke it on the way home. hopefully they will step up.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

I dont know about Utah, but last year my car flunked inspection twice, once due to a hole in the pipe and a small chip in the headlight reflector. I just took it to the east side and it passed with flying colors.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

chip in the reflector? good grief, has Tx become PA?