Muffler has a small hole in it - other than the sound, any reason to care?

That small hole could be the tip of the iceberg. Lay down by the back, grab ahold and give it a good shake. If it sounds like a rust castanet, might be time to treat it.

 

You could try the patch products they have in auto parts stores before it rusts all over. Might be able to save it. I've tried to patch holes in the past and then another hole develops somewhere else....

 

That depends. In a previous car, I had a muffler hole at the top of the front end, blocked from the direct windstream and pointed up at the rear footwell. Climbing a significant grade in August, the hot exhaust blasting out overheated the metal footwell floorpan and started smoking the carpet inside. On level ground, before and after, there wasn't enough heat to cause a problem.

If the hole is pointed away from the floorpan, then this problem won't happen.

 

Depends on where the hole is located, what you can and can't see. There may be multiple small holes on the body or at the seams. I just went through this as my NYS inspection was due before the end of the month. My muffler started leaking last August. Other than the sound (which for a Prius is not loud at all), I drove it that way until last week. I was able to get a muffler for 66.00 through Advance Auto by stacking discounts. Retail was 159.00 I believe. My Prius has 293,000 miles so I AM driving it until it drops... I just wanted to ensure that it would pass inspection.

 

Good Plan.

My condolences on the condenser.
The tech's quote wasn't bad for a dealer (surprisingly) but a muffler shop might be cheaper yet.
I'd kick this repair to the right a little.....

Another good plan!

As long as there is sufficient back-pressure, no.....and the catalytic converter and pipes take care of that part.
There isn't any harm in letting the muffler continue to deteriorate, IMHO.
If you can find the hole placing a patch might delay exterior corrosion, but your muffler is rotting from the inside out from moisture that the engine kicks out before it's warmed up. You'll see this as vapor, and sometimes as a drip from your fellow motorists pipes in the morning, and it's like arterial clogging.
Everybody has some......and it's something that cannot be avoided altogether......especially if you live in the far northern regions (anywhere above I-40) and frequently take short trips.
What the exterior patch will do is stop exterior corrosion from spreading at that one spot, but if the muffler is severely corroded on the inside then a(nother) hole will quickly develop.

I'd wait until the noise gets a little louder, but you do not want to irritate neighbors or get a ticket if you live where loud exhausts draw some attention from the local constabulary.
If you have no close neighbors, or don't like the ones that you do have......you can probably wait a bit longer.


Good Luck!

 

I have the same issue. Took my 2007 in for inspection this week and was told there was a hole in the muffler not bad enough to fail inspection. I was also quoted $300-400 for the job. My mechanic has a stellar reputation and I trust him. He said I could let it go for a while if I wanted to. Would the job be cheaper at the box muffler places? Would you all trust the box muffler places? Would it be worth buying the part on my own and taking it to my mechanic for installation? Are they generally offended by that approach?

 

Not to be melodramatic. But since you live in NY a hole or leak anywhere in your exhaust has the potential to cost you your life. Imagine being stuck in a Snow Drift with the underside of the car enveloped in snow. Your cold, need heat, the car is running and CO2 is seeping into the car. You can see the problem here. You should get ANY exhaust leak fixed.

 

$300~400 sounds like a good deal. Is he going to use the Toyota muffler? It sells online for a bit over $200, item #3 here:

Exhaust Components for 2007 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts

 

One minor detail, CO, Carbon Monoxide! Do yourself and your passengers a favor, replace it!