MagnaFlow
05-01-2011, 09:57 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
MagnaFlow
Hey guys. I want to tell you about my recent experiences with Magnaflow Exhaust.
My family and I have been loyal Magnaflow customers for years. Currently, we have 2 vehicles equipped with their mufflers, both with compatible CARB legal Magnaflow catalytic converters.
My 1999 4Runner 2WD 4 cylinder specifically, has a full exhaust setup from header to tip, with 24" Magnaflow muffler and cat.
April 2010
My main goal was to complete my exhaust system. I made my purchase of a Magnaflow 24" 12286 Stainless Steel 2.5" Oval Muffler on Amazon.com. Upon receiving the muffler, Collin's Muffler and Hitch in Mission Viejo, CA installed a new catback exhaust system for $150. The muffler failed after 9 months.
[YOUTUBE]YwTajmuynSA[/YOUTUBE]
January 2011
I spoke with one of Magnaflow's headquarter technicians, Ron, who described the failure to me. The inside portion of pipe within the muffler literally broke off inside of the casing, causing a condition known as a "floating core." The muffler sounded worse than a fart can. Every bump, the improperly welded pipe moved past the outlet of the muffler and let out a loud burp. After about 3 phone calls to Magnaflow, Amazon.com sent a new replacement.
One of our other vehicles, a 1992 Toyota Pickup, has been running a Magnaflow 18" oval muffler for about 8 or so years. This led me to believe that the specific muffler I had on my 4Runner was just a fluke. I returned to Collin's Muffler and Hitch and paid $75 to switch out the mufflers.
Inside of the first muffler, it was clear that the material inside had burnt away (as per usual), while the actual metal pipe separated from the inside casing. This was heavily disappointing, at least Ron was correct with his diagnosis.
Okay, well, $75 isn't so bad. My new muffler sounded great! Too bad, it also broke before it was 3 months old. This problem was just resolved.... and now the new muffler had become a rattling piece of junk, too. The muffler was fully supported with rubber mounts and welded exhaust hangers, which eliminates inadvertent vibration. Idling at red lights was embarrassing. This blew my mind, how could an exhaust company, one as well known as Magnaflow, produce such an awful quality product? My 4Runner runs like a top, I don't see any reason a 2.7 liter 4 cylinder would destroy two mufflers in a matter of one year.
Strike two, I drove to Magnaflow's corporate headquarters, located about 7 miles from my house, in Rancho Santa Margarita. I spoke to Tech leader Derek Acosta, who was extremely helpful. He inspected the 4Runner's exhaust and clearly noticed the installed muffler in it's defective state. A quick inspection of the casing for damage came up clean. This concludes that the muffler had failed on it's own. I much enjoyed Derek's help, and informed him that I do not wish to purchase another muffler if this trend continues. This being the 3rd time, I asked for a refund of my installation costs, as the muffler failures were due to product fault. It was discussed that the 4Runner does not run rich, the catalytic converter is in perfect functioning order (aside from the heat shield welds breaking apart, which lead to the shields falling off, another Magnaflow testament of quality).
Derek asked me to provide all of my receipts and invoices related, and I gladly made the trip home to do so. I visited their headquarters 5 times total.
Derek said that I should go ahead and order yet another Magnaflow 24" muffler, install it, and return to Magnaflow with the invoice to take care of my claim. He also knew the shop who did the install, which is Magnaflow recommended. I did exactly as he said. After returning my 2nd faulty muffler with Amazon, I received my 3rd 24" muffler, shipped overnight.
So far, I have spent the initial $89 for the muffler, $150 to install with new piping (which was destroyed in the multiple "reinstall" efforts), and $75 to remove and replace the first muffler with the second. Deja Vu... I was sitting in the waiting room at Collin's Muffler, spending yet another $75 to install the third muffler. That's a total of $389 on a muffler that should have cost no more than $239 installed with 2.5" catback piping.
I made my way back to Magnaflow's headquarters to visit Derek once more. He copied every one of my invoices/receipts and gave them to the Vice President of Sales, Larry Norris.
Larry Norris denied the claim, regardless of my loyalty to the company and my lost money. He did not care about the well being of his customer. With over $1,000 invested into Magnaflow exhaust systems between 2 trucks alone, they should cover the measly $75 to please their loyal customer.
Now, after the fact, Larry has denied my claims for reimbursement and will not offer anything for their poor quality. I am stuck with the extra $150 in expenses. They conned me into buying a 3rd one of their mufflers, too.
The new muffler was a ticking time bomb.
May 2011
WTF?! 4 MONTHS LATER, Magnaflow #3, down for the count! 1 year and one month since the first muffler was installed, #3 failed.
May 16th
[YOUTUBE]lwAC59KkSfs[/YOUTUBE]
May 27th, Eleven days later, considerably louder and worse
[YOUTUBE]Q-xlHGRqOLU[/YOUTUBE]
I will no longer purchase ANY Magnaflow items. Their quality is horrific. Customer loyalty means nothing to them. Ironic, anyone in a sales position can tell you that the customer is always right, but the Vice President of a large company can't seem to comprehend the simplest of customer satisfaction. My invested money, persistence in communication, go ignored.
Next time you think about buying a Magnaflow muffler, this is for you. I have a 1999 Toyota 4Runner, just like we all have 3rd gens or Toyotas of similarity. These failures occurred when my truck was still 2WD with no hard off road use. Their quality of production must be controlled by Larry, since their mufflers are paperweights compared to the past.
I work for the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership in the United States. We have the largest MBZ inventory in the world, 74 service bays, and the nations largest body shop. If a customer came in with a problem that was clearly caused by bad workmanship and/or quality, it would be fixed for free, with a complimentary current model year Mercedes-Benz rental, and free detail at the very least. Magnaflow is a large, multimillion dollar corporation and won't refund me, a paycheck to paycheck college student, for an installation fee.
I leave you with this: My name is James Harb. I don't like Borla, Flowmaster, etc. I have been a Magnaflow fan for years. PLEASE, DO NOT BUY MAGNAFLOW MUFFLERS. KEEP YOUR MONEY OR INVEST IT TOWARDS ANOTHER SYSTEM.
I've since upgraded to a Jardine muffler, and I've been happy with this choice since. It has withstood rough 4-wheeling without a single issue so far.
Update on this thread:
I met a new friend who has a family member working for MagnaBlow. According to him, the Vice President of Sales, Larry Norris, denied my claims because he finds me to be a "punk kid." The big guys over at MagnaBlow have all seen this thread, they all know exactly who I am and what my situation is. I haven't received a single offer to help resolve this situation.
Magnaflow won't consider my claim because my 4Runner has been driven off road, and their warranty does not consider this "normal use." Even though every single item on my truck that was designed for use in a 4Runner has no problems off road, their poorly designed muffler can't handle it, even if professionally installed. They tried to tell me that it was not installed correctly, even though Magnaflow's own Derek Acosta confirmed it was installed correctly. For heaven's sake, I used one of their recommended installers!
Magnaflow does NOT support us. Magnaflow's own Vice President makes it clear, if you use your 4Runner off road, they will not honor their word. I am just a "punk kid" to Larry Norris, I suggest finding a better muffler!
Thanks
Good luck with your exhaust!
My family and I have been loyal Magnaflow customers for years. Currently, we have 2 vehicles equipped with their mufflers, both with compatible CARB legal Magnaflow catalytic converters.
My 1999 4Runner 2WD 4 cylinder specifically, has a full exhaust setup from header to tip, with 24" Magnaflow muffler and cat.
April 2010
My main goal was to complete my exhaust system. I made my purchase of a Magnaflow 24" 12286 Stainless Steel 2.5" Oval Muffler on Amazon.com. Upon receiving the muffler, Collin's Muffler and Hitch in Mission Viejo, CA installed a new catback exhaust system for $150. The muffler failed after 9 months.
[YOUTUBE]YwTajmuynSA[/YOUTUBE]
January 2011
I spoke with one of Magnaflow's headquarter technicians, Ron, who described the failure to me. The inside portion of pipe within the muffler literally broke off inside of the casing, causing a condition known as a "floating core." The muffler sounded worse than a fart can. Every bump, the improperly welded pipe moved past the outlet of the muffler and let out a loud burp. After about 3 phone calls to Magnaflow, Amazon.com sent a new replacement.
One of our other vehicles, a 1992 Toyota Pickup, has been running a Magnaflow 18" oval muffler for about 8 or so years. This led me to believe that the specific muffler I had on my 4Runner was just a fluke. I returned to Collin's Muffler and Hitch and paid $75 to switch out the mufflers.
Inside of the first muffler, it was clear that the material inside had burnt away (as per usual), while the actual metal pipe separated from the inside casing. This was heavily disappointing, at least Ron was correct with his diagnosis.
Okay, well, $75 isn't so bad. My new muffler sounded great! Too bad, it also broke before it was 3 months old. This problem was just resolved.... and now the new muffler had become a rattling piece of junk, too. The muffler was fully supported with rubber mounts and welded exhaust hangers, which eliminates inadvertent vibration. Idling at red lights was embarrassing. This blew my mind, how could an exhaust company, one as well known as Magnaflow, produce such an awful quality product? My 4Runner runs like a top, I don't see any reason a 2.7 liter 4 cylinder would destroy two mufflers in a matter of one year.
Strike two, I drove to Magnaflow's corporate headquarters, located about 7 miles from my house, in Rancho Santa Margarita. I spoke to Tech leader Derek Acosta, who was extremely helpful. He inspected the 4Runner's exhaust and clearly noticed the installed muffler in it's defective state. A quick inspection of the casing for damage came up clean. This concludes that the muffler had failed on it's own. I much enjoyed Derek's help, and informed him that I do not wish to purchase another muffler if this trend continues. This being the 3rd time, I asked for a refund of my installation costs, as the muffler failures were due to product fault. It was discussed that the 4Runner does not run rich, the catalytic converter is in perfect functioning order (aside from the heat shield welds breaking apart, which lead to the shields falling off, another Magnaflow testament of quality).
Derek asked me to provide all of my receipts and invoices related, and I gladly made the trip home to do so. I visited their headquarters 5 times total.
Derek said that I should go ahead and order yet another Magnaflow 24" muffler, install it, and return to Magnaflow with the invoice to take care of my claim. He also knew the shop who did the install, which is Magnaflow recommended. I did exactly as he said. After returning my 2nd faulty muffler with Amazon, I received my 3rd 24" muffler, shipped overnight.
So far, I have spent the initial $89 for the muffler, $150 to install with new piping (which was destroyed in the multiple "reinstall" efforts), and $75 to remove and replace the first muffler with the second. Deja Vu... I was sitting in the waiting room at Collin's Muffler, spending yet another $75 to install the third muffler. That's a total of $389 on a muffler that should have cost no more than $239 installed with 2.5" catback piping.
I made my way back to Magnaflow's headquarters to visit Derek once more. He copied every one of my invoices/receipts and gave them to the Vice President of Sales, Larry Norris.
Larry Norris denied the claim, regardless of my loyalty to the company and my lost money. He did not care about the well being of his customer. With over $1,000 invested into Magnaflow exhaust systems between 2 trucks alone, they should cover the measly $75 to please their loyal customer.
Now, after the fact, Larry has denied my claims for reimbursement and will not offer anything for their poor quality. I am stuck with the extra $150 in expenses. They conned me into buying a 3rd one of their mufflers, too.
The new muffler was a ticking time bomb.
May 2011
WTF?! 4 MONTHS LATER, Magnaflow #3, down for the count! 1 year and one month since the first muffler was installed, #3 failed.
May 16th
[YOUTUBE]lwAC59KkSfs[/YOUTUBE]
May 27th, Eleven days later, considerably louder and worse
[YOUTUBE]Q-xlHGRqOLU[/YOUTUBE]
I will no longer purchase ANY Magnaflow items. Their quality is horrific. Customer loyalty means nothing to them. Ironic, anyone in a sales position can tell you that the customer is always right, but the Vice President of a large company can't seem to comprehend the simplest of customer satisfaction. My invested money, persistence in communication, go ignored.
Next time you think about buying a Magnaflow muffler, this is for you. I have a 1999 Toyota 4Runner, just like we all have 3rd gens or Toyotas of similarity. These failures occurred when my truck was still 2WD with no hard off road use. Their quality of production must be controlled by Larry, since their mufflers are paperweights compared to the past.
I work for the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership in the United States. We have the largest MBZ inventory in the world, 74 service bays, and the nations largest body shop. If a customer came in with a problem that was clearly caused by bad workmanship and/or quality, it would be fixed for free, with a complimentary current model year Mercedes-Benz rental, and free detail at the very least. Magnaflow is a large, multimillion dollar corporation and won't refund me, a paycheck to paycheck college student, for an installation fee.
I leave you with this: My name is James Harb. I don't like Borla, Flowmaster, etc. I have been a Magnaflow fan for years. PLEASE, DO NOT BUY MAGNAFLOW MUFFLERS. KEEP YOUR MONEY OR INVEST IT TOWARDS ANOTHER SYSTEM.
I've since upgraded to a Jardine muffler, and I've been happy with this choice since. It has withstood rough 4-wheeling without a single issue so far.
Update on this thread:
I met a new friend who has a family member working for MagnaBlow. According to him, the Vice President of Sales, Larry Norris, denied my claims because he finds me to be a "punk kid." The big guys over at MagnaBlow have all seen this thread, they all know exactly who I am and what my situation is. I haven't received a single offer to help resolve this situation.
Magnaflow won't consider my claim because my 4Runner has been driven off road, and their warranty does not consider this "normal use." Even though every single item on my truck that was designed for use in a 4Runner has no problems off road, their poorly designed muffler can't handle it, even if professionally installed. They tried to tell me that it was not installed correctly, even though Magnaflow's own Derek Acosta confirmed it was installed correctly. For heaven's sake, I used one of their recommended installers!
Magnaflow does NOT support us. Magnaflow's own Vice President makes it clear, if you use your 4Runner off road, they will not honor their word. I am just a "punk kid" to Larry Norris, I suggest finding a better muffler!
Thanks
Good luck with your exhaust!
Last edited by ChildrenOfBodom; 09-29-2012 at 01:47 PM.
09-30-2012, 05:34 PM
#4
Contributing Member
COB, good to know and thanks for posting your experience. I wheel my 3rd gen some so I guess I'm a 'punk kid' too. I've been trying to keep up with your thread on t4r 'cause exhaust buying is in my near future and I'm looking for something I can afford well enough, will hold up well and made by a company that backs their product. That and a cali cat that won't throw a code.....
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FS[PacNorWest]: 1992 4runner - 5VZ swap - Lifted
Swim
Vehicles - Trailers (Complete)
9
01-04-2016 10:47 AM
lbrunner
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
37
01-29-2004 04:37 AM
