The heat shield on my right rear muffler is missing. Do I need to replace it?
Yes, the heat shield is there for a reason, to shield stuff that can’t stand the heat!
It isn’t difficult or expensive to fix this.
Agree! My brother in law years ago nearly burned up his Ford when he kept driving without a heat shield.
His engine was probably out of tune and the converter heated up to where it set the floor carpets on fire!. Yes, you need a heat shield.