Rusty muffler and cvt trans. That’s 2 strikes.
Thw stainless exhausts fail due to rust here in the Buffalo NY area in 10-12 years. Aluminized replacements don’t last nearly as long. Our best muffler shop here installs nothing but all stainless mufflers and pipes. A whole system only costs about $100 more.
I do have a fence that had aluminized fabric that has been up more than 40 years and has not rusted although the galvanized gates, pipes and rails rusted more than 30 years ago.
My daughter’s '95 Cavalier with the factory “mild” stainless exhaust system here in the rust belt started showing rust in a few years, continued to look worse and worse, but in 160k+ miles never failed.
The muffler on our 7 year old Toyota looks exactly like that. Surface rust is always prevalent. When the rust perforates the muffler walls, it’s time to worry.
@Cavell what is wrong with a CVT transmission?
Nothing at all. People should not post comments to put the fear into people to sound knowledgeable. Just as this poster’s statement about the discoloration was off-base and incorrect, so too is his statement about the CVT.
Enjoy your new Corolla. Take good care of it and you’ll have many years of trouble free performance.
To the party unnamed, you may verbally attack me if you like, but don’t put fear and insecurity into the minds of posters who come here for help. Don’t demean their purchasing choices. Corollas are known to be of excellent reliability and longevity. I’ve owned a few myself, one of which turned me into a Toyota fan. I’m certain that the OP will have a long and happy experience with her new Toyota.
I’ll bet the muffler on EVERY 2014 Toyota Corolla looks exactly the same at 500 miles…That’s just the way mufflers look…It’s going to look pretty much the same at 50,000 miles and 100,000 miles…just a little darker and dirtier…
In the not too distant past exhaust systems were made of much less tough materials and inevitably rusted through and needed replacement every few years (less in dry climates). Modern stainless steel exhaust components can last decades in warm climates. If/when it finally fails you can replace it with new stainless parts or cheaper options that can make sense if the car hasn’t got much life left in it.
“Modern stainless steel exhaust components can last decades in warm climates”
+1
The last car on which I had to replace exhaust components was a '74 Volvo, but–then again–I had to replace so many parts on that car that I lost count of them all.
On all of my subsequent cars–all of which were driven in The Middle Atlantic region, on salted-coated roads–no exhaust repairs have ever been necessary, even after 10+ years. And, all of them had mufflers that looked like the OP’s after 500-1,000 miles.