Exhaust shop quotes and noise rules in Victoria

In Victoria, custom exhaust shops and the people who book them work inside two sets of rules. Consumer Affairs Victoria tells car owners to get a written estimate before any work is done, and to insist on a call before unauthorised work starts. The car also has to meet the noise standards that apply to it, and regulation 289 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021 puts that duty on the driver.

You might have a rusted section, a modified car, or a system nobody makes any more. Knowing what the rules require tells you what is worth asking before you ring.

Can a custom exhaust shop quote the job over the phone?

Usually not a firm figure, and the reason is the car rather than the shop. The scope of an exhaust job sits under the vehicle. It changes from one car to the next, even within a model.

A call starts the discussion. The workshop may need to see the vehicle and any supplied components before confirming the scope and a price. That is not a brush-off. Custom exhaust shops price what they can measure, and the measurements are under the car.

Consumer Affairs Victoria makes the same point. Its guidance says diagnosing a car’s problems is not always straightforward. Intermittent faults are often hard to identify.

Whether one section can be remade instead of the whole system is settled the same way. It depends on the condition of the damaged section and the system around it. An inspection is what establishes that.

What should a written estimate cover?

Consumer Affairs Victoria tells car owners to ask for a written estimate before having any work done. The regulator lists five things the estimate should include.

An estimate is not a fixed price, and the same guidance says so plainly. A mechanic may find other faults before starting repairs. Those problems may not have been in the original quote.

• The work to be done.
• The parts to be supplied.
• The estimated time of completion.
• The method of payment.
• The estimated parts and labour costs.

That is also why two custom exhaust shops quote differently for the same car. The scope each has priced is not the same. A single section and a full system are different jobs, so the cheaper number is not always the smaller one.

What does the shop need to know before it can quote?

Four details do most of the early work: the make, model and year, the state of the system now, what has changed and when, and what you want done.

An exhaust workshop asks for most of that up front. Your vehicle make, model and year, details of the current exhaust and a clear description of what you want to change are a useful start. For a repair you are asked to describe the sound or damage, and to mention any existing exhaust modifications. A custom exhaust build is then settled once someone has seen the car.

Consumer Affairs Victoria’s advice runs the same way. Provide as much information as possible, it tells owners, because that helps the mechanic identify faults. If a problem only shows up at certain times, say when: on cold mornings, for instance, or when slowing to a stop.

The regulator adds one check about the shop itself. Make sure the staff are qualified, it says, and that the business has the equipment to do the job.

Who has to approve extra work once the car is up?

This is the strongest thing in the transaction, and it belongs to you. Consumer Affairs Victoria tells owners to make it clear they must be called before any unauthorised work is started. It also tells them to be wary of mechanics who ask for up-front payment.

The mechanic is legally required to provide a notice outlining the repairs to be done on each vehicle. So asking for that written notice before you leave the car is not a favour you are being granted.

Ask to be called and the shape of that conversation is set. If the price moves once the car is up, the workshop rings, says what it found, and waits.

Does the exhaust still have to be legal afterwards?

Yes, and the rule does not care whose hands did the work. EPA Victoria states that under the Environment Protection Regulations 2021, motor vehicles must meet noise standards when travelling on roads. The Regulations set standards for older vehicles. The Australian Design Rules set standards for newly built and imported vehicles.

The agency names three things that are against the law.

• To use, or permit the use of, a vehicle that breaks noise standards.
• To sell a motor vehicle that breaks noise standards.
• To modify a vehicle so that it doesn’t meet noise standards.

EPA Victoria also points to regulation 289 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021. The authorised text reads: “A person must not use a vehicle on a highway if the vehicle is creating undue noise. Penalty: 5 penalty units.” A second subsection covers causing or permitting that use, at the same penalty. The agency issues vehicle testing notices for noisy vehicles, and fines for not complying with them.

Read the two together and one thing stands out. The on-road offence is worded against the person using the vehicle. That is the driver, not the workshop that changed the system. So the question worth asking is not whether a shop cares about noise rules. It is what your car has to meet once you drive it away.

What happens to the parts that come off the car?

They can be yours, with one exception. Consumer Affairs Victoria states that the mechanic must give you any parts removed from your car if you ask for them. The exception is parts that have to go back to the manufacturer for a warranty claim.

Timing matters here. The regulator says to ask for the parts when you leave the car, not when you come back for it. By collection time the old section has often gone in the bin.

A rusted-through section in your hands shows that the work you paid for was the work the car needed.

What should the bill look like?

Itemised, and read before you pay. Consumer Affairs Victoria tells owners to obtain an itemised account. It should list the work undertaken and how the costs were calculated.

Warranty belongs on the same piece of paper. Ask about the manufacturer’s warranty on parts and the mechanic’s warranty on the work, the regulator says, and make sure those details are noted on the invoice. That is a question for whoever does the job.

Melton, Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury drivers often weigh up a trip across town for exhaust work. The four things above travel with you, whichever shop you ring.

Ring Taylah Made Exhausts on (03) 9747 8080 with the make, model and year, and a description of what has changed. Then ask the questions above. The address and the opening hours are on the contact page.