I got rear ended a few weeks ago and took my 2012 into the body shop for the estimate. It came in at $1400 including $400 for the back pipe and with a statement from the estimator that if the main pipe is bent, it will also have to be replaced. When I picked up the car last week the final tally was $7,500 which included a $4,600 for the main exhaust pipe. That makes for a $5,000 exhaust system. Glad it was insurance paid!!

By the way, this was my second accident in two months. In August I was hit and totaled my 2010. I can only hope my luck changes, or other drivers get better.

 

Hope the person who rear ended you had insurance and you didn't have to use your uninsured motorist insurance. In 2000, I had a new solara with ~500 miles on it and was rear ended by an idiot without insurance on hwy 80 near Berkeley . This idiot was working on his brakes, didn't have all the parts, and was driving to his uncles house to get help on the brake job. The front brake lines were disconnected - no lie!

 

If the "main pipe" included the exhaust heat recovery system, that would explain the high cost. These things are really high quality parts capable of surviving many years of nasty weather conditions, but not impacts. You definitely do not want to be taking the "h" 4 wheelin' in rocky conditions. Last year in another forum someone managed to get their exhaust whacked by a rock right at the heat recovery system and it cost thousands.