My car recently failed its inspection in Massachusetts. The mechanic told me that there are small leaks all along the exhaust system. They want to do something called a cat back replacement from the catalytic converter back. Is this something that happens?
The car is a 2007 Honda Fit.
Yes, it absolutely happens, both the pin holes as well as a "cat-back replacement".
The pin holes get caused when water from the exhaust settles at the bottom of the exhaust pipe and causes corrosion. The majority of exhaust is actually water vapor, so this can easily happen. If you're in a moist atmosphere, like near a large body of water, this exacerbates the situation and leaves even more water in the tail pipe.
A cat-back replacement is the way to go. It gives you all new exhaust from the catalytic converter all the way to the rear of the car.
