My reasoning is that a diesel exhaust soon gets coated internally with oily soot, which gives protection against direct attack by acidic condensation. The short-trip thing doesn't help there, certainly.

Maybe the part of the exhaust behind a DPF will not offer that protection?

Edited by Andrew-T on 23/11/2018 at 12:55

Can't see why excreting the combusted fuel of satan confers any advantage. Our 2000 Focus 1.6 Zetec is on its original exhaust. Might possibly outlast the car!

After getting fed up of replacing bits of my 1980 TR7 exhaust every three or four years I got a stainless steel one from Rimmers in 1992. Any advance on 26yrs?

Last car I had to replace the full system on was a 1989 Golf after 6 years - 105,000 miles.

Last car I replaced any exhaust component on was a 1996 Golf which required a back box after 6 years- 65,000 miles.

The Caterham exhaust was a stainless one off made by a specialist using a works Vauxhall Cavalier touring car box back in 1996. Silencer is repackable and was done in about 2004, I suspect it will need doing again soon.

Long may it continue.

I don't remember one car I bought in the 80s that didn't need at some point a part exhaust, usually front section or mid, and some needed new flexi pipes which corroded faster than the rest due to flexing around the joints

after the mid 90s I found all cars I had, the exhaust lasted during the time I had them, also the steel used appeared better and welds improved, maybe the cost of production was cheaper for the newer exhausts which allowed for better materials to be used

My previous 2003 Superb now with well over 200k miles on the clock (I think about 215k) under new ownership (someone I know) still has its original exhaust and battery!

1999 VW Passat Estate 1.9 TDI 110BHP Still on original exhaust (and clutch) - 207k. Bought at 77k from known previous owner (3yrs old ex company car) . Serviced by me from then, never broken down - touch wood. Fill it up with fuel & it doubles the value !- it will be a difficult task to replace this car when the time comes.

AUIU theory is that diesels produce less vapour during warm up and are therefore less likely to rust from inside or corrode baffles. My Pug 104 c1985 blew a hole in silencer after collapsed baffles blocked normal flow. Fast fit garages first response was I'd need to get a 'backfire issue' sorted before fitting a replacement.

Both current cars are approaching 100k and are diesels. 2013 Berlingo's exhaust is certainly original and I've no reason to believe 2011 Roomster's is not.

Previous Berlingo and Xantia, both also diesels, lacked support between front and rear boxes so tended to flex and split ahead of rear box. Xantia disgraced itself in that fashion near Millau; local garage sorted me out.

My French actually holds up quite well with car issues, though the fact that fracture and facture sound alike raised gallic eyebrows when my windscreen went in the Jura last year.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 11/12/2018 at 22:05

In my experience petrol engine car exhausts used to last around30 - 40k as petrol engines run hotter than diesels, therefore burn from the inside out. The manifolds used to go first.

I had a Peugeot 309 1.3 petrol in the late 90's (remember them?) it went though a system every year. Having said that almost once a fortnight it was travelling from North Northumberland to Lincolnshire at the weekends, wearing grooves on the motorways!