Automotive exhaust systems are surprisingly expensive, even if you think they're just a bunch of metal pipes. For the main exhaust pipe itself, which directs fumes from your engine and away from the car, it would typically cost around $300 to $1,200. It will vary wildly depending on factors such as the thickness of the steel, the quality of the materials used, and their design. Naturally, specialty and high-performance exhausts will cost you much more, sometimes far beyond that $1,200 quote. Meanwhile, you may need a set of mufflers to go along with the exhaust pipes. This will add another $250 to $400 for a new set of mufflers. At the very end of the exhausts, you might also want a new set of exhaust tips. These too will add another $25 to $150 for each tip, on average.