Catch the ‘my car sounds like a race car’ calls you miss
Loud exhaust, failed inspections and converter questions are bookable work. ShopLine answers them when your team is on the lift.
The calls you're missing
Exhaust problems announce themselves. A rusted-through muffler or a broken pipe gets loud fast, and the driver wants it fixed now, partly because it's embarrassing and partly because it can mean a failed inspection.
Most exhaust callers want three things: can you do it, roughly when, and can they just drive over. If nobody answers while your team is under a car on the lift, they try the next exhaust shop on the map.
Calls ShopLine handles for exhaust shops
Your team's phones ring first. ShopLine picks up the overflow, in your shop's name.
“My car suddenly sounds like a race car. Can you look at it today?”
ShopLine asks when the noise started and where it seems to come from, then gives your walk-in policy or books the first open slot.
“I failed inspection for the exhaust and I have to get re-checked by the 20th.”
It notes the deadline from their inspection report and books the repair with time to spare, then texts a confirmation.
“Do you replace catalytic converters? Mine got stolen.”
It answers with what you've told it about converter work, collects the vehicle, and books the visit.
“Can you build a custom exhaust for my truck?”
It separates custom work from repairs, collects the vehicle and what the caller wants, and books a consultation slot.
What ShopLine handles on an exhaust call
- The symptom: loud, rattling, smells like fumes, or a warning light
- Inspection status, and the re-check deadline if they failed
- Converter questions, answered from the information you provide
- Repair or custom, so each job gets the right amount of time
- Same-day or walk-in, following your policy, or a booked appointment
When exhaust calls pick up
Salt season
Months of road salt eat through pipes and mufflers, and the failures show up loudly in late winter.
Pothole season
A hard hit can knock hangers loose or crack a pipe, and the rattle starts right away.
Inspection deadlines
Drivers who fail on exhaust have a date to beat, which makes them ready to book as soon as someone answers.
Proof, not promises
Exhaust work was the second most common reason people called the shops ShopLine answers for. In September 2026, exhaust and mufflers made up 19% of the calls we categorized (29 of 150). See the September 2026 call data.
All shops on ShopLine, all time. Revenue is an estimate.
What it costs
The first month on any paid plan is $1, then plans start at $79 a month. Billing yearly saves up to 25%.
Muffler and exhaust shop FAQ
A caller failed inspection and has a deadline. How does ShopLine handle that?
It asks for the date on their inspection report and books them in before it, so the re-check deadline is on your calendar, not just in a voicemail.
Can it answer catalytic converter questions?
Yes, with the information you give it: whether you replace converters, which types you carry, and how you price them. It won't guess at anything you haven't covered and will flag the question for your team.
We take walk-ins. Will it tell people to just come in?
Yes. It explains your same-day and walk-in policy exactly as you set it, or books an appointment if you'd rather schedule the work.
We do custom exhaust work too. Does it treat that differently?
It asks whether the caller wants a repair or a custom build, collects the vehicle and what they're after, and books the right kind of visit, so custom jobs get the time they need.
Keep looking
Want to see how it handles other kinds of shops, or calls after you close?