OK, on my DW's B1500 with the 3.9L, I changed out the muffler back in November or December of 2005. Since that time, the van didn't have any issues. In the last month or so she has complained about muffler noise.

While poking around my B2500 and fixing the IAC issue, I took the digital camera and took some pictures under her B1500 of the muffler. Was I surprised to see something so strange, I still don't have a grasp to understand how this could have happened.

The muffler actually buckled downward. Downward??? I can understand upward if she hit something in the road. However, the buckled is more strange than hitting something in the road. Even the buckle line metal folds over itself. Is that wacked or what?

I even took a picture of the cat as well. It's fine without any issue. All the clamps and brackets are still in place with the exhaust system too. There is no play either. I tapped on both the muffler and cat. Those are still good. There is not a hole or crack in any of them either.

My question is, how did this ever happen, and if known how to prevent it from doing this again.

 

Just a stab in the dark here, but maybe she backed the van into something? Those mufflers are generally use thinner metal than exaust tubing, so my guess is being the weakest point it folded like a tin can. Saw this same thing happen to a friends Town Car because of a lube idiot a Whalemart. He backed it into a high curb and broke the rear exaust mount, folding the muffler.

 

Nope. No sings of backing into anything. No scratches on the frame, tail pipe nor the trailer hitch. The trailer hitch and receiver are lower than the tail pipe. Also, the tail pipe exhausts behind the passenger rear tire and not straight out the back like the Gen-1 Ram Vans have.

It's only a small buckle and other Dodge forums have mentioned that it's possible that an engine back-fire could have caused this.