### Muffler Hair Is Real — Here’s Why Your Car’s Tailpipe Looks Unusual
Hair appearing where it shouldn’t be is generally unsettling. This feeling intensifies when hair is found in non-biological contexts. Discovering hair in or around anything other than a mammal (or perhaps a fuzzy tarantula) usually signals that something has gone very wrong, often dangerously so. Seeing lots of hair where it shouldn’t be is the stuff of nightmares, which is why the phenomenon of a car seemingly “crapping out” hair from its exhaust pipe is so disturbing.
I stumbled upon this bizarre occurrence while conducting a search, which led me to numerous confused individuals discussing hair coming out of their car’s exhaust pipes. The images associated with this phenomenon are equally unsettling, showing various shades of hair—brunettes, blondes, silvery strands—that look eerily like human hair. Videos of this “muffler hair” reinforce the sensation that you’re looking at long human hair being pulled out of your car’s tailpipe.
One particularly alarming instance involved a family who, fearing human remains in their car, called the police. The authorities were equally baffled by the discovery. So, what exactly is going on here?
As you might have guessed, this isn’t human hair. It’s fiberglass, used for sound deadening inside the muffler. A video by The Humble Mechanic shows a muffler dissection, revealing a matted, hair-like mass of fiberglass sound absorption material. If you can’t stomach watching a muffler dissection, imagine the inside of a barber’s trash can—it’s a similar sight.
Several people have shared their experiences with this phenomenon in the comments of the video. One person mentioned that they initially thought an animal, like a skunk, had crawled into their muffler. Another individual, who bought a 2010 Ford Transit Connect to convert into a weekend camper, was shocked and terrified to see “hair” coming out of their tailpipe. They speculated that they might need a new muffler or catalytic converter due to the loud noise and excessive gas consumption.
This phenomenon is more common than you might think, and it’s important to discuss it because it clearly disturbs and confuses many people. The “hair” is just fiberglass sound insulation, which happens to look exactly like human hair. One might wonder why muffler manufacturers don’t dye the fiberglass a bright, unnatural color to make it clear that it’s artificial and not some unfortunate mammal.
Of all the things that can go wrong with a modern car, the unexpected appearance of massive strands and clumps of hair from the exhaust is arguably the most unsettling. However, if this happens to you, don’t panic. No mammals have been harmed, and you’re not about to be involved in a murder investigation. Your muffler is simply falling apart a bit. You can pull out the hair, but it’s best not to handle it too much without gloves, as fiberglass can be irritating to the skin.
The tailpipe and silencer assembly, located at the end of your exhaust system, is particularly susceptible to this issue. Because of its position, it experiences more frequent temperature changes and corrodes more quickly than other parts of the exhaust. Exhaust systems tend to rust from the inside out, releasing the fiberglass sound absorption material from inside the assembly.
If you notice this “hair” coming out of your muffler, it’s a sign that the muffler is failing. The interior metal framework is rusting away, allowing the packing to escape. You need to replace the tailpipe and silencer, often labeled as the resonator. Failing to replace the resonator can allow the fiberglass to shift and block the exhaust, potentially preventing the engine from starting if the blockage becomes severe enough.
In summary, while the sight of hair coming out of your car’s tailpipe is undoubtedly disturbing, it’s a relatively minor issue in the grand scheme of car problems. It’s just fiberglass insulation from a failing muffler, and replacing the affected parts will resolve the issue. So, the next time you see what looks like human hair coming out of your car’s exhaust, remember that it’s just a quirky, albeit unsettling, aspect of automotive maintenance.
Source: The Humble Mechanic, various online forums
