A man went viral after calling out the dangerous state of a stranger’s muffler. He warns that if it isn’t fixed soon, it could end badly.
TikToker @riveracuts_ filmed the clip from his car after spotting a Toyota on the road. What grabbed his attention was the glowing red muffler underneath.
“This man is heating up. He’s about to go places he don’t even want to go, like to Heaven,” @riveracuts_ jokes in the video. “That [expletive] about to blow up.”
As of this writing, his post has racked up more than 511,400 views.
Why Is Their Muffler Red?
If your car’s muffler is glowing red, this isn’t just a visual quirk—that’s a serious warning that something under the hood is overheating. It usually means the engine isn’t burning fuel correctly, and the exhaust system is taking the heat.
A lean air-fuel mixture is a common culprit, where there’s too much air and not enough gas. That imbalance pushes combustion temperatures higher than normal, making metal parts like the muffler glow. Problems like clogged air filters, faulty fuel injectors, or bad oxygen sensors can all contribute to this, according to commenters on iFixit.
Ignition timing that’s off can do the same thing. If a spark plug fires too early or too late, unburned fuel can ignite in the exhaust instead of inside the engine, generating intense heat. A clogged or damaged catalytic converter can trap heat and make matters worse.
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Other mechanical issues, like leaky valves, cracked exhaust manifolds, or a damaged flywheel, can also overload the system with heat. Short, frequent trips worsen the situation because the exhaust never gets hot enough to burn off built-up contaminants, which eventually raises temperatures even more.
Driving with a muffler glowing red isn’t something to take lightly. Pull over and get your car checked by a professional right away. Ignoring it won’t make the problem disappear, and it could turn a fixable issue into a costly repair.
How Did It Get That Bad?
People who watched @riveracuts_’s video wondered if the Toyota driver had ignored warning signs before the muffler reached a glowing red.
“Like, how does that even happen?? I’ve never seen a muffler turn red,” one man remarked.
“Curious what signs did he miss to get here,” another added. “Reduced throttle response, weird sound, maybe?”
Some felt @riveracuts_ should have tried to alert the driver, as they were worried that the car owner could get seriously injured.
“Try to warn them,” one woman urged.
“You ain’t tell him?” another asked.
“Idk maybe roll up and wave and get their attention!?!?! But, no, let’s make a video,” a third commented.
“I would have drove beside him and tried to let him know or [at] least try to,” another viewer said. “You can’t do stuff like that no more.”
“We need a hand signal for yo something’s wrong with your car,” someone else added.
Others were simply shocked by the bright red glow, questioning how the muffler could get that hot.
“I don’t think it’s supposed to do that,” one viewer quipped.
“How does that even happen?????” another asked.
Motor1 has reached out to @riveracuts_ via a TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if he responds.
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