[Shankenstein]

I understand you guys would like to start a riot... but they used a material that is pretty good for exhaust tubing. The parts that are exposed are 304, and will stay shiny. The parts that are not exposed are 409 and will develop a rusty surface coating.

My RAV4's custom exhaust was done with 2.25" 409 SS with a 304 tip. Same exact situation. I'm a mechanical engineer, and I chose everything to be this way.

I've had it for 8 years now, and there's spotty rust on the 409 sections and the tips yellowed a bit. No holes, besides the gaps in the welds. Heat affected zones (from welding) did rust sooner than straight pipes. This is normal.

If there are holes, then you should simply request AFE provide you with the certifications for the materials used in that lot. They have records, and as a loyal customer, it's fair to help them hunt down the cause of a premature failure.

Check the wall thickness and material specs. If there was a clerical error in using too thin of piping or the wrong material ... get a replacement and try to ensure that they have a QC policy AS MATERIALS ARE DELIVERED. If there is an error, request a replacement, and enjoy your exhaust. If there's not an error, it's up to their warranty program to decide if your corrosion is sufficient to replace it. It's an engineered product, not a perfect product. It will wear, and if it's premature... they will replace it, to keep their reputation.

Raising hell on a forum is a last resort. If they are falsely representing a product (which they're not) or under-engineering a product (no evidence of that), then you should try the friendly resolutions first. If you have holey pipes and they refuse to warranty their products or provide justification for their materials... go ahead with the riot. There's plenty of steps to consider first though.