Or can they and this is just another case of planned obsolescence for profit?

I just had a new muffler, tailpipe, clamps and everything installed within the past 2–3 years and last night, all of a sudden, it’s dragging on the ground because one or more muffler clamps up and died.

The reason for my comparison to wire clothes hangers is because years and years ago (different car) a friend of mine jerry-rigged holding things up with a few judicious twists of a wire hanger.

About 4–5 years later when the car died that hanger was still holding up that muffler just fine. It outlasted the car.

So, wouldn’t it make sense to male muffler clamps from the same material?