Driving a misfiring car is extremely risky and should be avoided. You might manage a few miles to get to a safe location, but continuing to drive for more than a short distance can cause severe and expensive damage to your catalytic converter and engine. The primary goal is to stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so.
A misfire occurs when one or more cylinders in your engine fail to ignite the air-fuel mixture correctly. This unburned fuel is dumped into the exhaust system, where it can overheat and destroy the catalytic converter—a repair that often costs over $1,000. Beyond that, the engine runs unevenly, putting stress on components and potentially washing down cylinder walls with fuel, which degrades engine oil and can lead to premature wear.
The only scenario where limited driving is acceptable is if you need to immediately pull over to the shoulder of a road or drive a very short distance (like a quarter-mile) to a safer spot, like a parking lot. If you have an OBD-II scanner that confirms a single-cylinder misfire (e.g., P0301 for cylinder one), and the car is running relatively smoothly, a cautious drive directly to a very nearby mechanic might be feasible, but this is still a gamble.
The potential consequences and associated repair costs escalate quickly, as shown in the table below.
| Potential Consequence of Driving with a Misfire | Estimated Repair Cost Range (USD) | Severity |
|---|
| Damaged Catalytic Converter | $1,000 - $2,500+ | Severe |
| Ruined Oxygen (O2) Sensors | $200 - $500 | Moderate to Severe |
| Overheating of Exhaust Manifold | $400 - $1,200 | Moderate |
| Raw Fuel Diluting Engine Oil | $100 (oil change) + potential engine wear | Moderate |
| Damaged Spark Plugs / Ignition Coils | $150 - $400 | Minor to Moderate |
| Engine Computer (ECU) Damage | $800 - $1,500+ | Severe |
The safest and most cost-effective action is to have the car towed to a repair shop. Diagnosing the root cause—whether it's a faulty spark plug, ignition coil, fuel injector, or a deeper mechanical issue—is the only way to prevent a minor problem from becoming a financial disaster.
