The front outer and passenger side CV boot is torn, as I noticed yesterday while changing the oil. Dont feel like changing it myself, will go to a mechanic.

Is this boot failure at only 80000 milles ( 128 000 km) premature?

I expected it to last much longer. A few months ago, I changed the sway bar link on the same passenger side, it was also destroyed. Are these 2 failures related?

 

That's about right. Maybe a bit soon but well within the realm of possibility. You could have run over something also. As your car been hit? You could have some suspension peice bent that stressing something on that side (making the parts on that side wear faster). You really won't know unless you have a good frame shop take a close look

 

Also has a lot to do with driving patterns.. someone going up and down spiral parking ramps (e.g. airport parking) every day to park at work will likely have torn boots sooner than someone who's just cruising along a midwest highway every day to work (aka me) - heck you might even get away without a steering wheel in that case - flat and straight all day.

If you are agressive on on/off ramps - you put more stress on the boot folds too, etc. etc. but as Jeff already said, 80k is nothing premature - its in the ballpark... my first one went out at 90k.