just got ripped off by stealership! $600 to replace and install new outside CV boots on 96 Maxima!! they have a set rate of 5 hours labor for each side, so $100 dollars in parts, $470 in labor! there's got to be a better way to replace this common item failure!!

 

Just replace the whole axle with a remanufactured one. I hear its cheaper to do it that way (or more convenient). Either way the whole axle has to come out.

 

i know. my boots barely broke through, so i figured there was no damage to the joint inside, so i just went with the boots. too late now, but i'm really pissed! i guess i know where my next two paychecks are goin!! grr...

 

I had both sides replaced at separate times myself. Even though I got it done a bit cheaper than that, it still was not cheap.

 

Just go to Raxles, they have nice CV axles for a good price. And just go to a local mechanic and have them install them. Will come out way cheaper than paying $600 to have only the boots installed.

 

Sorry to hear you got raped, I would argue that I told them to replace the boots and not the axles no matter what they say, hopefully you paid by credit card. Dispute the charge and tell the card company you didn't authorize that amount of repairs. Mechanics almost always try to get a higher estimate repair. Even if they were shot, stealership repair should be for warranties only!!!

 

Well now you know. Live and learn I guess.

 

Sorry to hear about your experience.

100 for the two boots?? They are like $10 each at any parts store.

5 hours PER SIDE seems excessive..even if you count his lunch and bathroom breaks. Even 5 hours total would be high in my opinion....I've done this job myself in an hour.

labor times are figured by the manufacturer using only the barest selection of hand tools...whether they do it faster or not you will likely pay for the time the "books says". Even your local garages are starting to take up this practice.

I rarely see the need to go to the dealer for repairs...except ones dealing with the interior or electrical aspect of a vehicle where very specific knowledge of a car is needed.

 

You have replaced CV joint boots in an hour? That's pretty fast IMHO. I've done just the boots before. Big messy pain to dismantle the axle, clean off all the old gritty grease, repack and reinstall the cvs onto the axle.

But the odd thing is why the dealer did this in the first place. Cheaper/faster just to install rebuilt axles. THAT should take about an hour per side. IMHO the dealer probably did just that. SAID they were doing the boots and then just put rebuilt axle assemblies in.

Unless the owner specifically requested the boots only be changed.

 

I recently had my driverside axle replaced at a local shop for $150 total w/re-mfg. part. They said it was $60 for labor and $90 for the part. So basically I could of had both axles done for half the price of stealers for just two boots replaced.

They were going to charge me $65 to just replace the boot. The cheapest place I've found.

I also called arround to several shops prior and they all quoted me $150, but different prices to replace the boot ($65-$95). This is specifically for my 96 Maxima and the price will vary for other applications.

 

Dealers doesn't sell/install remanufactured parts...they sell new factory parts. An "OEM Nissan" half shaft is probably $300. So with that option, a $50 boot is cheaper. I agree with you....If I have a bad boot and the joint has any play in it at all, I just replace the whole shaft.

I done a couple in an hour PER boot...many times you run into something that makes it take longer. But I've got air tools at home and have done this many times....I am sure a professional mechanic would kick my butt at it though. Going by the quoted prices above, looks like a professional mechanic will have it done in 30-45 minutes per boot.

 

i did just ask for boots, cuz i didn't think the joint was damaged at all yet. i asked how long it would take, and they said 45-60 mins per boot. so i figured, ok, $100 for parts, and about 90-120 mins of labor at a max of $50/hr. so, around $200 or so. however, they forgot to mention that they have a base rate of 5 hr/boot for that kind of repair. their reasoning is that if they have a problem and go over, say it ends up being 20 hours, i only pay for 5. yet, it was only an hour per boot, and i pad for 10 hrs instead of 2. is there any way i can fight this? i wish it wasn't so hard to learn a danm lesson!
yea, it was by credit card.

 

You went to a dealership and expected not to be raped.. Find a good mechanic who isn't at a dealership and call it a day. Almost everything they do has a base rate so even if it only takes them an hour to do all your brakes they still charge for 3-5 hours becuase that is how long it should take by the book. How do you think they make money.. plus that is why the mechanics become so good at doing those easy money making jobs.

 

yeah, i guess. i just haven't had any problems in the past at this place. they have even cut me some deals at times. now i'm just mad that i don't have a good nissan shop anymore. meh, oh well. what's done is done. this thread should probably be locked by now. thanks for lettin me vent.

 

Dealers love replacing boots. MUCH higher profit margin. Why replace a $50 axle when you can sell a $5 boot for almost the same price.

<-Former service advisor.

 

i have a friend who is in an autoshop class at the local college, so i just bought new boots (about $12/each) and he put em on for me and cleaned up the joint and all that good stuff, free of charge. cant beat 2 new boots for $24.

 

why didn't u ask how much they were gonna charge u first

 

After doing my own cv boot on the driver's side I figured what the hell its only $90 for a re-man axle so why bother w/the boots when you can get a axle for a little more cash & you won't have to worry about the cv joint going out down the road. As stated before the whole axle has to come out so just throw a new one back in instead of changing just the boot. This is what I did when the passenger side boot got torn. Our axles come out pretty easily so try it yourself next time & save some cash.

 

yup, just what i would like to hear...

 

a while back I bought an O2 sensor from Autozone, as well as a KS i had still in the wrapper from Jerry Rome, dropped the Max to the dealer and only paid $156 for it ... would've cost me 4x much if they got the same exact parts from thier shop

going back to the topic of axles & boots, would it be wise to replaced these items w/ over 122k (see sig) on the odo?