$750 to replace steering rack...am i being ripped off?
 

That's the price they quoted me including parts and labor.

I don't even want to know what the nissan dealer would charge :o

damn, i really cant say if thats a good price or bad price. i always buy my own parts when i have someone working on my car. try rockauto.com and maybe the $750 may go down a couple hundred...

I had mine done at a private garage about 4 years ago and that is about what I paid. They used a rebuilt rack and charged me about double of what I could buy one for and of course I didn't get a core charge refund. If I ever need another rack replaced, I'll do it my self.

That sounds about right. I had mine done two years ago and it's not an easy job. Apparently it's actually easier to just take out the transmission and do it rather than trying to fight it and get around it.

It's not an easy job, I wouldn't be surprised

+1

$750 seems high as a replacement rack can be had at 200 bucks. 500 for labor is pretty steep

EDIT:
How many hours or days quoted to complete the job?

Actually with prices around 85 per hour it seems right with the part.. its about 5.5-6.5 hours done right ..then add in their 10-15% markup on the part too at 250ish... go buy a rack.... itll cost you alot less...whys everyone replacing their racks lately?? Dont people change their ps fluid ever??

Which actually would be good, especially if someone needed their rear main seal replaced...

I work for a dealer and that is about average. Parts from 250-500 and it pays about 4 hours of labor with alignment. At my shop we charge $113 per hour. Just ask for a parts/labor breakdown.

Before I replaced my rack I got a free '100 point courtesy check' at my local dealership and they quoted me $2,400 to replace the rack. That's because they would of installed a new rack, instead of a refurbished rack that costs $215 + $50 core at carsteering

I installed that refurbished rack last April and it has held fine. It was time consuming but I saved at least $500.

IMO $750 is a fair price.

377 for parts and 400 for labor

That's about right, I can't see an easy way of doing it with the motor + tranny in the car :lol:

My steering rack is going to go in about a month give or take because my boots are torn and its too late to just change the boots. Its strange though ive been waiting and waiting for adverse effects from the busted boots but it still steers like like new. I also have a rear main seal leak so it will kind of be a 2 birds one stone deal which I guess you could call lucky.

For a labor-intensive task like replacing the steering rack, I would not supply the rack to a shop and pay them only for the labor.

Why? Because if the rack proves defective you will have to pay them 100% labor all over again if you supplied the rack, whereas if they provided the the rack a decent shop would eat the labor or get compensation from their parts supplier.

While steering racks can go bad for various reasons, there are two things I can think of to look after them:

1. Replace those dust boots ASAP if they get torn.

2. Replace the power steering fluid every 50,000 miles or so. Our Maxima takes ATF.

Had the dealer replaced steering assembly on my former nissan car. It was close to $1000, Ouch!. Never like the steering response after that with reman. one. Lesson learnt, flush steering fluid every 100K on my current one.

Damn if you think the price is high do it yourself.....Then you'll understand! It's tight!!!!!

Big power steering job
 

2002 Maxima SE. 150,000km. VERY nasty noise starting up and while driving the other morning. Dealer says need to replace power steering pump and lines, and steering rack. VERY expensive. Does it make sense that ALL of that would need replacing?

i hope you dont break down like i did, i was on my way to work and the drivers side axle gave way and when i tried to move it just sounded like a box of hammers cause the shaft stripped out completley. luckily, i was 5 miles from my mechanic and he took me in and i had a new axle i had bought 1-2 years earlier cause the dealer said the axle should be done. of course that's just the scare tactics they use for the noobs...:wall:

$750 seems high.....for a couple hundred dollars, they might as well replace all those pressure hoses, reservoir hoses, belts, rack/pinion, power steering pump and lastly, the two heater hoses.

I recently replaced all that.
Parts was about $600-$700 (ALL hoses were OEM). Reman rack/pinion, power steering pump and D-Matic ATF.
+ $380 labor.
----------------------
About $980-$1080. Not bad :cool:

My boot on the rack is torn, besides not having power steering on cold days, what else can go wrong as a result of this.