Car Needs a CV Axle Boot

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Last year I was informed by the mechanic that did my safety inspection that I needed a front axle CV boot, but he only does mechanical maintenance on Fords and only does general service like inspections and oil changes on all makes. He passed it with the stipulation that I have it repaired ASAP at a garage that's capable of Honda repairs. At that time, I attempted to get it repaired, but the 2 garages I trust to do actual maintenance said the part was unavailable due to supply chain disruptions. My inspection is due again in December.

I had mentioned it to my cousin at Thanksgiving and he recommended a garage that I would never have considered taking my car there. He said they have the best and most honest mechanics around here. I go by it frequently and it looks so dingy and cluttered. I did stop just to see what would transpire and the only mechanic on duty never looked up from under the hood to talk to me. When I explained the situation, he said something to the effect that I probably waited too long and I'd have to talk to Ken about an appointment. I asked when Ken would be in and was told "When he gets here." I added that I had tried to get the repair done much earlier, but had run into health issues that prevented me from following up on it. I heard a muffled, "Not my problem." It's as dingy and cluttered inside as it is on the outside and they have no waiting room.

Now I don't know what to do with winter coming on. Even if I can get the part at an auto parts shop, some garages won't install it unless they get the part themselves. I ran into that years ago with another garage, I needed a headlight and bought one and took it to a local shop. That mechanic said, "You don't go to a restaurant and bring your own food and then tell them to cook it for you!"
 

1. Call your local Honda dealer
2. Select the prompt that connects you to service
3. Tell them what you need done (you can skip all the lurid details..)
4. Take their earliest available appointment
5. Show up 10 minutes early for the appointment
6. Wait in customer lounge until repairs are done.
7. Pay the bill and say "thank you".
8. Drive home in a safe, worry free car.
 
Good lord, that's nothing to fool around with! And when your car needs repairs, get repairs done. ASAP. Even when they're small repairs (a CV boot isn't a "small" repair).

Yanno that old saw about a stitch in time saves nine. That.
 

It is a pain!! Mine is the shop right now. Had to have it towed in but my insurance will take care of that. What I thought was a starter or alternator problem is a battery problem. The same shop put a new battery in last spring so they will replace that N/C. Big thing right now is the brakes lights were not working. I thought it just need new bulbs. Nope, looks like it is an electrical problem. Some good, some worse. Still beats having a car payment.
 
debodun said:
That mechanic said, "You don't go to a restaurant and bring your own food and then tell them to cook it for you!"
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I totally agree with the mechanic! Bringing your own parts cut their profit margin, especially if it's a mom & pop garage.

Most likely, the whole axle shaft will need replaced because it was let go for over a year.

Bite the bullet and take it to a Honda dealer and get it serviced properly.
 
When you supply the parts, there's no warranty offered by the mechanic. Too bad. So sad. Another old saw: penny wise, pound foolish...you don't "save" buying and supplying the parts.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around needing the CV boot replaced for a year and not getting it done. Geez, it's not just a case of more damage (hello, axle?), but if the axle goes you lose control of the car.

Ignoring repairs presents a very real risk of more repairs, and expensive ones at that.
 
Whatever you do, don't take it to a tire store to have it repaired. I've had too many bad experiences with them. The latest was, I had new struts installed last year at a Goodyear tire store. Now there's a noise coming from the front end like there's something loose. They probably forgot to tighten something. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's a bit warmer.

Other bad experiences:
I purchased new tires but they didn't bother balancing the wheels. Of course, they charged me for balancing when I purchased the tires. They just didn't bother doing it. So I had to go back to the dealer and haggle with them and waste another couple of hours.
Another tire store busted the air filter housing. WTF?
Another tire store didn't bother connecting a wire after they installed a new timing belt, after which time, the car wouldn't run. I had to fix it myself out in their parking lot.
Brakes Plus is no better.

Going to a dealer can be as big a pain in the %$#@! as going to see a doctor, and they're nearly as expensive.

And you can't trust Google reviews since most of them are paid reviews.
 
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Find a Honda dealer and let them do what's necessary. Thereafter, let them do your inspections and whatever. I take my Subaru to the Subaru dealer I bought it from. Their motto is, "Subaru, it's all we do". A Honda dealer is the same with Hondas. They have the parts and know what to do.
 

What Happens if You Don’t Get a CV Boot Replacement?​


If you don’t get a CV boot replacement when you need one, you’re going to be in for some trouble down the road. Without the protection of the boot, the joint will be subjected to all sorts of debris and damage. The grease that protects it will shoot away from the joint, thanks to the centrifugal force of the axle spinning while you’re driving.


With enough boot damage, your axle can begin to vibrate badly. Eventually, the CV joint can break, causing more damage to your car and leaving you stranded on the side of the road. A bad CV boot is something you’ll want to get addressed as soon as possible not only for safety concerns but also due to the threat it poses to other parts of your car. With more parts suffering down the line, the cost of getting your car back in working order could skyrocket.

I looked it up, and the cost just for replacement is about $350. The cost of not attending to it is astronomical
 
Honda was the first place I contacted. That's when I got the explanation that parts weren't available because of parts shortage and even if they had it, the repair it would be $650 for parts and labor and take 6 hours. I asked to be notified when they did get the parts. I am still waiting.
 
debodun said:
Honda was the first place I contacted. That's when I got the explanation that parts weren't available because of parts shortage and even if they had it, the repair it would be $650 for parts and labor and take 6 hours. I asked to be notified when they did get the parts. I am still waiting.
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Have you bothered to check back with them in all this time?
 
I have absolutely no idea what a CV boot does, but it's apparently a very important protector of your transmission (per internet search). The cost is around $500-800 parts & labor (same search). Wish I could help you getting it fixed. Sorry.
 
win231 said:
Might be time to consider a newer car. Yours might start to have many other expensive problems.
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Win, it's a Honda with 140K miles and would probably last at least another 60K miles if Deb would simply part with $$ for maintenance and repairs :rolleyes:
 
At 140K miles, you are certainly on the upswing of the reliability curve. The hard question is do you want to keep putting money into a 20 year old car or buy a new one.
We had that problem with my wife;s 20 year old car. It just did not make sense into putting any more money into it. Spend the money! You cannot take it with you.
Wait! is this the same person that agonizes over the price of a $5 tree topper?
 

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