[Incendio]

I just noticed my 2005 OB has a ripped cv boot. It is new to me, and still covered under the dealer's 3 mo/ 3k mi warranty. How costly is this repair, and is the dealer going to give me a hard time about covering it? If they won't cover it, should I attempt to replace it myself? Here's some back story on my mechanical inclination: Former Jeep girl, mechanically inclined (i know which end of the wrench to hold ), have access to many tools because I run my family's outdoor power equipment repair business.

 

[Incendio]

Well, I've answered on of my questions; I won't be attempting this repair on my own as it is a bit outside of my comfort zone.

 

[boblesk]

For sure with that one I would go back to the dealer who sold it to you. If it's a reputable Subaru dealer I would think they would repair as it's something they should've noticed if they inspected the car as that is one of the areas of concern on any used Subaru.

 

[Incendio]

For sure with that one I would go back to the dealer who sold it to you. If it's a reputable Subaru dealer I would think they would repair as it's something they should've noticed if they inspected the car as that is one of the areas of concern on any used Subaru.

Unfortunately, it was not from a Subaru dealer, which may be why this problem when unnoticed. I did, however, buy it from a reputable multi-brand dealership's used car lot. They were really great throughout the whole car buying process, and they get great customer service reviews, so I am hoping that they won't give me any problems. I was very satisfied with them and my Subi when I got her, but I am waiting on the warranty to expire before writing them a rave review. I supposed their review hinges on this being amicably resolved.

 

[Novablue]

Working on Subies is really easy. I had a Jeep too but working on the Subie is way easier. You could probably do the repair yourself if you had too. There are great write-ups on the site on how to do this and what parts to get/avoid.

Hopefully the dealer will take care of this and the TPMS.

 

[Incendio]

Working on Subies is really easy. I had a Jeep too but working on the Subie is way easier. You could probably do the repair yourself if you had too. There are great write-ups on the site on how to do this and what parts to get/avoid.

Hopefully the dealer will take care of this and the TPMS.

That's good to know , because my CJ7 and (former) wrangler were super easy! I found a great write up on here about doing the boot replacement, so if the dealership won't take care of it, I know I have options (other than taking it to a mechanic). :29:

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

because this repair is fairly easy and fairly inexpensive, the dealership SHOULD be interested in your having a good experience there. I bet they'd do an axle swap for you. Of course, it will be a cheap, generic axle, but at least it won't have a split boot.

 

[boblesk]

Unfortunately, it was not from a Subaru dealer, which may be why this problem when unnoticed. I did, however, buy it from a reputable multi-brand dealership's used car lot. They were really great throughout the whole car buying process, and they get great customer service reviews, so I am hoping that they won't give me any problems. I was very satisfied with them and my Subi when I got her, but I am waiting on the warranty to expire before writing them a rave review. I supposed their review hinges on this being amicably resolved.

By all means go back and see what they say. It's not a super costly fix so I would guess they would do the fix to keep a happy customer as word of mouth is the best advertising.

 

[Incendio]

because this repair is fairly easy and fairly inexpensive, the dealership SHOULD be interested in your having a good experience there. I bet they'd do an axle swap for you. Of course, it will be a cheap, generic axle, but at least it won't have a split boot.

I used to/ still own jeeps, so I did a double take on the "axle swap" part. To me an "axle swap" is going from a Dana 35 to a Dana 44 or 60, which is no small undertaking (or price). I am going to have to get used to this kind of stuff .

By all means go back and see what they say. It's not a super costly fix so I would guess they would do the fix to keep a happy customer as word of mouth is the best advertising.

They probably will, they really have a great reputation for that.

 

[AWDFTW]

You don't want an aftermarket axle. Most have vibration issues.

Have the reboot your existing axle. Otherwise the only safe bet is an MWE axle (Subaru reman). EMPI and Raxles seem better than most, but some still report vibrations.

 

[Seabass]

If there are already vibration issues, then there is probably damage to the cv joint. Don't just reboot, have it rebuilt or replace it. The vibration issues are noticeable at idle in gear. But it does fade a bit as the axles break in.

 

[Se7enLC]

If there are already vibration issues, then there is probably damage to the cv joint. Don't just reboot, have it rebuilt or replace it. The vibration issues are noticeable at idle in gear. But it does fade a bit as the axles break in.

This.

I'm coming from a Jeep, too, and I've torn a lot of CV boots! (I'm done with lifted vehicles, too much trouble!)

Unless you know when you ripped the boot, you have no way of knowing how long it's been rolling with no grease. On the Jeep, anyway, the half-axle had to come out to replace the boot, so the labor was pretty much identical whether you are replacing the axle or just the boot. At that point, it's probably worth just replacing the axle just to be sure (it would suck to have to do it again in 6 months if the damage was already done).

If you're doing the labor yourself or using an aftermarket boot-repair kit that doesn't require taking the axle out, though, it might be worth it. Even if you have to do it again, it's your time instead of money!

 

[Seabass]

You have to disconnect the axle from the hub to replace the boot. It's definitely the same labor as replacing the axle.