I just sold my 2005 honda accord with 130K miles. It was in for service - oil change, serpentine belt, radiator flush, trans service. and then they tell me the inner AND outer CV joints were shot (the outer boots had tears) and the axles needed to be replaced. And it needed tires and brakes all around. So I sold it.

I wound up looking at my notes for the car I had before that - a 1998 honda accord I sold when I got the 2005. It had 127K when I sold it and I wrote 'needed new axles' / I remember an issue with CV joints.

some questions:

1) are boot tears / CV joint issues preventable?
2) is 125 - 130K miles for this to happen typical?
3) do you replace the axles to resolve bad CV joint issues?
4) are hondas known for CV problems?

Thanks!

Mike

 

If spotted immediately its very cheap to replace the boots. But if it happens without noticing then the joints go bad and the axle needs to be replaced.

Even if both axles go, its not an overly expensive job(well maybe at a Honda dealership as I know my local dealership charged $120 an hour while a private mechanic charges $60).

Axles can go bad on any car. Just had one go bad on my Volvo.

 

Sorry to be overly simplistic, but how quick is immediately? at an oil change (every 4K miles?)? would you expect shops to check the boots?

and how much is very cheap? There's a fair amount of work involved to get to the boot, right? even at $60 labor rate.

and finally, what's not overly expensive? each new axle is about $200 each? (left and right sides) then the labor to do the replacement. I saw a youtube video for that work and it looked time consuming.

is there a website for repair estimates based on x hourly rate?

 

Its hard to say for sure, I think more would depend on climate(salt, sand, water etc).

A new boot is $18 or so, and then maybe a half hour of labor to replace it(for a split boot set up, meaning the new boot comes in two pieces so you don't have to take the axle off to replace, then is put together).

Maybe if you go to a Honda dealership and ask for a axles its $200, but any advanced auto/autozone/napa etc should be able to get you an axle for $70 a piece or so. I have used nothing but these and had no problems in any of my cars. While replacing a axle is something a notice would probably not due(mainly because there are several tools required that most novices wouldn't have). I would say a shop should charge 1.5-2 hour labor per side as a maximum.

 

good post - good questions
1) no, well maybe (*)
2) happens 110K - 175K in my experience
3) yes, on two cars it costs shop $225 per side before tax. no other way excepting rebuild with is more effort/$
4) all front wheel drive cars

(*) Trying halfshell CV boot replacement (Autozone ~$20/side) installed on a Nissan w/ son's help.
Preventive measure; only 15,000 miles on it now, so jury is still out.

NOTE: CV joints are very strong parts. I drove a car 15-20,000 miles with CV joints going out and only fixed them
when people started to look at car thru parking lot because of the loud clicks it was making.
Ain't gonna leave you at the side of the road...