I took my 02 Forester to the dealer to have a broken axle boot replaced. I also asked them to check an overflow of the power steering fluid tank that splattered fluid all over the front of the engine. I found that the cap on the PS fluid reservoir was loose. Today they called me with an estimate for $1400+, they say the rack and pinion is busted and that this part alone is $1050.00 (USD)!! I feel like they're trying to screw me. I looked this part online and found it at around $300 which would be reasonable for rack and pinion from my past experience with Mazda and Toyota parts. Also, could the PS fluid leak from the reservoir tank be caused by a bad R&P? I never felt or heard any symptom or indication that my rack and pinion was bad or going bad. Mainly took it in for the broken boot. The dealer is Trebol Motors in San Juan, PR and I'm going over to see them tomorrow. So far my experience had been good up to now. Do you think they're trying to screw me? Ben
02' Forester rack and pinion
Feb 14, 2008
1 Replies
My first question is "what exactly does busted mean?".
This could be as simple as
1) rack end seals are leaking. Quite common and very simple to fix. 2) rack end bushes could be worn which is why the rack end seals are leaking. Again, simple to replace.- pinion bearings are worn and the rack to pinion preload is excessive. See #2.
Or as major as
3) The rack tube itself is cracked. This can happen if the vehicle has been severely mistreated (like in competition), but is very unlikely on a road going car.The new price may well be $1050, but this is a 7 year old vehicle, and there's any number of places that can supply an exchange unit. $300 sounds about reasonable, plus 2-3 hours labour. There's also wreckers.
So, yes, I'd say you probably are being screwed over. Resist!
SD
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