make inner tie rod ends replaceable

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coleafrado said:
gncndad said:
coleafrado said:
The car spent its first 7 or 8 years in Maryland and has been in CO about a year - nothing crazy when it comes to salt exposure. I drove it cross-country from NY over a week during the summer. Shocks and suspension don't look like they've ever been maintained.

What are you thinking needs to be done to "maintain" shocks and suspension? Do you mean replaced?
How many miles on your Leaf?

85k miles. The shocks were a bit creaky after I drove it to CO.

As for the repair, Nissan's saying the left side control arm, wheel bearing and strut all need replacement at a cost of $1500. Another $350 or so for the right side strut, and that's before any parts that might have failed around the steering rack.

Mechanics like to impress you by throwing out expensive sounding terms for a repair. A control arm really never needs to be replaced.... It does not have any moving parts. A new control arm (does not have to be Nissan, can be other brands) can be $50-$100. Even if the rubber or ball joint parts are bad, you only replace the bad part. A wheel bearing is taking off the wheel and parts and pressing in a new $20 bearing.

If a strut is bad, (due to leaking or damage) you reuse old springs and put in a new $100-150 strut. Yes it is a good idea to replace in pairs (total cost - $300-400). All this stuff is cheap and part of maintenance on ANY CAR>>>>>> Even if all this is true.... It is not a reason to sell your car... Sounds like they want to take your car and buy it for $200
 
^^^agreed. Control arm BUSHINGS fail, depending on the make, anywhere from 70-80k miles. (VW/AUdi bushings, for instance). VAG owners are frequently told to replace the entire control arm, rather than the slightly more labor intensive pressing out/replacing the offending failed bushing.

In my 48 years of car ownership, "creaky shocks" were usually creaky bushings, OR more likely, control arm bushings (notorious with VW/Audis). Sometimes a shot of appropriate lube will prolong the life of the bushing, unless it's cracked. (ditto for anti-swaybar bushings.)

I'm not sure coleafredo is getting the best advice from his dealership...
 
Thanks for the advice all! I'm going to go look at the car myself and see if it's worth the $150 tow to another shop for a better estimate.

Their bill is now up to $2000, not even including the alignment, parts to be replaced are this:

6 hours of labor at $150/hr
https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts/nissan-hub-assy-road-w~40202-1ka0a.html : $250
Strut kits for both sides: $330 total
https://nissangenuine.com/nissan/nissan-link-compl-tran-545011jy0a /: they want $300 for this!

So it looks to me as if they want to replace the entire suspension hub/knuckle instead of just the bearing? Strange choices from this Nissan...
 
Before you go for the repair with original nissan parts, try searching with the part numbers for other brands... I have had good results with AC DELCO and some others.

Try searching on Rockauto.com

here:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,2013,leaf,electric,1505865,suspension
 
The real issue is apparently that the lower control arm ball joint completely separated. There's no need for an immediate replacement of the wheel bearing or strut, so the repair cost including an alignment is down to a manageable $760. Thanks all!
 
coleafrado said:
The real issue is apparently that the lower control arm ball joint completely separated. There's no need for an immediate replacement of the wheel bearing or strut, so the repair cost including an alignment is down to a manageable $760. Thanks all!

A ball joint replacement should NOT cost $800.... Be smart!!
 
powersurge said:
coleafrado said:
The real issue is apparently that the lower control arm ball joint completely separated. There's no need for an immediate replacement of the wheel bearing or strut, so the repair cost including an alignment is down to a manageable $760. Thanks all!

A ball joint replacement should NOT cost $800.... Be smart!!


Yes, this is more like a $350 repair.
 
LeftieBiker said:
powersurge said:
coleafrado said:
The real issue is apparently that the lower control arm ball joint completely separated. There's no need for an immediate replacement of the wheel bearing or strut, so the repair cost including an alignment is down to a manageable $760. Thanks all!

A ball joint replacement should NOT cost $800.... Be smart!!

Yes, this is more like a $350 repair.

If the car was already in the shop, and didn't need an alignment, and I had the option of buying a cheaper non-OEM part... maybe it'd come to $450. The ball joints on these suspensions are integral to the lower control arm, so they don't do manual replacements or refittings, and the whole disassembly+reassembly process is about 3 hours of labor. Cheapest I can find the part is about $100 for a no-name set on Amazon, and at $100-150/hr labor, that's still basically $600 after tax.

The car is currently in Nissan's lot, and if I wanted to move it to a cheaper shop, it'd be another $100-200 for a tow truck. What they're asking is close enough to my expectation that it's not worth the time to haggle out another $50 or spend an hour moving the car around to maybe save $100 overall.
 
The latest unfortunate news is that the left axle's "bearing box" is wrecked - another $450 of labor to swap the axle, plus "$850" for a Nissan OEM axle. At least I can find SurTrack replacements online for about $60... now to find a seller that's a little less fearful than RockAuto of Boulder's sales tax laws. (edit: CARiD had and shipped it)
 
SOOOOOO....you're in the Boulder vicinity. You might want to create a new thread, asking this forum for assistance finding an indie shop in BOULDER.
I'm with leftie...every time you post, I cringe that your dealership service dept. seems a bit shady. Normally, I'm all for supporting dealership service departments (GOOD ONES!), because without them, they can't stay in business.

Good luck as you work through this. If I were nearby, I'd offer to help.
 
There are plenty of good shops in Boulder that can this sort of work. I do all my own maintenance so I'm probably not the right person to ask but PM me if you want and I'll give you recommendations - that are probably 20 years out-dated....
 
Why does he need a tow? Is the car not rolling? I would take that car out of there so fast!! I would come with an Autozone tow strap and drag that sucker out of there and give them the finger.

They are trying to bleed him like a pig.

I did that once when I brought a car to a chevy dealer and they took my engine apart without first giving me a price.... I told them to put all the parts in the trunk and GOODBYE,,, Did the head gasket for 1/4 the price.
 
coleafrado said:
My 2012 just had a front suspension failure going over a bump at 5mph - whatever part it was that held the wheel from swaying front-to-back, it's broken, and so is the shock and its mount. They quoted $150 parts plus $850 labor for replacing the shocks (rusty bolts) a few months ago, but it seems like more might be broken/bent now.

Already had it towed to the local dealer; any guesses as to how much this full repair will cost?

Based on coleafrado's original post, the car isn't operable.

powersurge: your rant might have value, but not in this case. Coleafrado has it figured out to his satisfaction. He's already totally aware he's getting burned.

coleafrado: depending on your negotiating ability, and your ability to remain calm, I would talk directly with the service manager/director about your situation. You are equipped to talk to him about the "real" cost of the parts, and the labor involved.

IF you are in a region with limited Leaf techs, you might very well need this dealership's service in the future. I like to keep a healthy relationship with a dealership, if they're willing to talk candidly about need/cost for repairs. Speaking with the service manager is like speaking with the manager of a restaurant when you get poor service from the host/server. Good managers WANT TO KNOW!

A good service director/manager will be interested in working WITH you, and might get involved in the process, to win your trust. I've been in your position, and luckily (!) the service director adjusted the cost of the repair for me.
 
gncndad said:
powersurge: your rant might have value, but not in this case. Coleafrado has it figured out to his satisfaction. He's already totally aware he's getting burned.

coleafrado: depending on your negotiating ability, and your ability to remain calm, I would talk directly with the service manager/director about your situation. You are equipped to talk to him about the "real" cost of the parts, and the labor involved.

Just to Clarify, I did not do a "RANT" I was reinforcing my consumer experience and giving my ideas about what the user should be aware of his rights.

Just like YOUR advice to "negotiate" My advice is how to play "hardball" when there are no more negotiations present.

The user should have the right to take his property out of any business at will, especially when they are (actually offering their suggestions of what should be done) giving a price tag of $2000, when the true cost would be under $500. That alone is worth another tow.

Also, the suggestion take a reaming because they should want to "keep a good relationship open for future repairs" is ludicrous. Each negotiation is independent, and they are not going to take it personal if the customer drives right out of there after a high estimate. They will respect the owner for their decision.
 
powersurge said:
Why does he need a tow? Is the car not rolling? I would take that car out of there so fast!! I would come with an Autozone tow strap and drag that sucker out of there and give them the finger.

They are trying to bleed him like a pig.

I did that once when I brought a car to a chevy dealer and they took my engine apart without first giving me a price.... I told them to put all the parts in the trunk and GOODBYE,,, Did the head gasket for 1/4 the price.

I don't think of "...give them the finger..." as "playing hardball." Taking your parts away and saying, "GOODBYE" is not "playing hardball." They really don't care if you leave, especially if you're angry, as they've got customers lined up behind you. I watched my father do this for decades, and he ended up a very bitter, angry person, who rarely got what he was entitled to, because of his use of "the finger", and storming away angrily.

The front line (service adviser) of the dealership service department doesn't care. Mgmt (if they're good) DOES care, and frequently needs to be made aware of customer dissatisfaction. I've watched, and have been responsible for, SAs getting fired when they displayed incompetence, and an unwillingness to satisfy the reasonable customer.

IF MGMT is dismissive, then I walk, after making it very clear to them that I won't be back. I recently dumped 2 Ford products for exactly this reason. Ford is a sinking ship with serious electronic issues in their cars.

Negotiating is never easy. Remaining calm in the face of conflict, and incompetence, has to be learned.
 
Thanks again for the advice, all. I've been extraordinarily busy with job applications and haven't had time to respond.

It's possible the broken axle is my fault. I remember asking the tow truck driver to put the car into park (rather than neutral) after he lifted it onto his truck. With the control arm being broken, and the car having been deposited nose-first onto a not-quite-level spot at the dealer, it's entirely possible that the weight of the car on the axle (and motor lock) during the tow and drop-off snapped the axle. Lesson learned for me - get to a shop, or at least a parking space, as soon as you hear funny noises from the suspension.

Here's the current service schedule:

- Lower control arm replacement ($325 labor) and parts ($250, could have been $100 aftermarket) (finished - they had to do this in the parking space as suspension was inoperable)
- Driver side axle removal and replacement ($400 labor) and parts ($80, could have been $850 if I went OEM) (waiting on UPS)
- Steering alignment ($150) (waiting on axle)
- Total with tax: ~$1300.

There's a pretty good chance my battery drops a fourth bar in the next month or two, so I'm holding out for the slight possibility I may get a discounted replacement battery. This has been one of the most forthright dealerships I've been to - nothing at all shady about them, IMO. I've had no complains before and I don't see myself complaining about this repair.

My options for "optimizing cost" amount to a potential $150 savings on parts and maybe $200-300 savings on labor, minus $150-200 cost for a tow. AAA only covers tows to repair shops, not between them. It would be nice to have mechanics for $50/hr around here, but that's just not the reality. The best I could have possibly done is maybe $850 total. $500 just isn't possible unless I do the work myself or buy rusty parts from eBay.

Consider that I was variously quoted circa $3500 for struts & axle & control arm replacements and an alignment. (The struts are fine right now, but I'll replace them in a month or so when I have free time.)
 
gncndad said:
powersurge said:
Why does he need a tow? Is the car not rolling? I would take that car out of there so fast!! I would come with an Autozone tow strap and drag that sucker out of there and give them the finger.

They are trying to bleed him like a pig.

I did that once when I brought a car to a chevy dealer and they took my engine apart without first giving me a price.... I told them to put all the parts in the trunk and GOODBYE,,, Did the head gasket for 1/4 the price.

I don't think of "...give them the finger..." as "playing hardball." Taking your parts away and saying, "GOODBYE" is not "playing hardball." They really don't care if you leave, especially if you're angry, as they've got customers lined up behind you. I watched my father do this for decades, and he ended up a very bitter, angry person, who rarely got what he was entitled to, because of his use of "the finger", and storming away angrily.

The front line (service adviser) of the dealership service department doesn't care. Mgmt (if they're good) DOES care, and frequently needs to be made aware of customer dissatisfaction. I've watched, and have been responsible for, SAs getting fired when they displayed incompetence, and an unwillingness to satisfy the reasonable customer.

IF MGMT is dismissive, then I walk, after making it very clear to them that I won't be back. I recently dumped 2 Ford products for exactly this reason. Ford is a sinking ship with serious electronic issues in their cars.

Negotiating is never easy. Remaining calm in the face of conflict, and incompetence, has to be learned.

My friend, I want you to stop playing a game of tennis with me. Your interpretations of my statements are petty, and show your ignorance of the use of language to make a point..... The original poster does not need you to defend his delicate sensibilities, and he must be laughing at the circus that his simple questions have generated.

I am in no way "angry" or "bitter" and your constant trying to pick apart my posts shows your need to massage some ill-founded ego need.... Stop it.. If you want to see bitter, go suck a lemon.,
 
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