My wife’s 2007 Mazda3 is making a very slight clicking sound every while coming out of left turns. It’s somewhat intermittent, only happening every few turns. I did a quick visual inspection and noticed that there was grease around the CV boot. The problem started about five days ago (or at least the noise started appearing five days ago). Three weeks ago I had the struts replaced, so I’m wondering if they could have torn the boot while replacing the struts, or if they didn’t notice the issue.
Is the CV joint shot, considering this is only an intermittent sound, or is there something else that could be happening? Also, what is a typical repair cost for a CV joint (or half axle replacement) on a 2007 Mazda3?
It sounds like CV joint boots. I doubt you can prove that the mechanics ripped the boot while replacing your struts and that is not very likely anyway. but it is possible that they did. It is also very likely that the boots were OK at the time of the strut replacement and have torn since due to age. It does not take very long for the CV joint to get damaged after the boot is torn.
When one boot goes due to age, the others won’t be far behind so replacing both axles would be a good idea, although you can do them one at a time, there is no discount for doing both at the same time. I would expect that the repair would be somewhere between $3-400 per side.
You have three choices here:
New factory axles-most expensive, could run upwards of $6-700 per side.
Remanufactured Mazda axles-not very reliable but the cheapes way to go.
New aftermarket axles-cost only a little more than remans, almost as good as the new factory, my recommendation.
Talk to your mechanic and get quotes for each option, but honestly, I would avoid the remans.
I’m with Keith on this one, especially the recommendation of a new aftermarket halfshaft.
As to whether the mechanic tore the boot, I doubt it. There are countless opportunities for this to happen in normal driving. If the tear is in the fold, as they usually are, it’s normal wear & tear.
The final cost will vary by region, as much of it is labor. Shop around. You have the time to safely do so. Be sure they quote your for an aftermarket new axle if you agree with Keith and myself.
