Does my 2001 Ford Taurus need axel replacement?

Dear Cartalk. Will you help me? Is axel replacement recommended if an axel boot is torn / missing and ‘throwing grease’? At my most recent oil change my long time Ford dealer recommended at a cost of $651 (includes $338 parts and labor at $110 per hour). They said it is not an immediate safety issue but they like to replace the axel as part of the job… The vehicle is one owner with only 73,000 miles. To date I have recently made repairs worth the down payment on another vehicle in the excess of $7,000 ($4,000 for transmission at 50k miles, etc.)

Yes, change it. Get a few quotes from independant mechanics in your area.$650 is way too much for that type of repair.Dealers are always more expensive because they use OEM parts and they charge $$$ for labor. Remanufactured axles is what I would install on a 17 year old vehicule.

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