Front Struts mount/inner tie rods

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Car Talk Guys and Cmmunity,

I recently heard a sort of clunking noise when the wheel is turn all the way to either side, going slowly, and pressing the brake. I took the car in and the guys told me it was something call the front struts and mounts. Plus, that I needed to replace the inner tie rods (described as a joint). The cost was crazy high, at around $1300 (plus the alignment). The car is a Hyundai Elantra year 2007, with an 87,000 miles.

My question is, in the event that this is not covered by the warranty, how pressing is the issue? Obviously, any issue can become pressing if left uncheck or exacerbated my another issue. But, if the noise I hear is minor, is it going to do lasting damage to the car if not corrected in the next month?

Thanks

2

Is the noise made while turning the wheel or only when you get to the limit of the steering wheel? If only at the end, it is normal. If it is occurring while turning the wheel, it can simply be the tires slipping on the pavement, especially if you have wide, low profile, high grip tires. Try this on dirt or grass and see if it still happens. My initial thoughts are that this car is too new to need these repairs.

3

Sounds more like a half shaft’s CV joint to me…
If it is indeed the struts and inner/outer tie rods, $1300 seems very expensive.
Tie rods can separate, causing your wheel to not follow where you are pointing it. Not good. Struts cause the car to bounce all over the place when you hit a bump and affect handling, which is not good.

This isn’t pepboys, is it?

4

I may have mis-interpreted “wheel is turn”, did you mean turning or turned. If turned “all the way” that can be normal or it could be the outer CV joints as RemcoW stated, which should be covered under the powertrain warranty.

5

First of all, on a car that has been in service for at least 5 years, this is not a warranty issue.

I agree with Remco that the noise is likely to be the result of worn CV joints. It is possible that the struts and tie rods are also involved, but I think that this is much less likely than a CV joint problem.

However, because that estimate seems very high, I strongly suggest that you take the car to another mechanic for evaluation. Don’t tell him anything about the prior diagnosis. Just describe the symptoms, and allow him to provide his diagnosis. More than likely, the estimate will be far lower.

How pressing is the issue?
If the problem relates to the CV joints, it is not that pressing, as long as you don’t mind being stranded if a CV joint breaks.

However, if there is indeed a tie rod issue, that IS a safety issue–at least in my mind.
But, if you don’t consider a total loss of the ability to steer the car to be a problem, then a possible tie rod issue may not be a major issue for you. I don’t know what your tolerance for loss of steering control may be.

(Translation: You need a new mechanic to diagnose the problem.
But–DO NOT go to Midas, Meineke, Monro, Sears, Pep Boys, AAMCO or any other chain unless you want a diagnosis that includes replacing most of the parts of your car. Look for a well-reputed independent mechanic in your area.)

And, as keith requested, can you please clarify “wheel is turn”?
When someone uses non-standard English, it is difficult to know exactly what they are trying to tell us.

6

Hyundai has a 10 year, 100,000 mile power train warranty so CV joints would be covered.

7

“Hyundai has a 10 year, 100,000 mile power train warranty so CV joints would be covered.”

That is true if the OP is the original purchaser of the car when it was new.
For subsequent owners, Hyundai cuts the coverage in half, IIRC.

8

I think they’d have said it was the CV joint or the half shaft if that’s what they thought it was. Assuming your shop has the correct diagnois, I think $1300 is maybe a little on the high side. Unless it the problem in on all four wheels or by “mounts” they mean it needs new engine mounts, in which case $1300 sounds reasonable . There’s no harm in shopping around for a less expensive shop of course.

The classic symptom of a bad CV joint (or half shaft) is a clicking noise when accelerating and simultaneously turning from a dead stop. Like when you are accelerating and turning right after a stop sign. If you don’t have that symptom, I’d guess this isn’t the CV joint.

I agree that these problems-- whatever they are caused by – wouldn’t be expected at 87K unless you have a lot of potholes in your roads. Rapid accelerations and stops and fast cornering over time can cause this, but it would be unusual at 87K in most cars. That’s curious.

It’s not possible to tell over the internet how long you can wait. You need to have someone experienced looking at the car on a lift to know.