08 lgt spec b, 120k miles, dealer advises replacing steering rack

Just got the car a few months ago. Love it! Had a 03 LGT Spec B Etune III while living in Japan from 09-11, and this is almost as fun, just wish it was a wagon.

had it in to the dealer for oil change and alignment a few weeks ago, and they called me and told me they wanted to replace the steering rack and the whole exhaust system and wanted something like $4300 for all the parts and labor.

i've noticed a couple times of week in the mornings when it is cold outside that the power assisted steering at low speed seems to falter, as in a lot of effort is required to turn the wheel, but it's usually only for a second or two before it fixes itself. i've got no PS fluid leaking where I park that I can tell.

what constitutes a steering rack needing to be replaced based solely on the visual inspection the dealer did?

I'd ask them to walk over the identified failed/failing parts if I were you with a brief descriptive write-up and report back here on what they say.

If your power steering doesn't work for a short period of time (few seconds) I cannot see how that's related to a bad steering rack. I can only assume that maybe they identified some mechanical part that's binding?

It WOULD make sense if they were recommending that you replace your power steering (PS) pump.

Even a very small leak (one that does not produce a noticeable drip on the pavement) can affect your PS performance. You also have an under tray for the engine bay so if dripping, most likely it would hit the tray before the pavement. Inspect the PS hoses and see if anywhere on the lines they appear "wet". Wetness would indicate a possible leak and air getting into the system. Might be as simple as replacing O rings or a bad PS hose.

Other things to look at:
- Might want to also see if your accessory belt which drives the PS pump needs replacement
- Possibly try to flush the PS fluid.



Why are they recommending that you replace the entire exhaust system? Is the current one leaking? If so, do you know what section of the piping is leaking?

My trusted local mechanic replaced my rack for under $600.

Hope they give you a happy ending for that price.

The exhaust on these cars should last forever.

Hey it's a 03, why are you going to the stealership with it ?

any local repair can do the job for a lot less money.

Seems like a lot of money for the work. I agree, get an estimate written up and a visual before you drop that kind of coin.

$4300 is that a typo error?

thanks for the replies guys. no the $4300 wasn't a typo. that's what they wanted to replace the full factory catback exhaust system, and the steering rack and pinion assembly.

I agree with what was said about the pump likely being the issue. i've only had to replace a rack once, and it was on a car that was in an accident where a wheel hit a curb hard and bent the outer tie rod, and transfered some of the shock to the gear assembly of the rack, and wouldn't re-center itself automatically after turning.

This just happened to me. My pump is starting to leak and my steering rack is going bad. When turning the wheel left, I can hear a pop and the wheel hesitates/jerks. When driving, it feels pretty normal, but a little weird when you turn the wheel a good bit left. I start class again on Monday, and my plan was to take it in to get fixed on Friday. Do you think I will be fine driving it for a couple days, or should I leave it parked in the garage? Its kind of a hassle to borrow my dads car for the week, but If thats the safe thing to do, then I'll do that.