Steering rack failure - bummer!

So today my wife drove the truck to an appointment and the power steering died as soon as she parked the truck - or rather while she was parking. Fluid ran out as fast as I could add it when I arrived - so we had it towed to a garage very close by. Diagnosis is that the steering rack itself has rotted out - big hole - with only 165,000 miles on the truck too! $1500 to fix - $1900 including the alignment, oil change, fluid changes, inspection, etc. - I was due for an inspection and I was planning to get a full service at 160K - so getting it all done. Ouch. I replaced the air conditioning condenser myself a few weeks ago, but this I am letting Tom at Maffee's Garage tackle. Anyone else have this happen? What causes it? Salt on roads, or water in the power steering fluid? Fortunately, it's summertime and my wife is a teacher, so being down a car for a week won't be a huge problem.

 

Any reason why you didn't go with a used unit to save $1000+?

 

Hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure you're getting screwed. Post up the labor and parts prices. I'm sure I'm not the only one that's curious how they can justify that much.

 

$1900 is high, and this is coming from someone who paid that much to have the same work done at the dealership, I had my rack replaced when I had my frame replaced, I paid a "premium" for the convenience of having it all done in one shot, if I just needed the rack replaced I would have definitely shopped around. My mechanic would probably have done the same job for almost half that.

Just saw you live in NH, I lived up there for a couple years, dreaded my annual inspection as I always knew they would find something wrong with my cars, down in MA I am in an out in 10 minutes for my inspections.

 

Looking around the rack should cost about $400 new, right? So about $1000 in labor? Repairpal says $1043 to $1492, so I am at the high end, certainly. but, that was just an estimate as he had not ordered the part yet - and I am having other work done - inspection, fluids, etc. - I want him to give the truck a good once over. There is no trade in value any longer, so it looks like we are going to be keeping this truck for a long time. I am just really, really glad this did not happen when we were camping earlier this month - towing a boat and a trailer all over the state.

 

I just bought a rack for 250 on ebay, working well and was a fun job to do all by myself

 

Why no trade in value, is it a salvage title?

 

reman units are like $300, sounds like your getting taken for a ride

 

Not salvage. Just high mileage. KBB says $10.5 to $12.5k. Local dealer said straight to auction and $9k trade.

 

Last time I checked $9k wasn't nothing.

 

It is if he still owes $10K. LOL

 

True

 

not enough to make a dent in the price of a new truck - so better to keep this one!

 

Only 165,000 miles.

 

I paid $900 for mine and labor is not exactly check in my neck of the woods. I'd try a different shop. Good luck OP

 

Probably too late now, but if the racks rusted out, the frame must be too. The dealer will put in a new frame and probably install a new rack with you just having to pay for the rack and no charge for labor.

 

Yeah I argued with my dealership over this, still cost me $1900, as I posted before I had them do it simply out of convenience, yeah it sucked but it was only money, if I took it to another shop I would have been without my truck for a day our two which wouldn't work, and I had a loaner from the dealership.

 

Wow, that sucks. From what others have posted, I was under the impression that since they already had a part off for the frame swap, that it was no difference to them if they put on the old part or a new part.

 

Yeah thats what they told me before they started the frame replacement, then their story changed.

They also wanted to charge me $900 to replace my shocks, I laughed at them on that one.

 

That should tell you how bad they overcharged you for the rack.

It can be easily be done in a couple hours with no special tools.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/05-v6-tacoma-steering-rack-bushing-replacement.289436/