My very reliable 1999 Ford Contour SE (front-wheel drive) has taken a turn for the worse this week! It started out with a bad tire, then a wire, plugs, serpentine belt, all at once. When the tire blew, I took it to a reliable mechanic in town (recommended by several people) and he told me that the tire rod ends need to be replaced soon but I can wait a few weeks until payday. The next day it wouldn't start properly, so I took it to the mechanic that services all my employer's vehicles. He fixed everything (fuel and air filters, new plugs, a bad wire, and a bad belt) but told me that when I go home next week (I'm away at college) I should have one of the wheel bearings replaced. I have 117,000 miles on my car, and until now, I have not needed any big repairs. I know the filters and that are just a matter of maintenance, but are the tire rod ends and bad wheel bearing a sign of a bigger problem with my axles or something? Any estimates on cost to fix it?
2007-12-10 03:50:03 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
BTW, the second mechanic did not mention the tire rod ends at all. Should I get another opinion on them?
2007-12-10 03:52:53 · update #1
These are parts that will wear out, and in all but the most extreme cases are not related or caused by any other "larger" problems. All are considered routine maintenance. It is best to replace all steering/suspension items at once, or you will have to pay for an alignment after each item is replaced. An alignment usually runs $50-$100. Wheel bearing runs $200-$500 ( depending on amount of labor involved) tie rod ends run $70-$150 each. All prices are for parts and labor. Please replace as soon as possible, because I've seen some bad accidents caused by a tie rod end falling apart and the driver not being able to control the car, and a wheel bearing falling apart and the driver loosing the tire and wheel.
2007-12-10 04:48:07 · answer #1 · answered by sonnie_b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The worst thing is that the TIE (not tire) rod comes loose and the car goes skittering across the center line for a head on collision. Or it could head for the ditch and roll over. At any rate if it does fail you'll have no control as the wheels will go whichever way they want. The tie rods are the connection between your steering wheel and your front wheels. Get it fixed.
2016-04-08 05:53:35 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well this is just a matter wear and tear simply. The mechanic that replaced all the vital parts to get car running was right... 117K is higher mileage. This is time that parts are going to start failing. Tie rods and a wheel bearings are parts that go through a lot of wear and tear. It is just a rule of car that when things fail it happens all at once.. This is just vehicle maintenance. The other mechanic that didn't tell you about the tie rod probably didn't do a thorough inspection. Remember it is always best to stay with one mechanic. I would go with the first one.. He already has a history with your car.
Good Luck
2007-12-10 04:07:33 · answer #3 · answered by inkncraig 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Parts wear out. It is a very common thing. You should get your tie-rods done asap, because if those fail, you won't be able to steer. tie-rods for that cars will run between 30 and 60 dollars a peace, and they are cheap to put in. Wheel bearing are more expensive, as your entire wheel hub would need to be repalced and your probably lokking at 400 bucks. Generally, these are not related to other part failures, just wear and tear and abuse. Plus you will need an alignment for the tie-rods and the proce varies from shop to shop, we charge 59.99 for a 4-wheel alignment.
2007-12-10 03:59:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen tie rod ends wear out, and ruin wheel bearings, and I've seen wheel bearings wear out and ruin tie rods ends. It's probably be best to have both the wheel bearing and the tie rod replaced. Having the tie rod end replaced WILL require you to have the car aligned. Get a second opinion from someone who actually sees the car because without seeing it, it's real hard to judge which part (or both) could be bad.
2007-12-10 04:10:24 · answer #5 · answered by Dave 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is not an uncommon problem. A symptom of this problem may be that your call is pulling in on direction or another and causing uneven tread wear. You can probably skip fixing it but you will go through tires quicker. If you don't fix it make sure and rotate the tires with every oil change.
2007-12-10 03:59:20 · answer #6 · answered by NickG 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These parts do wear out. Have the work done and the mechanic can also check for excessive wear on the other steering parts at the same time.
2007-12-10 03:54:24 · answer #7 · answered by Jody D 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
BTW, it is tie rod, I believe.
2007-12-10 03:59:15 · answer #8 · answered by The Oracle of Omigod 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋