CV Boot

Took my Ridge in today for it's first service and the service manager called me back to tell me that one of the CV Boots was damaged. She said it was something that couldn't be covered under warranty and would be $221 to have replaced. I'm getting it done because I want the Ridge to last me a long time, but just wanted to find out if anyone else has had problems with the CV Boots getting damaged. I only have 6028 miles on it, no offroading, mainly highway miles. I've looke it up online, so I now know why it's important, but just want to be sure I'm not being taken for a ride.

Edited to add - I've requested to see the old cv boot so I can see what kind of damage there was.

Thanks,
Stephanie

From a CV boot manufacturer...

"HEAT is the number one cause of boot failure! That heat, transmitted along a front wheel driveaxle from either;
(1) malfunctioning or stuck brake pads,
(2) worn wheel bearings, or
(3) internal transmission problems,
can cause a C.V. boot to weaken and easily tear. An exposed c.v. joint will quickly gather road debris and ultimately fail. "


I would take a look at it to try and determine why if failed.

BeastOwner,

I would call Honda Automobile Customer Service. Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time. (800) 999-1009. 6028 mostly highway miles, is no reason for a CV Boot to fail! I think most here would agree.

TL

I doubt if you have enough miles on to damage the boot unless its road debris. Call Honda.

I suppose a boot could be physically damaged by rocks or road debris, or by running into something, and if so, that would not be a warranty issue.

Hmm. Do they have to pull the axle to install a new boot? That's a lot of labor, I would think, more than $200??

Anyway, they should have explained why they wouldn't cover the boot. Given what you know now, it could have been defective since the beginning. I'd mark this as strike one against this dealer. Though you oughta have asked more questions too. Chalk it off to experience and don't sweat the small stuff.

Why not ask the dealer for a "Goodwill" free repair?

If not call Honda and they *should* cover it for you.

Also try going to another dealer.....


Hope everything works out!

TL

Yeap...happened to me once. It was a piece of wood on the road that hit the undercarriage of the car and broke the boot. Otherwise, these could last well into the 100M's miles.

Thanks everyone. Turns out the dealer didn't have the right part in stock, so I will have to take it back. I called honda and opened a ticket, so that there would be a record of it in case more cv boots start going bad on people and being easily damaged. The rep I spoke with said she would put in a request to the dealer for the repair to be covered, but she also said not to expect too much. I'm getting it repaired, but it just really chaps my hide that I need to put additional money into a practically brand new vehicle.

Ask them what the warranty is on the new boot. If you are within that time frame on your vehicle you just might have a case to consider.

I wouldn't think that a CV Boot would be a 'wear and tear' item unless it had obvious damage to it caused by something like climbing over downed trees.
Now, I wouldn't expect a dealer to replace wiper blades, tires, etc.-they're designed to wear out. A CV boot is not. There is just as good of an argument that it was defective from day one and failed as that something happened to it in your 6,000 miles.
I'm not one to whine and complain and try to get free stuff I don't deserve, but I think I would fight pretty hard on that one-a CV Boot shouldn't fail without major trauma in 6,000 miles.

Be grumpy.

Either there was debris or the boot was defective. If the boot is still on your RL, take a look at it. What does the damage look like?

The boot is still cover by the power train warrenty.

I would get a second opinion !

I have 100K plus on a F150 that goes off road, no torn boot..........

I smell fish

If the boot is torn there is only two ways I can think of for its condition;

1) You hit some something in the roadway that struck the boot sharply
2) During shipment of the vehicle to the dealer, the tie downs holding the Ridgeline down on the shipping vehicle, were placed in contact with the boot and when drawn down torn into the boot.

I have seen #2 happen more than once due to an indivdual either not knowing the proper way to tie the vehicle down or just not caring when they were placing tie downs.

Still should be covered..........

I've had my RL for exactly 2 months and found a leak in the front driver cv boot. I managed to find the leak before bringing it to the dealer so I knew what I was dealing with. I only noticed it because of all the grease there. The hole wasn't between the lobes where a real leak would occur so I knew it was a defect and should be under warranty. I've got 2.6k on my RL, and the dealer's fixing it under warranty. They didn't have the boot in stock last thursday, and I had to bring it in today. They've called me and said it's fixed, it took about 2.5 hrs or so.

I also got the tailgate fixed too, it was hard to open.

WOW BlueRidge I had the exact same thing with me awhile back. I was doing my oil change and I noticed all the excess grease and realized it was comming from my passengerside front half-shaft. I believe it turned out to be a lose clip on my CV boot but honda fixed it under a good will service. In the same service I Had the tailgate fixed because it was very difficult to pull down. All better now no leaks and tailgate can be lowered with one finger! :)

~Anthony

PS I would def tell them other Ridgeline owners have had problems and the dealer fixed them under good will. This is after all a brand new 30k vehicle.

On the left side, my upper boot had NO upper retaining ring. Theory is that it came from the factory like that. I had a minor fire under my RL in a pasture that melted all my lower rubber on the left side. Had nothing to do with the upper boot. My dealer that repaired the fire melts didn't even point out the upper boot problem. The guys at my mod shop that installed the lift kit pointed it out to me, followed by the alignment shop and then my local garage that does my oil changes and the like. Impossible to miss.
Anyway, I sense a pattern here with the CV Boots!

I realized they didn't clean the grease out from inside the tires when they replaced the cv boot, that'll be my weekend chore, take my tire off and clean the insides, it looks really dirty.... :(

any tips on what to use to clean get the grease off nice and easy?

I realized they didn't clean the grease out from inside the tires when they replaced the cv boot, that'll be my weekend chore, take my tire off and clean the insides, it looks really dirty.... :(

any tips on what to use to clean get the grease off nice and easy?

Simple Green

I'll give it a shot, thanks :)

Just got the same news during my 59,000 mile regular A1 service. Passenger side has some grease on the axle and the driver side looks dirty like it may be seeping also. Dealer quote to replace is $217 each (takes about 1 1/2 hours each side). This time we just wiped it down and will monitor for next oil change if it is still leaking, or how badly. No tear noticed in the boot. Dealer didn't have parts to do today anyway.

Anyone have a guess as to what it will look like next time I go in for service? I can't imagine it stopping leaking by itself. My bet is I'm looking at a $450 repair for both boots...

Both of my front "inner" (near the transmission) boots were leaking (area on the axle shaft). Delaer replaced both under warranty. I only had 30K miles on the truck.

I noticed the new boots are thicker rubber and the area on the axle seems to be beefier too.

They did not change the axle just cleaned the joint and regreased them with a new boot.

JoeyO

Hi everyone unless you saw the boot ripe the c.v. joint is trashed

I'm getting my front passenger side inner boot replaced tomorrow. It was seeping from the clamp closet to the tire. They tightened the clamp to stop/slow the leaking and ordered the parts... A month later their fix was no longer working... Perfect timing as the repair requires a front alignment and I could use an alignment for the new rims/tires.

I just had the same conversation with Honda customer service on my 2006 with 38k miles. In a routine service appointment, it was determined that both CV boots were cracked and need replacement: ~$650, mostly labor, here in Hawaii.

Honda's position: too bad, it's out of the bumper-to-bumper warranty and, so they claim, the problem is not so far-reaching as to warrant a recall. Seems fairly common to me!

I just had the same conversation with Honda customer service on my 2006 with 38k miles. In a routine service appointment, it was determined that both CV boots were cracked and need replacement: ~$650, mostly labor, here in Hawaii.

Honda's position: too bad, it's out of the bumper-to-bumper warranty and, so they claim, the problem is not so far-reaching as to warrant a recall. Seems fairly common to me!

You got burned bad... It is covered under the power train warranty... Go back and demand your money.

I'm getting my front passenger side inner boot replaced tomorrow. It was seeping from the clamp closet to the tire. They tightened the clamp to stop/slow the leaking and ordered the parts... A month later their fix was no longer working... Perfect timing as the repair requires a front alignment and I could use an alignment for the new rims/tires.

You don't have to get an alignment if you have CV boot service done as you don't have to remove any adjustable parts of the suspension.

I'll bet I've done close to a hundred CV joints/boots in my life and have never had to realign one of the cars regardless of make or model unless the vehicle needed an alignment for other reasons.

Someone is eyeballing your wallet! :eek:

You don't have to get an alignment if you have CV boot service done as you don't have to remove any adjustable parts of the suspension.

I'll bet I've done close to a hundred CV joints/boots in my life and have never had to realign one of the cars regardless of make or model unless the vehicle needed an alignment for other reasons.

Someone is eyeballing your wallet! :eek:

They do a toe... and they picked up the tab and reduced the cost of the alignment, which I needed anyway as it has been over 4 years and I have had two new sets of rims an tires installed.

Two of the 4 wheels were out of whack in more ways than one.