Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Branches New England Stealerships at it again...

So here's the story.

I bought my mystique last year in the end of June, the very next day the alt. is dead. I bought it privately and didn't bother talking to the seller about it. But anyways I tried like hell to get it out using a Haynes manual but to no avail. (This was before I found CEG). So I brought it to the local Ford dealer. $700 or so later I have it back and it runs fine till yesterday morning... Won't Start. After clearing all the snow off of it and jumping it I check the voltage at the battery and it's running at 6.75 volts. I think Oh Sh.. Bad Alt again. I charge it up overnight and call the dealer this am and it's just under the 12,000 mile warranty so I think GREAT this one's on them. I drop it off and about 2 hrs later get a call "The nut on the axle was seized and it pulled the threads off, so you'll need a new axle." He quoted me about $200 for the axle but there's no labor charge. Well I freaked because at this moment I really couldn't afford that. So I called around and found that NAPA can get me an axle today, for about $66. Can you believe that? $130 mark up. How do you spell RIP OFF

its sad yes, whats worse is the axle doesn't need to come out to get the alternator out. I good mechanic would know the tricks and realize you don't need to pull the y-pipe, axle, what ever nonsense to get the alternator out.

at least you were under the warrenty

Yah, So it's still gonna cost me $75 or so because the mech. was doing it the hard way. At least I shouldn't have to worry about replacing that side axle for a long time. It just really pisses me off that they would try to jack the price up that far. I wouldn't have thought twice if they had told me it was around $100 or so.

Problem is that the axle you are gettin from NAPA for $66 is almost definitely a remanufactured axle.

Remanufactured are a risky thing. Some have had no problems, others say they get heavy vibrations from the front end at certain speeds because they are not balanced correctly.

It's not a risk I was ever willing to take so I buy new GCK axles with a lifetime warranty from AutoZone. $121 shipped.

i would try to stress to the dealer that the tech had no reason to pull the axle.
and you feel that you shouldnt have to pay for any of it because he decided to pull the axle for some strange reason.

The quote I was given was for "an aftermarket part". I was also quoted over 300 for the Ford original. And yes I was considering printing off the How To and asking why he was taking out the axle in the first place.