Power Steering Pump Failure - Tie Rods Need Replacement???

[Jon L]

One mechanic diagnosed my power steering failure, he also said that my "tie rods" needed to be replaced, I learned that there are two inner and two outer tie rods. He gave me a verbal estimate of $1500 to make the repair which is on the higher side if I indeed need these tie rods. Another mechanic informed me that the pump and tie rods are not connected. Has anyone else had a pump failure that also required the tie rods be replaced? Your cost experience? My car has 132,000 miles and so far both engine and transmission have had no problems. Thanks for all the help.

[SiennaDriver]

Originally Posted by Jon L

Has anyone else had a pump failure that also required the tie rods be replaced?

If your mechanic said a power steering pump failure caused the tie rods to fail -- I respectfully suggest you go elsewhere without a second thought.

FWIW, At 150k my steering has not required any parts, and regular alignments have called for only minor tweaking. Suspension sure has needed work, and they've been installing a lot of potholes around here over the years and designing them better all the time so one can't miss them! Let us know what another mechanic reports.

[Black Sunshine]

Jon,

The pump and tie-rods are both part of the steering system. Failure of one is completely unrelated to the other. Generally, one tie-rod will fail at a time. Some people like to replace them all at once. It is possible that the pump is bad and you have some tie-rods that are bad.

What kind of symptoms are you actually having? Pump failure could cause leaks, whining or grinding noises when turning the wheel, or just a very hard to turn wheel. Tie-rod failure can sneak up on you because it can get progressively worse over time. The tie-rods push and pull the wheels when you turn the steering wheels. When they begin to fail the wheels can vibrate because the tie-rods are no longer holding them tight. If a tie-rod fails completely and breaks the wheel will be free to flop around as it wants. For this reason tie-rod condition is a safety concern.

There are online estimators that can tell you the average cost for specific repairs to your model vehicle in your area. They can help you to determine if a shop is shooting straight. Regardless labor costs are high. As high as they are you certainly don't want to pay for services you don't need.

In my 2000 Sienna the first and only steering problem came at 190,000 miles. The steering rack failed. It's the part that pushes and pulls the tie-rods. It's powered by the pump and controlled directly by the steering wheel. I replaced it and it came with brand new tie-rods already attached. My original tie-rods were still in usable condition. Because of how long my original tie-rods and ball-joints have lasted I won't replace them with anything but Toyota parts.

If the vehicle still gets around OK try getting second opinions. Get an estimate at a top quality shop reputed for honesty. Sometimes they will save you more in the long run even if their labor rates are higher.