Hi guys!

My sister has 07 Civic and she told me that when she turns left there is cracking and grinding noise coming from somewhere under the hood. During last oil change at honda dealer they said that apparently her right axle boot was open/dry and needed replacement. Quoted her about $410 for the job.

I was wondering if she just keeps driving with same supposedly broken part -
1. will it completely fail someday soon and possibly get her into accident or something?
2. Is it safe to drive at all with broken axle shaft?
3. How hard is it to change this part? I wonder if taking to non dealer for cheaper labor is good idea or is it best for dealer to do this?

Here's the part # they said need to be replaced: 44305-SNE-A01

 

The answers to these questions are:
1) Yes, and spectacularly I might add.
2) No, the axle shaft is the means of transferring power to the wheels to move the car, with a broken shaft you are doing damage to the critical driveline components that the shaft interacts with.
3) without the proper tools and training, you will damage more parts trying to remove the hub and brake assemblies and possibly bend your control arm when separating the ball joints to get the shaft clear of the hub. Take it to a certified garage or a dealer mechanic and have it done right. A wheel alignment is usually required after suspension components have been removed or adjusted. Use the OE parts listed in that number to maintain reliability.