aloha! i was told it would cost me $1870 to get a rear axle replacement. i have a 2006 toyota sequoia with mileage of 80,000. it

ANSWER : Aloha. Ah – the infamous "it’s all gone" excuse. To be quite blunt, you’re being ripped off. If a professional mechanic can’t explain what exactly is damaged with any mechanical component, they are taking advantage of you. I would get your car back and contact a different mechanic. Or, feel free to send us some information about the symptoms your car is experiencing that led you to take the car to the mechanic in the first place. Maybe we can help diagnose your issue and allow you to bring that info to a different mechanic. Mahalo.

ANSWER : The axle seals are pressed into the transaxle case and their purpose is simply to keep the transmission fluid from leaking out of the transmission (and keep dirt and water out of the transmission, too, of course). There is an axle seal on the left and a seal on the right, so two altogether. The seals themselves are very inexpensive, typically costing anywhere from $5 to $25, depending on whether you buy them on Ebay or the dealer (genuine OEM dealer parts are recommended). Although the sealing surface on the seal is made of rubber, it would be unusual for these seals to have failed, that is leaked, on a 4 year old car with only 79,000 miles. It would be even more unusual, indeed statistically improbable, for BOTH (left and right) seals to have failed at the same time. So, your case presents as a bit of a mystery. Failure of seals of this type will evidence themselves as an external leak of transmission fluid and there will be clear, visible, unmistakable evidence of the leak, if they are leaking. What you could have done at the Honda dealer, once they alleged a seal failure, was told the Mechanic, "show me", "show me the leak". If they won’t, or can’t, show you externally visible evidence of a leak then, quite simply, you don’t have a leak. Sometimes, by the way, to deal with an unexpected question like, "show me", they’ll tell you they can’t "due to insurance regulations" preventing you from entering the shop. "Insurance regulations", translated into English, means that there’s no leak on your car.

A leak of this type, if it exists, is important though and has to be fixed so this should be resolved. You could go back to the dealer and simply ask them to show you the leak evidence, on your car, so that you can gain an understanding of exactly what is going on. If they do not indulge you immediately and show and explain everything to your satisfaction, you got your answer right there: that is not a professional shop out to help YOU and indeed you may not even have a leak. The point is to resolve this, you need to see the leak before you make a decision. YourMechanic can look at the vehicle and see if there is evidence of a leak. And, if you do have a leak, regarding the cost to install new seals, you might want to get a second opinion as well, again something YourMechanic can assist you with. As noted at the outset, the cost of these seals is frankly trivial. It is really the labor cost to get to those seals which is material. As you may know, YourMechanic dispatches mobile mechanics, who have the same (or better) certifications that the Mechanics in the shops have but almost none of the overhead. Consequently, for a seal replacement of this type, if it turns out that you need it, the savings might be substantial. As you explore your options, if you have further concerns or questions, by all means please feel free to recontact us.

ANSWER : Hello – your Tiguan is equipped with a Haldex torque-sensing system which directs power thru the differential to the axle (left/right) which has the best traction. Think of the differential as the reduction gears and axle(s) drive, and the Haldex as the mechanism which decides which axle drive to send power through. This is important because the Haldex, and the differential have different lubrication types, and a different lube maintenance schedule. If the differential was being serviced, but not the Haldex, this could be an issue. Which component failed – the Haldex, or the differential itself? The differential proper should be good for many more miles of service unless it was abused. The Haldex is more sensitive to maintenance. I recommend a discussion with the service center regarding your service history, and which component is actually now broken.

ANSWER : The speed sensor is important to all of the systems listed. The tire pressure system in your vehicle is a common basic type system. It uses the ABS sensor to measure the diameter of the tire. A tire with low air pressure will have a different diameter than a properly inflated tire, so the tire pressure light will come on. If the ABS system cannot read the speed of all 4 wheels, then the ABS system will not function. Without it, your brakes will function like normal non-abs equipped brakes. However, the abs system will not be able to "pump" the brakes 15 times per second as it is designed, possible resulting in loss of control on rain / snow-covered roads.

ANSWER : Hello – unfortunately, this is not a service YourMechanic offers at this time. This task is best handled by a collision repair estimator at a reputable paint and body shop. S/he is trained to evaluate visible and not-so-visible damage, and the costs to repair. Contact a reputable paint and body shop in your area for an estimate and repair.

ANSWER : Hi there. Former Toyota/Lexus master technician here. I can tell you from experience that using any kind of sealer is a literal "Band-Aid" that will not last and could damage internal engine components if some of it breaks loose into the crank case. Your Mechanic does not provide rear main oil seal service at this time, but I would definitely recommend pursuing a qualified technician that can perform the service properly with a quality seal. I suggest using a factory seal as this is a repair that no one want to do twice; the second time either party’s expense. Your Mechanic is here for many of your other service, diagnostic, and repair needs 7 days a week. Feel free to schedule your next service at www.yourmechanic.com.

ANSWER : Hi there. Unfortunately, rear main seal replacement is not among our service offerings. This job is best completed through a machine shop with the correct access to the right tools and shop equipment that makes this job much easier to complete.

ANSWER : Hello. Usually the entire axle is replaced when there is a serious failure with the differential or one of the axles. Usually a failure of this degree will render the vehicle undriveable or immobilized, or at the very least will produce noticeable symptoms. If there does not appear to be any leaks, or noises from the axle housing then I would ask the service adviser why he is recommending an axle replacement.