tie rod ends

12/17/04
Hi,
Have a 2000 Elantra, 32,000 miles. Still under warranty. Went to local tire store which is part of a national chain to get four new tires. Asked Tech to check alignment. Tech comes back and tells me the front tie rod ends are worn and alignment cannot be checked. He tells me to go to dealer and get new tie rod ends. So I know he was not trying to sell me a $250 job because the car is still under warranty. Go home, jack up front of car and find there is some side to side play.Not sloppy but there is some play. Go to dealer and am told there is nothing wrong with tie rod ends. Go back home and jack up front of my 2002 Taurus with 68,000 miles and find no side to side play whatsoever.????????!
Any ideas?
Thanks

I seems to me you elantra needs new tie rod ends! I just changed mine, the front pass wheel moved about 1/2 inch either way. at first it wasnt that bad. i would notice a slight wobble when i braked or at certain speeds. I started noticing it more and more. Next at 40 mph - 50 mph if i maintained constant speed it would rattle and shake and vibrate the car esp. the steering wheel. I went to bumper to bumper auto parts ordered a new one for $33 and it works %100 better! No more slack! These are thing that need to be replaced every so often.. one thing to check.. are the rubber parts flattened out? if so if a very good possibibilty. If you want to know for shure. take off the wheel(s) that vibrate. wiggle the brake rotor back and forth. if the movement ends at the ball joint/tie rod it needs to be replaced. (if you dont know what they look like it is a bolt with a rubber grease seal connected to a shaft that turns the wheel.. it goes throught a ring connected the the wheel assembly.) Your dealer is trying to save a few bucks! GO BACK TO YOUR DEALER AND TELL THEM TWO PLACES SAID THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND DEMAND THEY REPLACE THEM!

Thanks fo your info. I have been having trouble with this dealer. Had them install new fuel pressure regulator because the original was leaking. Ever since I have had a rough idle. Told them about it and of course they see nothing wrong. Now the idle speed control is vibrating and causing wierd idle. One more thing to confront them with. I would think the dealer would be reinbursed by the factory for warranty work So what's the problem with the dealer? This dealer has gone from two or three stores to fifteen, twenty in a span of a few years.I know hyundai and others sell new cars cheap and then nail you with service.
You talked about $33.00 for parts. However. the manual I have makes the installation look pretty involved. I can do some things, but am a person of the '50's and '60's Will try this dealer once more and then go to another' If no luck, will call regional rep for hyundai. Don't know if that will help because they seem to work together
Thanks!

Its actually not that hard to change out, but you have to have certain tools.. The hardest part with mine was unscrewing the old tie rod end. it was stuck on riddiculously tight! it finally took some wd40 and a lot of elbow grease and a big scrape on my arm to get it off! Hardest part is the bar it attaches to turns freely when you try to unscrew it, so you have to hold it and turn the other, all craped up under the wheel well. But if its under warantee they HAVE to change it. Theyre just trying to be cheap. Make a big fuss remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease!