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Power steering pump went out 10 months ago. Took it to Pep Boys where they replaced it.

Today, while driving, the power steering goes out again....

It was explained to me at Pep Boys that the power steering hose had leaked, broke the power steering pump and then screwed up the rack and pinion.

It will cost a lot of $$$ to fix.

They say the pump will be covered under warranty but not the rest...this doesn't sound right.

I believe they did something stupid to ruin the power steering hose when they were in there putting in the new pump. Never had anything else gone out in the engine compartment and the guys at Pep Boys were the only ones who'd accessed it. This doesn't seem random to me at all.

EDIT: the service adviser stated he talked to the technician and it was a seal that went out.

So, do power steering hoses just leak randomly like they are claiming? Or is there a reason to be suspicious?

What type of things may happen to a hose when the pump is replaced?

Ford Taurus 2004.

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    What is the make/model/year of the car? Also, what exactly happened to the hose to cause it to fail? Did the hose burst? Or did something just leak to the point where you lost all of your power steering fluid?
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 22:58
  • @Paulster2: Updated question with it. He did not specify, just used the word "leaked". When I looked at it, the fluid was all over the engine bay and it was an an all of a sudden thing when it happened....
    – P.S.
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 23:17
  • you need to find out exactly what was leaking first. ask them to show you the hose and explain why and how it failed
    – user4546
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 0:28
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    I will bet the problem lies with the nylon seal which needs to be replaced with the pump (it's a real PITB to install) and they didn't do it with the pump install. It's the seal which allows movement out of the high pressure side (out flow of fluid). They are also easy to ding up when installing. I'd throw it back at them and ask them why it wasn't installed right in the first place.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 1:49
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    I would not use pepboys to do anything besides tires, oil changes and other simple stuff. I could go into the many reasons why. But, let's just say; while convenient, they do not employ experienced technicians. Everything is very procedural and there is little/nothing left up to judgement. ie. if the book didn't say to replace the seal that Paulster is talking about, they won't do it unless you tell them to. They are good at some things. But, replacing core components is NOT one of them. I would get out of them what you can, then leave and go to a real mechanic.
    – maplemale
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 22:32

3 Answers 3

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So, do power steering hoses just leak randomly like they are claiming? Or is there a reason to be suspicious?

I will bet the problem lies with the nylon seal which needs to be replaced with the pump (it's a real PITB to install) and they didn't do it with the pump install. It's the seal which allows movement out of the high pressure side (out flow of fluid). They are also easy to ding up when installing. I'd throw it back at them and ask them why it wasn't installed right in the first place.

What type of things may happen to a hose when the pump is replaced?

Power steering hoses are fairly robust animals. The usual way they fail is because they rub up against something and get a hole in them. I believe they are made to handle around 2000 psi (I'm sure this depends on the manufacturer of the vehicle, but they handle a lot of pressure). When an area gets weak due to a wear spot, it can fail there pretty easily. I guess a hose could leak due to excessive heat (coming in contact with a exhaust manifold) or accident damage as well. Under normal conditions, power steering hoses should last the life of your car. Just replacing the pump should have no effect on the hose itself, as long as it is reinstalled correctly.

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I have experienced many Power Steering failures over my rather long life and in every instance of Hose failure it was the metal pipe portions that leaked. They usually cracked and always on a bend or just before on the pipe and also always on the hi-pressure side. My latest leak is on my 2004 Hyundai Elantra which I have very temporarily repaired with a piece of Rubber and a sturdy clamp until I can get it in to be serviced!

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This can also be due to a faulty pressure switch in the high pressure line. Failure to detect the pressure by the ecm,from the high pressure sensor, the pressure in the system wont be regulated. Then will have pressure beyond the normal operating pressure.

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