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I looked at a used minivan today from a dealership and it seems in good shape, but the Carfax report says that it recently had its front driveshaft replaced. It is a 2012 model with only 48000 miles.
Is this unusual? It seems odd to have to replace a front drive shaft (I've owned several cars over the last 21 years and never had to do so). Should I treat this as a red flag and pass it up?
It is a bit odd based on the mileage (in my experience they typically last 100k miles at minimum) but it's certainly possible that it was damaged instead of going bad. The boot could have been torn by something on the road and no one noticed until it was clicking at which point the usual remedy is to replace it.
I wouldn't rule it out simply because of this. It's an odd repair, but certainly not unheard of, and isn't necessarily indicative of other problems or future repairs. Having it inspected by an third-party mechanic would be an excellent idea, regardless, and will help put any doubts to rest.
