Seeking advice on lift install screw up

Hello,

I went to a (reputable) local off-road mechanic to install the Cognito 3in Lift Kit among other items on this build sheet. Some of the parts still haven't come in yet but the tires/wheels and lift have all been installed about a month and a half ago. (TL;DR version at the bottom)

When I first picked up the truck I experienced a clanking sound coming from the front passenger side wheel. I took it in, and they said they weren't sure but torqued everything down. I drove it for another day and it started again. I took it back and they said the CV Axel (driver side) needed to be replaced as it was the cause and is now stripped. Unknown to me, they replaced the OEM part with an "Import Direct Brand" part. I was none the wiser but the truck seemed to be operating correctly up until a few days ago (over a month now) when I started hearing a different clanking sound coming from the same area.

Keep in mind, I have done zero off-roading and only put about 100 street miles on the truck since it was installed. I decided to take it to a different mechanic because my confidence in the first guy was shot. The new guy said the CV Axel was loose and leaking oil. He said the CV Axel they replaced might not be a compatible part but he couldn't see a part number to confirm for sure. He said it definitely wasn't an OEM part though.

After doing some homework, the first mechanic confirmed they used an O'Reilly Import Direct part and gave me the part number. I checked O'Reilly's site and it says the part is compatible with my specific make/model but I still can't help but feel like they replaced my OEM part with some generic crap.

TL;DR
Had a mechanic install my lift kit. They didn't install it correctly and ended up damaging the OEM CV Axel. They replaced it with an O'Reilly's CV Axel and only after a month of light use, the part is broken.

Is there fault on the mechanic for replacing my OEM part with a generic brand? Regardless, I don't have confidence in taking it back to them and not screwing something up again but I also feel like they owe it to me to fix it correctly.

These are the options I think I have but would greatly appreciate any advice y'all have:

- Buy the OEM part from Toyota, take it and my truck back to the mechanic and have them install it. Then have them install the other parts I ordered through them and remove the cost of the CV Axel from the total.

- Buy the OEM part from Toyota, take it, my truck, and the other gear I already bought from the mechanic to a different mechanic to have them install everything and check over the lift kit to make sure there aren't any more errors. Eat the extra cost.

- Let Toyota fix the CV Axel and make the mechanic reimburse me for that cost. Fire the mechanic and take my business else where.

EDIT:
**UPDATE**
After a lot of back and forth with my mechanic and Toyota. The problem isn't the mechanic. We are finding out that 2022 Tundra's made in the time span of May-July 2022 (mine is within that time frame) have had front differential issues where installing a lift (even the OEM lift) causes the front axels to come out. This was confirmed by my local Toyota dealership. They also said the only way to fix it is by replacing the differential with one that wasn't made in that time period. They don't know why it's failing.

The best part is that they acknowledge it's their fault but refuse to honor the warranty when a third party lift kit is installed, blaming it on the lift kit and voiding the warranty. They are having to do the same thing on Tundra's with the factory lift installed and covering them under warranty but refuse to honor the warranty when it's a non-factory lift.

 

Did Cognito tell you that you have to upgrade to the red TRD Pro axles for that much lift height? That might be why your original axle failed. I don't see "CV" mentioned on that page, so I think that's the issue.

We put this note on all the Dobinsons kit pages we sell for that reason:

• If doing a 2.5″ lift or higher in the front, a diff-drop kit or longer TRD CV-axles are REQUIRED, failure to complete these requirements could cause OE CV-axle failure
• TRD axle shafts: PT362-3432B and PT362-3431B

 

I'm not seeing anywhere on the site where they state that as a requirement but I'm seeing that my model is listed under their compatibility. Regardless, I already have/had the red TRD Pro axles. My passenger side axel is red and my driver side axel is grey (because they replaced it with a generic axel).

Edit*
I called the dealer and confirmed that my truck came with the TRD Axels and shouldn't have to switch them out if doing a lift. I also looked up the part the mechanic gave me for the part he replaced and it says on O'Reilly's site that it's for standard trucks - not lifted off-road vehicles. I think that confirms that the mechanic ordered the wrong part...

 

You should ask your mechanic (the 1st guy) to reimburse you for the cost of a new OEM TRD CV axle.

Then go purchase one and install it yourself. Then continue installing the other parts yourself. Then no one else will be to blame if something breaks, and the guy working on the truck will take care to ensure the work is done properly.

 

That's good, I think that has isolated it.

Still no telling why the original axle failed. I wonder if they didn't engage it far enough into the axle or something, or if they stripped the end of the axle (wheel side) where the big nut goes on. Maybe it got chunked while it was removed. Either way, the axles shouldn't have needed to be touched to add a lift anyway. They can lower the LCA down, change out the coilover, then change out the UCA's.

 

**UPDATE**

After a lot of back and forth with my mechanic and Toyota. The problem isn't the mechanic. We are finding out that 2022 Tundra's made in the time span of May-July 2022 (mine is within that time frame) have had front differential issues where installing a lift (even the OEM lift) causes the front axels to come out. This was confirmed by my local Toyota dealership. They also said the only way to fix it is by replacing the differential with one that wasn't made in that time period. They don't know why it's failing.

The best part is that they acknowledge it's their fault but refuse to honor the warranty when a third party lift kit is installed, blaming it on the lift kit and voiding the warranty. They are having to do the same thing on Tundra's with the factory lift installed and covering them under warranty but refuse to honor the warranty when it's a non-factory lift.