Alfa Romeo Repair: alfa 147 power steering leak, power steering fluid leak, power steering fluid

Question
Hi there.

I contacted a mechanic about a power steering fluid leak i was having on an alfa 147 t-spark lusso. He said that if there is a leak and a seal has gone this would incur replacing the rack etc which was a very costly job.
Is this true because it has worried me a little and thought if a seal had gone it could just be replaced. Does a leak really cause other things to be replaced or is he incorrect about this and has his wires crossed.

Thanks in advance

Steve.

Answer
I have only repaired steering racks under factory warranty.

Removing and replacing the rack can quite often be the biggest cost.  

Usually, the rack has to be completely disassembled to replace an output seal and with an aged unit it is better to just put in a rebuilt unit and send back the old one as a core to be rebuilt.  This provides a much quicker turn around time and a unit that has been assembled under better conditions than found in a typical repair shop.