examined the left front boot over the cv joint and found it to have been damaged?

Hello,

Unless there is damage to the joint and it has been making noise you should be able to clean and repack it.

However, if it has been exposed to the element for sometime there is good chance of corrosion inside the joint. In that case the CV shaft should be replaced.

The CV boot runs around $20.00. However, the overhauling on the CV shaft is labor intensive. It usually costs more to overhaul than to replace. As for the cost it would depend on the shop, if you decided to take it to one, as they all have different labor rates.

Here is a helpful guide:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-cv-axle

I have attached diagrams for CV shaft replacement below.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you.