vs
Control arm MOOG or OEM Subaru
Reviews
I've had good luck on my RAV4 with Moog control arms. Installed them 3 years ago and they're still good.
Pros: still good after 3 years
Vehicle:
Toyota
You can get a set of lower front control arms for a Crosstrek from as low as about $110 although you may want a better quality set for around $200. DIY is not complex but can be a PITA with the sway bar links and ball joint retainer bolt. Took me about 3 hours each side on my Forester.
Pros: affordable parts, DIY possible
Cons: can be a PITA
Vehicle:
Subaru
I immediately knew this was a subaru because subaru seems to be plagued by these issues. Mine failed at 26k miles and only 4 years out of factory. Yours needs to be replaced really soon.
Pros: common failure point
Cons: needs replacement soon
Mileage: 26000 km
Honest mechanic here. This is about 10% separated as seen near the bushing sleeve a real tear developing. The surface cracks all over are not concerning. I tend to recommend control arms once they are 50%+ separated; at that point stability and tire wear are considerably compromised, and should be addressed before complete separation of the bushing. Once the bushing is completely separated, braking will cause severe wandering, and going over speed bumps will make a notice “banging” like clunking. With that said, these arms being only 10% separated, and Subaru bushings, they will easily last to 100k+ miles without serious consequence. Now, a BMW or German built car with bushings like that would be more urgent, as the rubber deteriorates more quickly on those & gets a lot weaker even without severe separation. But, this softer rubber is also how they have a much smoother ride when everything is in good shape. $1600 is slightly on the higher end of price though not excessive depending on part brand used. Shops will mark up parts around 2.5x wholesale pricing, and using book time for labor, including alignment, is around 4 hours. At an average $150/hr labor rate, that’s $600 in labor roughly $850 in parts, then tax and shop supply fees ends up at $1600. You can find someone to replace them much cheaper, but they will most likely use in-house parts store brands which are notoriously garbage and have the ball joints fail in under 3 years, which is an even greater safety concern. The absolute best quality part you can get is OEM but that would be even more expensive at the dealership. Delphi and Mevotech Supreme are quality aftermarket brands. Everything else is not worth the time and money.
Pros: good quality aftermarket brands available
Cons: high price, potential for garbage parts
I got a similar quote with almost identical wear showing for my 2014 crosstrek ($1700), and everyone said that it was insane high. I searched facebook for a Subaru specific group in my local area, and searched it for recommended Subaru mechanics. Found a highly recommended mechanic who replaced both control arms plus the needed alignment for about $540.
Pros: cheaper repair cost
Cons: insane high quote
Vehicle:
Subaru
OEM if you can (but thats not why you’re on rock auto) , Moog is decent if you can find them. AC Delco if nothing else. The others unfortunately in my experience wear out within a year or less. Some people may have different experiences but in general that parts game is whack right now.
Pros: Moog decent, AC Delco good
Cons: others wear out quickly
Moog LCA... You’ll be replacing them in a year if you do
Cons: short lifespan
Vehicle:
Toyota FJ Cruiser
I once got a Mercedes control arm when I ordered a Honda control arm. The Mercedes control arm came in the Honda control arm Moog box.
Cons: wrong part, wrong car
Vehicle:
Honda
I check back on the large bushing on the new front lower control arms after a year, I had two different set of aftermarket control arms where the bushing failed before 10K miles. (one pair were Moog) I ended up getting OE arms since the orginal lasted 200K miles.
Cons: bushing failed quickly
Mileage: 16093 km
Better than the MOOG control arm that has a squeaky bushing
Cons: squeaky bushing
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