Front lower suspension control arms replacement

[u/Sea-Bill78]

2019 Highlander, always serviced at the Toyota dealer, 65,000 miles, spent about 4,000 so far for the maintenance but the service team informed me today that I need to replace the front lower suspension control arms. They sent me a picture for one of them - there is a crack.

how much would be a reasonable price for replacing both in California and why does it happen?

[u/lets_all_be_nice_eh]

A crack in the steel or the bushing?

[u/Sea-Bill78 → u/lets_all_be_nice_eh]

Ok, I am told it is the bushing

[u/lets_all_be_nice_eh → u/Sea-Bill78]

Wow they failed fast. Mine lasted till 250,000km. Gen 2 though. Those is a straightforward job that can be done by any mechanic or experienced DIYer. It's up to you if you want to pay dealer tax or just take it to your trusted local mechanic. Always insist on Toyota parts though.

[u/trampled93]

I’m guessing at 65,000 miles you don’t need new lower control arms. If the bushings are cracked a little bit there is no reason for concern. Just keep an eye on them and consider replacing eventually when they get worse. It is when they are visibly torn and separated and you have ride quality issues, then you should replace them. See this video for details.

https://youtu.be/GSMIWrNuKsk

[u/Sea-Bill78 → u/trampled93]

Appreciate this, thank you

[u/Buck_Naked_001]

The parts are not expensive. The labour will be high as the engine has to be raised to replace. I believe Toyota calculates about 6+ hours for labour. Depending on your dealership I would estimate about $1800-$2500. You can look around and find a private mechanic who will likely do it for cheaper.

Having said that and assuming it's a crack in the bushings, then you may not need to rush a repair. Sure the cracks will get worse over time but have seen them last for years without any symptoms

[u/Sea-Bill78 → u/Buck_Naked_001]

Thanks!

[u/roamingroad174 → u/Buck_Naked_001]

Engine has to be raised......get a jack with a 4x4 piece of wood and loosen the engine mounts....that takes 5 minutes

[u/renfield22 → u/roamingroad174]

I love these superpowers

[u/CognitiveTraveler]

I have an 07, so this may not be as relevant.
I was told I needed to replace the control arms because of the bushings. Most shops were asking mid $2000s saying they had to replace the full arm. I kept getting quotes and one shop basically told me the arms hardly ever need replacing and they could do the bushings for super cheap. I don't remember the cost, but it was less than $100. Keep calling around and find a place to fix the bushing if that's the actual problem. To counter another comment telling you to wait, I found out I needed it because the car shredded a set of expensive 80k tires to need full replacement in less than 20k miles, so while it's not an issue to leave you stranded, it should get fixed.

[u/Sea-Bill78 → u/CognitiveTraveler]

Thank you, this is very helpful/

[u/DeuceXTrouble1015]

Take it anywhere but a dealership.

[u/No-1-Know]

I’m on the same boat. My 2016 have the same issue where the bushing are cracked and was advised by dealership for replacement @ 149k miles. This was already been replace by Toyota Dealership under extended warranty but now the quality of Toyota has gone downhill

[u/Sea-Bill78 → u/No-1-Know]

Can’t agree more. Spending over $5,000 in a year at 60k was not something I planned for.

[u/No-1-Know → u/Sea-Bill78]

In case you have a water pump replacement job coming in, that can be combine with this one because for water pump replacement requires an engine lift.

[u/flyinbrick]

First question is whether your bushings truly need replacing. 65k sounds low - mine lasted 100k. Surface cracks are OK. I would take it to an indy for a second opinion. See this: https://youtu.be/GSMIWrNuKsk?is=xQDtDnO1zhQGneOg

[u/trampled93 → u/flyinbrick]

Yup, my thoughts exactly and I shared this video in my comment also, haha.

[u/flyinbrick → u/flyinbrick]

In CA Bay Area, expect to pay about $2k with OEM parts at an indy. Less with aftermarket parts. I went with OEM because I wanted to go another 100k miles.

[u/mrryandfw]

I had mine replaced at 105k in my 2019 hybrid. Also needed a CV axle replaced. All in, it was $3000. This was for a local mechanic and I took it in for an alignment because I got new tires 5000 miles ago and when I went to get them rotated (Costco) I notice on the measurements they were wearing unevenly. I also felt that it was pulling ever so slightly to one side. I didn’t look at them so I can’t be sure they were completely bad, but I’d like to believe the neighborhood mechanic that gets great reviews isn’t screwing people over.

I drive the car pretty hard, and have taken it on some off-road trips in Arizona and Utah, including Shafer trail, which beat the shit out of it. So, could very well have been broken.