Suspension Lower Ball Joints

Judie B · Apr 1, 2013

Hi. I'm new to this site. I have a 2007 Mustang (Grabber Orange) with 66,000 miles -- during routine maintenance (oil change) at the dealership, was told that the lower ball joints need to be replaced. Is this something that usually gets replaced at 66,000 miles? After I started questioning the service adviser, I was informed that it was an oil change technician that noted the problem and that I should bring it back for them to really look at it (cost: $105 to look) and then if they needed repair it would be $300 for the parts and $900 for the labor! Is this something I should take outside of the dealership? Is there something I would feel/hear when I'm driving the car? I love my car but it seems Ford has had plenty of issues .... specifically with mine the front hood paint had to be repaired (at my cost) due to early corrosion, water leaking into front passenger cabin, electrical problems caused by the rear defroster, etc.

earleys94gt · Apr 1, 2013

http://www.steeda.com/store/steeda-x5-ball-joint-for-ford-mustang.html

GoneFord · Apr 1, 2013

Not sure about the service life of ball joints on our cars. But for that price you could replace the K-member, A-arms and radiator support with all BMR stuff and be way ahead in handling and weight reduction. Throw on a X-brace for just a bit more. I don't recommend people take their cars to dealership service departments unless it's warranty work or something only Ford can do - like programming new keys or resetting the anti-theft system and such. They're just too darned expensive.

Sorry to hear you've had problems. There's a wealth of helpful info on the forum if you're inclined to do your own work. It'll save you a truckload of money and reward you with the satisfaction that you did it and it was done right. If you're not they're still great because you can get a reasonable education for free and enter a service department (not the dealer...) better informed.

inferno9898 · Apr 1, 2013

Two weeks ago I had my Ford dealer tell me the exact same thing during an oil change, on my 2007 GT with 18K miles! I took it to a Mustang shop, they lifted it up and said they have no idea what the dealer was talking about. Didn't see any play. Needless to say, I doubt I'll be going back to that dealer. And seeing your post makes me wonder if there was an "initiative" to find ball joint problems on Mustangs a year out of warranty.

Additionally, the parts/labor price from the Mustang shop would have been $400 lower than the dealership if I did need the work, and that was with aftermarket parts.

Side note, I think this might be my first post in 5 years. I had a 2000 GT that I was upgrading, so I was somewhat active. Totaled it and bought a new 2007, but didn't want to touch it while it was under warranty. Now that I was looking into the control arm issue, the bug bit me again. Having that mustang shop put in a Ford Racing handling pack. It begins again...

Judie B · Apr 2, 2013

GoneFord said:
Not sure about the service life of ball joints on our cars. But for that price you could replace the K-member, A-arms and radiator support with all BMR stuff and be way ahead in handling and weight reduction. Throw on a X-brace for just a bit more. I don't recommend people take their cars to dealership service departments unless it's warranty work or something only Ford can do - like programming new keys or resetting the anti-theft system and such. They're just too darned expensive.

Sorry to hear you've had problems. There's a wealth of helpful info on the forum if you're inclined to do your own work. It'll save you a truckload of money and reward you with the satisfaction that you did it and it was done right. If you're not they're still great because you can get a reasonable education for free and enter a service department (not the dealer...) better informed.

I'm game to replace headlights and taillights, and even some other "light" maintenance on the car, but I'm going to leave the suspension and heavier projects to the pros .... thanks for the advice. Just wish I knew where to take it in my area .... I have a hard time trusting mechanics for some reason (probably because I feel like the Ford dealer rips me off every time I take the car in); I just need to find someone I can trust with my baby

GoneFord · Apr 2, 2013

That's the challenge, isn't it? Finding someone you can trust.

GoneFord · Apr 2, 2013

inferno9898 said:
...Side note, I think this might be my first post in 5 years...

Welcome back. I don't think there's a cure...<G>

joe_momma · Apr 8, 2013

The ball joint is a known issue on these cars, at least the earlier ones. At some point I believe Ford went to a larger diameter to resolve the issue, but it may not have been until the later years (I'm thinking '08+?). The Steeda X5 seem to be a popular choice as mentioned above. The symptoms include popping/grinding when hitting speed bumps, or going in/out of driveways, generally that are on an angle.

Judie B · Apr 12, 2013

So the end to this story is that I took it to an independent mechanic (NOT the dealership), who said there was some "play" and that they should be replaced, but that it wasn't urgent (unlike the dealership). They were able to replace the ball joints for $460 (as opposed to the $1500 wanted by the dealership - I had thought it would be $1200, but there's TWO ball joints -- duh)!

Thanks Everyone! I DO love my car, but I have to say that I really, HATE the Ford Dealerships!

darien87 · Apr 12, 2013

Lower ball joints? Are there upper ball joints?

Dealerships blow. I have a mechanic that I've gone to for over 10 years. You've got to find someone good and then hold on to them like grim death.

GoneFord · Apr 25, 2013

I'm very glad you got it resolved at a reasonable price. Darien's right, you need a good mechanic - one you can depend on.

Suspension Lower Ball Joints

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