08/19/2026
I want to share some photos and some advice. This may be a controversial post. Opinions can obviously differ. In these photos are various control arm bushings in various states of decay. I see some shops are telling people this is a major priority that must be addressed right away.
In my opinion, all of the bushings here have life left, and none are a safety concern at the stage pictured. In our climate, the rubber tends to dry out fast, and you will get these sort of cracks relatively quickly, even with new control arms or bushings, it may look the same in a year or two. Keep in mind, all of these photos show bushings that another shop said MUST be replaced ASAP!
Even if the bushing were to fail completely, the arm is not going to fall off, it is captured by the metal control arm surround, and the bolt in the center.
It is ideal to replace them before complete failure, and I would suggest checking them once every 6 months if the tear becomes more than 25% of the connected rubber, and replace them when the tear is closer to 40% or 50%. of the total connected area, depending on the style of bushing.
Finally, the most recent car that prompted me to make this post, had arrived with a quote in hand for $3000 for two front control arms!! I am reasonably priced, but also priced as a quality shop, and I found about $670 per side for parts and labor, or about $1340 for the pair, way below the 3k he was quoted. Get a second opinion!!
