such drama lol. I think they told me that at 60k miles and I declined. I now have almost 108k miles on my crosstrek. don't you know all repairs --even the bogus ones -- now cost $1400 (stimulus check) lmao

 

Thank you for the info. Yes, it is kind of ironic how close the cost of the repair is to the $1,400 stimulus check. From my research it looks like other shops will do the repair for a whole lot less. I'm still not happy that this happened with a vehicle so young and so few miles.

 

Do you sometimes drive wash boarded roads? That is hard on control arm bushings. Find a shop that will just replace the bushings and not the whole control arm.

 

From my experience with other vehicles it is usually cheaper / less headache to just replace the while part vs messing with just the bushings. It can be done at home. An air hammer, impact gun, threaded rod with big washers all are good bushing tools or of course an actual press.

 

Brand new factory control arms(with new bushings installed) are $200 a side? If it makes you feel better, I did the control arms(upper & lower) and bushings(pressed in myself into new brackets) on our 330xi BMW with 80k on the car(cost:1k in parts, but done right).
I'd hope for that, they are doing tie rod assemblies as well with an alignment(full). Not to sound like an old curmudgeon, they don't make them like they used to.
regards

 

Ask for a second opinion. Maybe another dealer or private shop. While you’re there, ask them to show you exactly what is needed to be replaced. Also, wouldn’t control arms be under warranty, no?

 

Yep, definitely getting a second opinion and pictures of the actual bushings.

 

If it's out of warranty, don't take it for service at the dealer, they're crooks.
Control arm bushings are not unique to subaru, so it's exactly the kind of thing that an independent shop could give you a second opinion on and replace it for cheaper if needed.
50k seems early, but I guess it could happen. I'd expect those types of issues at above 100k miles.

 

50k seems early, but I guess it could happen. I'd expect those types of issues at above 100k miles.

I guess it depends on where OP lives and how bad his roads are. I would assume that would be warranty work... But I guess not. :/

 

Cracks in rubber components are normal wear and tear over time, nothing to worry about. Think of it this way – if you had a warranty, they’d tell you this. It’s only because you’re paying that they recommend bushing replacement.

The bushing should be replaced when you see the rubber has dry rotted and shrank in size. This typically happens after 100k miles. You can increasing longevity by hitting the rubber with silicone spray every few months.

 

ATP-205 would help with that.

 

And at a cost of $1,350!

WAAAAAAAAT?!!! WTF?

 

I spray all the rubber parts under the Treck to prevent cracking;

Blaster Hardware lubricant 9.3-oz Lubricant in the Hardware Lubricants department at Lowes.com

 

06-09-22
I have a 2018 Crosstrek
i had the water intrusion in the strut mount well issue.

It kept filling with water and destroyed the mount and the bearing, completely rusted. it ruined the strut rod.
so i just replaced the struts and shocks with the complete Bilstein completely assembled with new heavy king spring front and back, from rallitek.
remove old ones bolt in new ones and get alignment.
well my mechanic started the install, he called me and sent pics of the control arm bushings were destroyed, with chunks missing. i have very bad suspension oscillation when i hit even highway and asphalt road tiny wash board dips and the only way to stop it is to put the brakes on.

So subaru is back ordered on these so i drove home and parked the car, until the bushings come in.
i have 114,500 miles on it already.
i live in the California san Gabriel mountains and drive every day 1.5 hours each way. and about 60 miles well down in LOS A
i use this car off road all the time so i am rough on it.
the ride from the new Bilstein shocks and king spring eliminate My Rear end sag and corner very nicely.
VERY FIRM.
so just waiting.
Does anybody make a beefy control arm with bushings installed already installed for as non lifted Crosstrek.

 

These are my two bushings after 114,000 miles on my 2018 Crosstrek .
I also had the shock towers and bearings go bad,
And replaced with Bilstein no lift shocks, with new strut mount
I ordered completely assembled struts and shock with king springs from rallietech.
My mechanic pointed out the bushings, and I'm just having them install new control arms with new bushings.
Not cheap, but I drive off road allot because I live in the San Gabriel mtns
I can't have a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
We have 4 Subarus, 2 cross treks, one Forester, one out back.
A tundra and a 7.3 liter f350 diesel, 4x4 massive thing for hauling water trailers.
So I don't need the subsides too be lifted.
I've got 144,598 miles on the 2018 Crosstrek.
So this is cheaper then a new car. It's my commute car.

 

Here is the other bushing, 2018 Crosstrek 144,589 miles

 

The rubber does deteriorate with use and time. Been spraying all the exposed rubber on our cars with 303 Protectant. Every oil change.
Cannot tell with control arms, only spraying the ends of the bushings. But axle boots and ball joint boots are all still intact.
Started about six years ago. Used generic silicone prior. The 303 seems to restore dried and cracked seals.
Spray the door and hood seals, interior, window seals, every black rubber part on vehicle. It really has improved the rubber on two older cars. The window seals and doors look better than they did when purchased 7 -8 years ago.
Purchase the 303 by the gallon.

 

The rubber does deteriorate with use and time. Been spraying all the exposed rubber on our cars with 303 Protectant. Every oil change.
Cannot tell with control arms, only spraying the ends of the bushings. But axle boots and ball joint boots are all still intact.
Started about six years ago. Used generic silicone prior. The 303 seems to restore dried and cracked seals.
Spray the door and hood seals, interior, window seals, every black rubber part on vehicle. It really has improved the rubber on two older cars. The window seals and doors look better than they did when purchased 7 -8 years ago.
Purchase the 303 by the gallon.

I spray with silicone. Works for me.
Post #19

 

I just had my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek serviced today. The dealer indicated that my Control Arm Bushings need to be replaced at only 50,300 miles? And at a cost of $1,350! T

Once Upon a Time, it was the damned CVJ boots. Look at 'em hard they'd tear. You hear the click-click-click-click and know you were already boned. And then tear into yourself for not paying attention to the unders. Knuckles destroyed. If you caught the tear before damage was done , you had three choices: 1. The cheapest, and the worst, get one of those weird split boots and hope. 2. Okay, but not optimum, disassemble/disconnnect the shaft and put on a new full boot, reassemble/reconnect. 3. The best, just replace the entire shaft with new booties already on it. I went through this multiple times with my earlier Subies, well except the split boot solution, that was crap.

And it is in part because of CVJ PTSD that I change my own oil - it's a force of sorts to crawl underneath the vehicle and eyeball stuff, especially the boots. The boooooots...

I'll be soon rolling my 2018 Crossie into the dealership for the 30k. Hope I'm not told I got bad bushings. I don't think it would go well, no. I wonder if they sell split bushings...

 

Any of these are better than nothing. I like the 303. Was treating dash, door panels, seats and other vinyl with it. Used Krytox on door seals. Had to wipe on. Sprayed silicone on suspension.
Went to using the 303 for all of it. A squirt bottle and blue paper shop towels and I can treat everything. I currently maintain a handful of cars. A gallon lasts 2-3 years.
Treated the five month old Crosstrek twice. Every oil change. The sway arm bushings are like these control arms, untreated they do not last like arms did 15 years ago. Hopefully spraying with something extends this.

 

You're saying you use a detailing product to maintain your suspension bushings?

 

Rubber and plastics are the all about same whether door seals, CV joint boots, or the dash. The Protectant prevents drying out and cracking. Cannot tell if the sway bar bushings and control arm bushings are helped much. Can only see the ends. But boots and seals definitely benefit.
My A8 and XJR both have better looking suspension bits than they did when purchased. That was eight and nine years ago. The A8 was built in 2004 and window seals, CV joint boots, door seal seals, and ball joint boots look better than they did in 2013 when I got it. Treating the rubber is the reason.

 

MY18 - hasn't been treated roughly at all , a fairly gentle life.

Last service the ( usually reasonable ) Subaru dealer said "next service we will need to look at the lower control arm bushes" - Uh .. OK ... so that will be at 130K Km ( approx 81K miles ) - what ??, then I see these posts and think .. oh darn. No price as yet. Of course it is also only 3 months out of the 5yr extended warranty, I'm not saying the dealer is wrong .. but I think I'll put it up on a mate's hoist first and have a look ;-)

My '99 Forester bushes lasted waaaaayyy longer than that...sighs.

I'll get a price then look at my options.

Cheers from Oz.
Ray

 

Just been told by my subaru dealer.....who i bought the XV (NZ) off and have serviced it under warranty for the last 3yrs....that my lower control arm rear bush has split, at 32,000 kms (20miles) the car lives in a garage hardly used! funny how these issues come up after the warranty period. Does this seem a bit odd?

 

I know it doesn’t seem right but I’ve had to replace that bushing at less miles. It is dependent on how and where you drive that accelerates the wear... and living in WV is such a place. Always turning on sharp curves. Now I check that bush on all my cars and am always amazed how quickly they degrade. Most never look, thus are unaware of the gradual degradation in their handling. IMO these are are the worst bushes in the car for longevity. Seems to me to be a colossal fault in engineering design, and given how negatively they affect steering once worn it’s almost criminally negligent.

I replaced mine with poly bushings. The change in handling was night and day difference, to the better. A friend who had equipment and experience did it, but it took some doing to get the tools right for pressing the bad out and new in. In the future I’ll just buy new control arms and have the bushings replaced with poly first. The rest is relatively simple.

 

Reading this is interesting. Is the bad bushing the rears? Then the lower rear control arm? Or are they the rear lower front control arm?
Canoe man are yours the rear upper control arms?

 

I was never happy with that rubber puck they use for the rear mount on the front control arms. I lifted my Crosstrek which caused extreme wear on that busshing. I discovered that the WRX/STI control arms will bolt on perfectly on the Crosstrek. They use a real ball joint instead of the rubber puck.

Here are the before and after shots of mine at 13K miles:

Note the cracks already appearing in the rubber. My lift helped it along, I'm sure.

Much better with a ball joint there. Most of my understeer issues also went away with this mod.

 

There's a whole lot more interchangeability than that. Everything except for body panels, 16+ wrx/sti is full bolt-in. Interior, electrical, instrumentation, full suspension, subframes, steering, brakes, wheels, tires.

you can literally, with exception of headliner, side curtain airbags, andrearpillar trim, gut a 13-17 crosstrek and put basically an entire wrx/sti in it. (That's my next build, I've seen it done by 3 other people) and you can make the front end work with just a little light fabrication.

 

CBetrs,
Do you have part numbers for those ball joint front control arms?
My daughter’s Lexus ES has those rubber puck control arm mounts. Still aligns fine at 165,000 miles. Use and implementation.

 

Sure do!
Right - 20202VA000
Left - 20202VA010
Bolts - 901000377 (You will need one for each side)

Here is a link to the mod in my build thread - LINKY

 

How did this situation work out for you? Just took our 2018 for a service check at 42K miles and the shop reported our front lower control arm bushings were cracking. Similar quote for complete lower control arm replacement. I’m going to shop it around. Also out of warranty and I’m not going to do it myself. Good to note this is a flat road city car - surface streets and highways. Not a lot of potholes.

 

Get a second opinion on the cracks in the CA bushings. Minor cracking/crazing is fairly normal and not necessarily a reason to replace.

 

Definitely getting a second opinion. They’re not saying it’s urgent but that we need to keep an eye on it and start planning for replacement.

 

I wouldn't replace the bushings until you start getting an intermittent vibration in the front end.

 

Do you have a lift kit? Oversized or more aggressive tires? Do you corner hard? (I.e. taking backroad curves At posted speed limit instead of advisory curve speed) do you drive on gravel or on roads with potholes or speed bumps? All of these things can cause accelerated wear in LCA bushings.

Yes, they usually start to crack or dry rot at around 50k, but unless they're split and tearing from the sides, we usually don't recommend them until 80-90k.

And lift kit/tires literally is the worst thing you can do for LCA bushing and ball joint longevity, as it hyper-extends the control arm bushing and binds the ball joints, causing premature failure. Only cure for that issue is modified geometry LCA's.

subarus are known for head gasket leaks at 100kfor EJ motors, and oil pan and cam case/valve cover leaks at 100k for the FA and FB engines. (Be glad you don't have a tribeca EZ30 or a legacy/outback EZ36, they usually start puking oil at 60-80k) It's nothing against subaru, just the nature of boxers, especially with as much RTV/silicone as there is sealing them together.

 

At the dealership I work at, We sell bushings for around 160 each and labor is 1.5 hours per side at 180/hr. With optional alignment at 1.5 hours, that's $1,130 for the job. Still 200$ under your quote, and that's with the speakership markup on parts.
(I say optional alignment, because the bushings towards the rear have an offset, angled sleeve, and are directional -top/bottom- and if you mark and install the new ones exactly the way the onld ones come out, theoretically there is no adjustment to the alignment in JUST doing bushings.)