2008 Highlander limited FWD lower control arms
Hey scotty I've got a 2008 toyota highlander limited with 180,000 miles. Took it to a dealer because of rattle, almost dribbling sound coming from the rear when going over bumps or any slight change on street surfaces. Dealer said it needed rear shocks and struts but also said I needed lower control arms on the front of the vehicle. They quoted me $2300 per side for the lower control arms, parts and labor. Car currently shakes at highway speeds above 60mph. How hard of a job is replacing the front lower control arms ? Is it worth the cost? Planned on keeping the car for a while but consider selling it if its going to cost me almost $6000 to fix. The recommend repairs are listed below. Thanks scotty and anyone else who may offer some advice.
ShockAbsorbers/Struts (Both Rear) - Replace 857.01
Control Arm (Lower) (One Side) - Replace 2304.84
Control Arm (Lower) (One Side) - Replace 2304.84
Alignment (Four - Wheel) 119.99
MOUNT AND BALANCE TIRES 4 737.00
its going to cost me almost $6000 to fix
lower control arms
rear shocks and struts
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2008,highlander,3.5l+v6,1440247,suspension,strut,7584
MOUNT AND BALANCE TIRES 4 737.00
How hard of a job is replacing the front lower control arms ?
They saw you coming from miles away.
It's definitely not a $2,300 job. There's really only a handful of bolts to remove on most cars. Some cars only have 2 or 3 bolts holding the arm to the subframe and the lower ball joint holding it to the steering knuckle. Depending on the design of the car, a sway bar link may be attached to it as well. Older cars and trucks tend to do this, newer cars with struts tend to mount them on the strut itself. You'll throw your alignment off when you disassemble the front end. It's doable on most cars with basic sockets, ratchets and breaker bars.
I would mark the position of any bolts and washers to remember how it goes together, so you don't completely wreck your alignment. I did that with my upper control arms in my truck over the summer, had it aligned, and I actually got it within spec on one side by realigning my marks. They adjusted it a tad to get it more in the middle of the range.
Car currently shakes at highway speeds above 60mph.
This can be caused by bad ball joints as well. Jack up the car and check the wheels for play before messing with the control arms. Also check your tires. You may have lost a balancing weight.
Dealer said it needed rear shocks and struts
These are also relatively easy to deal with. Get a high quality brand of quick strut like KYB, or get the entire OEM assembly and just swap that out, that way you don't need to deal with the removing the spring to replace the shock cartridge. Usually the front struts wear out before the rears because they have a lot more weight to support and dampen the motion of.
MOUNT AND BALANCE TIRES 4 737.00
Is this a price with 4 tires, or just mounting and balancing 4 tires? Hopefully that's all 4 tires AND all of the extra stuff!
Alignment (Four - Wheel) 119.99
This is probably the only sane price on this list. If you have a Carx around, check them out. They run alignment specials with a coupon for something like $80.
Never go to a dealer for repairs unless it is under warranty. Get a second opinion from an independent shop.
You can get KYB shocks on rock auto for $90.00 each. Put them on yourself. As for the control arms I would get several quotes. You can also get those at rock auto.
The rear struts should be a relatively DIY job. I’m not a mechanic, but I was able to do the rear struts easily. It took more time to take apart the rear interior to get to the strut bolts, than the actual struts themselves.
Those are rip off prices. I’d also bet the dealer is trying to pull a fast one on the control arm. But I’d have to see myself.
FWIW, my 2004 Prius was shaking at highway speeds, especially going on slight curves. Changing the rear struts solved that problem.
