Shipey

Hi,

My girlfriend took her 2008 Bullitt to the local Ford dealer for PA annual inspection last week. The week before I drove the car, and everything (except the CD player) was working great. The car has 24,000 miles on it.

Well, the dealer called her Friday, and asked her to authorize a repair for ball joints. Instead of calling me, she authorized it! Now for a Motorcraft battery, inspection and ball joints a $750 bill awaits her!

What do you think? I searched on-line and cannot find a ball joint issue with 2008 GTs or Bullitts.

When I pick it up in the morning, I'm asking to see the worn parts. I fully expect them to say they went in the trash last week.


Shipey

Gabe

Old parts go in the trash the day the job is done, unless the customer requests they be held when they approve the job. No, you won't get to see the old parts.

But the battery is probably close to $150, not sure about the inspection cost, the balljoints they probably replaced as complete lower control arms since Ford doesn't offer the Mustang lower balljoints by themselves. Whatever they cost plus at least 3 hours labor to do them, yeah you're probably right about $750 for everything.

EF1

I can't see the ball joints needing replacement with such low mileage. It sounds like the dealer was trying to pad the bill a little.

Gabe

Dealers are dealing with a lot of liability, if they find ANY little bit of play in balljoints or other safety parts, they won't pass a car for state inspection.
As a Service Advisor I've sold many Mustang lower control arms, sometimes at 15-20k miles. They're honestly not known for lasting very long.
I'm surprised my wife's '08 GT500 is still on the factory front lower control arms and balljoints at almost 70k.
My car, same thing, almost 45k miles and still on the factory arms.

But, not uncommon to be worn much earlier than that, unfortunately

EF1

I knew that there was a problem with front lower control arm bushings, especially when headers are installed, but didn't realize there were problems with the ball joints. I have 78k on my car and the ball joins are still good.

Bert

My 2010 has 95K on it, including a bunch of track days and about 50K miles on lowering springs and low profile tires (which do beat things up a bit more) and it is just due for ball joints, they are starting to get sloppy.

So yeah 24,000 miles does seem quite early, but I guess shtuff happens.

Cavero

I never authorize work without making them show me what they found on a lift. Even if I don't know what I'm looking at (they don't know that).

I think ball joints must be a tactic certain dealers are using now. I took my car in for the driver's side airbag a couple years ago and they told me the same thing that I needed new ball joints. I just had new pro-forged ones installed 3000 miles before that! These are the ball joints, that according to Kelly at BMR, drag racers pull wheelies and slam back down on without ruining them -- for years. I told them that and the tech had this dumb guilty look on his face and said "well I mean...it looks that way to me". Busted. I took it back to my speed shop who I trust and they said no they were still perfectly tight.

GTi

I changed mine at 25k miles... The right one was shot badly. I was totally surprised, as this is impossible to happen to European car at so low mileage. Also anti roll bar bushings were making noise, not visually broken but lumping as mad, so I had to change those. And then, there is a problem with rear left lower arm (online I found that there is FSB on those as they're poorly designed from factory)... hmmm Mustang surely doesn't seem to be a quality item

Shipey

As expected, the parts were in the trash. Funny that the car passed inspection at the same dealer the year before and was driven less than 500 miles since that time. $20 over list for the battery and $45 more to install it. So...we're done with that Eastern/Central PA dealer.

Cavero

Good riddance to those guys

brasil

one of the balljoints ( the driver side one ) was replaced with only 7500 mls...driven since new from the factory. Short life for such an important part

and now with 11000 miles the other side ( passenger ) sounds like the ball joint is going down south...