# 07 Lexus RX350 Lower Control Arms **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** lexus, rx350\ **Created:** [March 26, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206 "2017-03-26T07:01:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hidankim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f4b2a3/32.png) [@hidankim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hidankim)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/1 "2017-03-26T07:01:14Z")
Hi I need to replace both lower control arms for my 2007 Lexus RX350 built in Japan. I went to [lexussouthatlantaparts.com](http://lexussouthatlantaparts.com), and it says: OEM $181 \* 2 = $362 + shipping: PRETTY EXPENSIVE !!! part #: Right 480680E010; Left 480690E010 Japan product part: [http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey\_assembly=763000&ukey\_make=1082&ukey\_model=15677&modelYear=2007&ukey\_driveLine=8074&ukey\_trimLevel=19114&searchString=control%20arm](http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=763000&ukey_make=1082&ukey_model=15677&modelYear=2007&ukey_driveLine=8074&ukey_trimLevel=19114&searchString=control%20arm) North America product part: [http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey\_assembly=757773&ukey\_make=1082&ukey\_model=15677&modelYear=2007&ukey\_driveLine=8074&ukey\_trimLevel=19114&searchString=control%20arm](http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=757773&ukey_make=1082&ukey_model=15677&modelYear=2007&ukey_driveLine=8074&ukey_trimLevel=19114&searchString=control%20arm) The part numbers are the same for Japan and N. America trucks, so does that mean I don’t need to worry about which one won’t fit if I choose from the list at [rockauto.com](http://rockauto.com)? [http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/lexus,2007,rx350,3.5l+v6,1433555,suspension,control+arm,10401](http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/lexus,2007,rx350,3.5l+v6,1433555,suspension,control+arm,10401) I heard that the ones with heart marks are popular. Should I choose one of those? Does anyone know which one is as good as OEM? Please help… ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/2 "2017-03-26T11:57:20Z")
> [@hidankim](#): > > I heard that the ones with heart marks are popular.Should I choose one of those? I’d go with the “Hello Kitty” marked ones. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/3 "2017-03-26T13:10:01Z")
What’s wrong with them? Bushings? Ball joint? ---
**Author:** ![hidankim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f4b2a3/32.png) [@hidankim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hidankim)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/4 "2017-03-26T18:17:24Z")
bushings are bad and no shops near me have tools to replace only bushings. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/5 "2017-03-26T18:31:07Z")
The ones with a heart mean that customers that have provided feedback have liked them. You can take that for what its worth. Why do you think the bushings are bad. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with 10 year old bushings. They just develop some “checking” around the edges, but the bushings themselves are perfectly fine. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/6 "2017-03-26T18:50:23Z")
I’d go with the rockauto parts that fit your model, about $50 each. No reason to spend that crazy money for the first ones you listed. ---
**Author:** ![hidankim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f4b2a3/32.png) [@hidankim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hidankim)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/7 "2017-03-27T00:39:14Z")
> [@keith](#): > > Why do you think the bushings are bad. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with 10 year old bushings. They just develop some “checking” around the edges, but the bushings themselves are perfectly fine. They are torn and clunking when I hit the brakes. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/8 "2017-03-27T01:00:35Z")
Clunking when hitting the brakes can definitely be caused by worn control arm bushings. Are you sure the problem is confined to the lower arms only? Often the upper arms will display the same problem when the lower arm bushings start to fail. There’s two control arms required b/c the control arms hold the wheel in the correct (mathematical) plane, so the wheel is aligned properly. Like if you cross two sticks, that defines the orientation of a plane (flat surface), right? One stick doesn’t. So it doesn’t make much sense to fix the lower arm, but not the upper. Makes sure your shops inspects the upper arm bushings too. Otherwise the work needed to replace the lower arms may have to be redone. re: OEM vs aftermarket. You can often get the OEM version of a part from rockauto too. Look through the list there on their website, see if some of the parts they offer have an “OEM” in the description. Maybe you can find an OEM version that is priced right. I’d be inclined to use the OEM part if I had that problem myself. ---
**Author:** ![hidankim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f4b2a3/32.png) [@hidankim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hidankim)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/9 "2017-03-27T01:47:41Z")
GeorgeSanJose Thanks for your input. Click the [lexussouthatlantaparts.com](http://lexussouthatlantaparts.com) link, you’ll see there is no upper arms, so I’m pretty sure. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/10 "2017-03-27T03:49:55Z")
I called rockauto once and asked the guy answering the phone and he said the ones with a heart are the more “popular” ones. I crosschecked some of the parts with reviews on amazon or model specific cars and it was a bit all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![hidankim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f4b2a3/32.png) [@hidankim](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hidankim)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/11 "2017-03-27T04:40:46Z")
galant Thanks!! I think I’d go with Moog. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/12 "2017-03-27T16:23:51Z")
I replaced the lower control arms on a 2005 Lexus is300 for the same reason. It seems like this is a problem that happens with aging Toyotas and Lexus. It’s a pretty challenging job without a lift, but I did it on jack stands and it worked out OK. One thing I know about this type of job - often Toyota uses the exact same part, and charges a lot less for it. It may have the same part number, and when you buy a part from Lexus it may come with a label that says Toyota. It’s insulting and left me very annoyed, but at least I figured it out before they ripped me off. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/13 "2017-03-27T17:54:44Z")
> [@wentwest](#): > > It seems like this is a problem that happens with aging Toyotas and Lexus. Also, Hondas and many other cars that use those “rubber donut” front bushings that eventually tear at 100K miles or so. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/14 "2017-03-27T18:10:02Z")
> [@hidankim](#): > > bushings are bad and no shops near me have tools to replace only bushings. A lot of shops don’t have the ability to replace just bushings…but they usually have access to a machine shop that does. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/15 "2017-03-27T20:44:32Z")
I replaced lower control arm bushings ONCE, never again. That was a lot of work. Even at $181 for new factory control arms, that is a bargain compared to the work involved in replacing the bushings. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-lexus-rx350-lower-control-arms/102206/16 "2017-03-27T23:43:34Z")
> [@hidankim](#): > > there is no upper arms I checked & you are right, no upper control arms on the rx350. The shock/strut ass’y must assist in the role of an upper control arm to reference the front wheel to the correct plane. There appears to be a stabilizer bar/link involved too. Good idea to check those bushings too during the control arm replacement.