Lower control arm bushings check with age, they do not crack. A crack would be clean through the bushing, checking is minor cracks around the edges and is completely normal. The bushings are sleeved with steel sleeves so the rubber does not wear out. The checking scares customers, but it is one of the most unnecessary jobs performed on cars less than 20 years old. Even at 20 years, they usually are still not needed.
Also, strongly recommend that you follow shadowfox’s troubleshooting guide. This will identify the culprit that is causing the noise.
BTW, check your tires for an uneven wear pattern, Tires can and often are the source of front end hum. The difference between tire noise and bearing noise USUALLY is that during turns, bearings get louder, tires don’t.
Thanks. I took the car straight from the dealer to an independant. It took me 45 minutes to get out of the dealer…he had to “type it up”. I’m also out a hundred bucks for the estimate. But on the quote he did come down a couple of hundred off the total. He said the timing belt was recommended simply because they would be in there to change the drive belts (which they said are the cause of rattle). He also defended the price because he quoted Honda parts which he says lasts longer than after market. Plus with Honda parts the labor is garanteed for 12 months, with aftermarket no labor is covered.
The independent is backed-up and won’t be able to look at my car until tomorrow but from discussing it he says it may be a heat exhaust shield or motor mounts and an issue with the wheel bearings.
Let’s see if they notice the lower control arm bushing. I’ll know more tomorrow.
“He said the timing belt was recommended simply because they would be in there to change the drive belts”
The drive belts are on the outside of the engine, no engine dis-assembly required. The timing belt requires some engine dis-assembly, that is why the labor is so high. His statement is another example of why this dealer is to be avoided.
I forgot to take the instructions on testing the temp. dial 
I checked the wear on my tires. They look pretty good. They all haven’t been replaced at the same time due to flats and a limited budget but two & two are on the same cycle. They’ve been rotated and they are diagonal to each to other. I think the tires are alright.
yeah I’m definitely wary but he did say that to replace the drive belts would only $240 versus the $690 for all three. He said that since they noticed the drive belts were original they assumed the timing belt was too. Still to recommend and quote work that I don’t need doesn’t sit well.
I would still call Honda corporate and complain that they charged you $100 to try to rip you off.
Got my car fixed for $840 at the independant shop. They fixed the bad wheel bearing, both motor mounts, a broken bracket off the cat. converter & the heat shield.
They did not mention the lower control arm bushing, belts or fluids. They did say they checked the spark plugs and everything else looks fine. They said my performance and noise issues were coming from the bearing, mounts and heat shield.
I’m still worried about the lower control arm bushing. I’m going to see if me & maybe a friend or neighbor can get under the car and look to see if it’s cracked through like the dealer said. I’ll ask the independant if they noticed anything.
Thanks for recommending I go elsewhere. I really wasn’t sure.
Forget about the lower control arm bushing, your car is simply not old enough to have those bushings go bad. The fact that your tires are wearing evenly is more proof that you don’t need them.
The tire sets should not be diagonal to each other. Who ever rotated them did not use the recommended pattern.
So, how is the car running and handling now? Just because the dealer said a “bushing” was bad, doesn’t mean it is so. You asked this new shop to check everything out? I think you are good to go, enjoy.
This looks to me to be a bit of what they call in the big city “Upselling”. Likely – since you are getting some engine shaking problem – you do need the engine mounts repaired, but the other things are probably maintenance items that can be deferred.
Also, it is possible the engine shaking is caused by something other than the motor mounts. Maybe it just needs a tune-up. But only a mechanic looking at the car could tell for certain, we can’t say from the internet.
Based on what you say, I’d be inclined to recommend you get a second opinion. Ask your friends and neighbors and relatives who they use for Honda repairs. Then go there and mention the names of the people who recommended you.
I think you’ll get her back to fine shape in no time at all.
Best of luck.
I did ask for the new shop to check it all out. They’ve been in business a really long time and the owner works there almost daily. They’re listed on this website and come recommended by a couple friends and my bodyshop says they do good work. I don’t know about the 1990s pin-up girl calendars on the wall but whatever.
I guess I’ll forget about the bushing for now. I’ll save up for a tune up and have it all looked at again.
I’m so happy! My car is feeling so much better now!
Your car does not require a “tune up,” fyi.
I wish people knew how to do their own work. I got a 1993 Geo Prizm with 130K about seven years ago. The previous owner had about $1500 in repair estimates when I bought the car. I fixed every for about $35 in parts and my own precious labor. When the mileage got higher, the vehicle developed noisy vibrations problems at freeway speed. A hub bearing assembly ($75 used), two drive axles (~$50 per) and one brake rotor ($6 used) and more of my own precious labor fixed it. At 226K the car still runs great. Wish it didn’t, but it does.
Just saw your post about the outcome with the independent shop. Let me tell you, do not bring a car more than a few years old to the dealer. They will charge more and may try to cheat you on top of that. Other people who know more than I do about this model say you do not and will not need control arm bushing. The things a car like this is likely to need could include motor mounts (done already), drive axles, brake rotors, hub bearings (one side done already), engine accessories like an alternator or starter, emissions parts and sensors, a power steering pump and rack and air conditioning parts. You might or might not need automatic transmission or clutch work, I don’t know if your car is auto or manual. You should not need engine work. The engine is likely to last 300, miles with normal maintenance, oil and coolant as recommended.
What I think is most bizarre is that those shops that try to sell you unnecessary work always try to sell you a job of no value. If they sold you drive axles, that is something you will need anyway at some point. The experts have checked in and say the bushings last decades. But that is what they try to sell you. Figure.
If you have time on your hands, file a small claims suit against the dealer. Show what work was done compared to what was recommended by them. Argue that their “estimate” was not a true estimate, but simple an effort to deceive you into buying work that was not needed. When you get a judgement, if they won’t pay you, the sheriff will go in and take the money out of their cash register. You may not end up with much, but you’ll have the satisfaction of seeing them “busted”. Another option, if you paid by credit cards, is to contest the charges. The dealer may just let it go.
By all means, stay with independent shops. Even corporate chain repair shops are better than the dealer.
@DriveItLongAsPossibleGirl Great! It looks like the inde-shop has got things under control for you. And the price seemed pretty reasonable for replacing a wheel bearing, motor mounts, and fixin’ up the cat brackets and shield.
Check your car’s owner manual for the tune-up service interval the manuf recommends. For my early 90’s Toyota Corolla, which I use for put-putting around town mostly, not a lot of long distance freeway miles, I change the spark plugs and air filter and check the ignition timing every two years. I don’t think there’s a reason to do tune-ups more frequently than that in normal driving circumstances with most of the reliable econo-boxes.
Mmmm…a lot to think about. I am half tempted. This full-time job and other responsibilities gets in the way of a lot of things I want to do. I would like to expose any unfairness.
I really want to see the bushing myself just so I know what we’re talking about.
And I don’t pay anyone to cut my hair so believe me if I could fix my own car I would.
If you look at the bushing, you will see cracks all the way around the edges. That is actually checking, the cracks will not extend into the business part of the bushing. That is why a certain type of mechanic likes to show this to their customers, its an easy sell. Trust me, the bushing is perfectly fine.
Filing a credit card dispute is very simple. No court date. The worst that can happen is that you get turned down. If you go to a parts store they’ll show you bushing. Car repair is something you just start doing, by the way. No one teaches you.
Well after being ignored by the service manager I finally got my money back! 
I emailed and called over the past several weeks and got no response. However I received a cookie-cutter flyer in the mail saying the dealership wanted to buy my car and it listed the president’s email address. I emailed the president and the very next day, today, I recieved a phone call from someone in service. I just got off the phone with a cashier that put the money back on my card! I’m usually not one to return things or ask for refunds but I took everyone’s advice. Thanks! My car is still going strong.