Yes it can be. I have lost count but you have more than a couple of places saying you have serious problems on this almost worthless 18 year old vehicle. Some that really don’t to work on it because they don’t think it is money spent wisely.
It is possible that all those parts need to be replaced, especially if they are the originals. An, yes, worn suspension parts present a danger. If a tie rod end fails at highway speed, the resulting loss of control could be fatal.
I received a receipt for parts needed to repair car at dealership. Can you tell me in English what he is repairing? I received no explanation of the diagnosis. I’m not going to use them because parts and labor would be $1,610 and now I have to look for a new car but I’m still investigating what is wrong with car:
- (2) End - Spindles
- (2) Ball Joints
- (2) Links
- (2) Hoses
- (2) Brake Fluid
- (1) Hub
- (2) Bearings
These are components that are exposed when performing a front end inspection.
So given the year/mileage of your vehicle, it’s not impossible for these type of problems to reveal themselves.
However, these repairs don’t have to performed at the dealer.
Any independent shop can perform any of these repairs.
And with an independent shop, it can determined what repairs require immediate attention, and what repairs can wait.
Tester
Dealer said all of it needed immediate attention. I realize I can have this done anywhere but I wanted to know if it’s even worth getting another opinion.
Spindle: the part the wheel rotates about, on its bearing. Part of the hub assembly.
Ball Joint: The wheel – being a circle – forms a mathematical plane, and that plane has to be oriented correctly w/respect the car’s body. Three points define a plane, right? The ball joint is one of those points. It is a flexible joint where the control arm connects to the wheel (actually to the hub ass’y). The other two points depend on the suspension design, but are often the strut and the tie rod.
Links: Those are extra wheel-plane-defining points. The 3 points above work ok if the car is stationary or moving straight ahead. The links are needed to counter forces on the wheel when going around corners.
Hoses: The brake pedal connects to the master cylinder (MC), all of which is bolted directly to the body of the car. The brake fluid inside the MC has to eventually be routed to the wheel. Most of that is through steel pipes also bolted to the body of the car. The problem is that the wheel isn’t bolted to the body of the car. It connects to the body of the car via a spring which allows movement for going over bumps. A flexible rubber hose is required on each wheel to bridge the gap between the steel pipes attached to the car’s body and the brake parts for the wheel.
Brake Fluid: That’s what’s inside the MC, brake pipes, and hoses.
Hub: That’s what the wheel & tire bolts to.
Bearings" See spindle, above.
I’m guessing the shop inspection outcome is that just one of these is the cause of the noise you are hearing, but the inspection also shows that the other parts are currently in need of repair or replacement to insure a safe ride.
Most of those parts are pretty common wear items on any older high mileage car. I’d be surprised if you went this long without ever replacing a ball joint or tie rod or other front end parts on the car.
1 Like