I have a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer with 100,000 miles. At the last check up at the dealer I was given an “Estimate for Additional Needed Repairs.” I was told the upper control arms and lower ball joints front end had excessive slack. $860
Also the rear end links and stabilizer bars are noisy. $466.
Are these repairs necessary? Is it dangerous to not make the repairs? Are the estimated costs reasonable?
It doesn’t sound bad since it takes real work to do it. It sounds necessary up front, but what kind of noisy is happening in the rear? It could always be dangerous to not change the ball joints. It’s most dangerous when the ball joint breaks and you come to a tilted, scraping stop. It is a lot more expensive then too, since you may need a steering knuckle,rotor and tire too. It’s even worse if you roll over or run into something.
This is absolutely not something I would get done at a dealer. On a rig this old, and with a suspension that simple, take it to a trusted independent shop and have them do the work. I’d be willing to bet those prices go waaaaaaay down. I’m sure Ford is charging premium $$$ for those parts, and you can get quality-equivalent pieces for significantly less money elsewhere.
I go along with Josh… Shop around a little. Have a shop the specializes in chassis work look it over and see if they agree with the diagnosis and estimate…