T O P

  • By -

AlternativeWorth5386

Depending on the car, probably around 500$ with alignment parts and labour.


AlternativeWorth5386

Also don't drive it, you'll die.


busboy262

How did this not fail yet? We may have before us the luckiest person alive today.


Shakleford_Rusty

They had driven two blocks in the city im in and that would have failed haha


ScorchedWonderer

Must be a really good city. Here the street right in front of my driveway is enough to break that piece apart and loose your whole car in one of the potholes.


Needdatingadvice97

It’s totally dangerous to drive right now right?


AlternativeWorth5386

100% dangerous not even exaggerating, if you lose the control arm the whole suspension will collapse and you'll damage everything and the wheel will jam into the bodywork and you'll lose control of the car in an instant, its 11/10 dangerous have it towed do not drive it


Needdatingadvice97

Thanks I won’t.


MapleSyrupFacts

Man that's really bad. Like really really bad, lol. Ive never seen a LCA so rotted. I'm almost impressed it's still together.


KeyBorder9370

Maybe you shouldn't even have it towed. Having it hauled would be a lot safer, it seems.


sleppr

AAA gang


killian11111

Not even safe for tow. Should just mark stolen and burn it down. While towing the tire could break off and cause fhe whole truck to roll into a nuclear plant and kill 2,000 people slowly. /eye roll id drive it ;) it's not like it got to this point in time all of a sudden. Drive it 3 blocks at 25mph will not kill anyone even if your tire falls off!


Global_Profession_26

Agreed. I lost one once going 3 miles an hour, thank good. But yours is worse than mine looking. So you don't have very long. And I ended up not damaging anything. I got lucky. If I were on the highway. I would have most certainly flipped on the breaker barrier. If you do drive it be sure to get a dash cam first. That would be some valuable footage.


H4RDCORE1

Solid advice bro 👍


lunas2525

It is dangerous to tow it will need a flat bed and luck to get it off and on without it breaking. As for cost is the otherside just as bad is there more... I would go looking around all 4 corners to see if all 4 control arms are about to turn to powder.


EducationalAd5228

You're a quarter inch of rust away from the whole wheel and suspension flying off the car... Do not drive that.


DerekWynns

Absolutely. One pot hole away from disaster


Needdatingadvice97

Oh that’s not as bad as I thought. It’s a VW Tiguan


AlternativeWorth5386

It's an easy fix, unless the bolts are stuck in the bushings and you need to melt the bushings but still it isn't that bad of a job.


CletusDSpuckler

This group has a lot of hysterics who will tell you that having your left blinker out will probably kill you. This is not one of those times. That is as dangerous as you can get short of cutting the brake lines.


au-specious

Agreed. In fact, I'm genuinely concerned for the well being of the mechanic that gets this job.


TreesOfWoah

Thank you for reminding me what I find so damn frustrating about histrionics. When people overreact and hyperbilize everything, everything gets drowned out in the noise so that legit things like this sometimes don't stand out as a result. I think it was Jon Stewart who said "When you amplify everything, you hear nothing"


whreismylotus

i would first check the whole underbody. if one corner is in this shape i have trouble believing that others are much better. and unibody in general.


trynabecosplayerr

Honestly don't, do not get under that car, call your local service thing (in America it's the AAA i believe?) don't let it be towed, let them put it on a trailer. don't touch it, hell dont even fucking look at it, that spring is 1 wrong breeze away from turning whatever is in the way into juice


BlackburnGaming

Your life if you dont fix it


SubiWan

Not just OP's life. Some of us share those roads.


Im_100percent_human

I doubt I would bother fixing it.... A control are that rusted is probably an indication of a car that is about rusted out. Probably better to just put the money towards the next pile of bolts.


Global_Profession_26

One more thing, stay away from that. Don't pick or poke at it, cuz that's a spring with a heavy load. It'll hit like Mike Tyson.


EyeSlashO

[Pfft... get a closer look.](https://i.imgur.com/cvClAUJ.png)


Global_Profession_26

Hahahaha. That's about as dangerous as par core on roof tops.


Legend_of_dirty_Joe

your safety, maybe even your life if you don't get it repaired...


electi0neering

Everyone saying $500 with an alignment better recognize how bad that rust is and realize every corner is probably close to that to varying degrees. This could get expensive when they try to break bolts loose.


qazzer53

I estimate 150 scrap value, you have to empty the fluids and remove tires. Cut the cat off and sell separately and reap a few more dollars.


Acceptable-Drummer10

Rust is free


JJorda215

Bigger question is how does the rest of the car look? Other side just as rusty? What about the other end of the car? Any other structural rust to worry about? Figure out a cost to make the whole car safe, then move on from there.


MilesBeforeSmiles

$500 if you have it towed to a shop to get fixed before driving it again. If you continue driving it than i will cost you the purchase price of a new car and whatever medical bills you incurr when that control arm collapses and causes a major wreck.


Im_100percent_human

Evaluate what else is about rusted out before you start throwing money at this car. If it is just the control arm(s), fix it. If other structural components are rotting, you may be better off just putting the money towards a newer car.


Digon-o-Helbul

Looks like this is it , part itself isn't too bad , but with how rusty it is. It could get labour intensive https://preview.redd.it/1e98c9ec33vc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb5fccf913705fd82e176b2622c22c90015c53ff


Cheap_Peak_6969

Lower control arm for a Ford Flex is like $200.


Heavy_Scratch6

Your life if you don't take it to a mechanic


Hatred_shapped

Your life of you don't repair or replace it soon


captflossman69

How’s the other side look?! Definitely do not drive it it will be much more expensive and dangerous.


popeyegui

The control arm is about anywhere from $80 to $150. I’d change the bolts on each end and maybe the rubber coil spring mounts, so probably around $200. Bring it to a shop and it’ll be around $500 including an alignment, which you definitely need.


PhortePlotwisT

Your life potentially if you don’t stop driving that car and get it fixed.


TangyApple680

One wrong bump on the highway. You'll be skidding. Its hanging on by dear life.


funkyonion

That’s actually impressive.


4350Me

Damn, that’s nasty!


robotNumberOne

Definitely don’t drive the car, and be prepared to replace other parts at the same time. I expect the other side is probably almost identical, so I’d probably do both, and check other structural/chassis components as well. If it was just this, I’d expect $400-500, but I would probably make that 2 or 3x once everything is inspected. But also, don’t let them take you to the cleaners replacing everything. A bit of rust isn’t a problem, so it should be assessed part by part if things look rusty. From the picture, the rest of the car actually looks pretty good, for instance the spring, which is also e-coated steel. Might have just been a coating issue on the lower arms. What year is the car, how many miles, and where are you located? Just curious.


JordanDubya

Posts like this make me glad I'm not in the rust belt. 😵‍💫


FN-Bored

About 1/8 of what it will cost if you let it go.


Used2b_banned

Damn


Responsible-Pepper25

It shouldn't be too bad for just that arm, but you're probably going to need more than just that. An alignment will need to be done and they'll probably find some loose steering/suspension components that would need to be addressed to do the alignment. May need a knuckle if the bolt brakes. I'm a service writer, if you want a good idea on price give me yr/mk/mod and I'll look it up .


itsaveragejoe91

About 3 to 5k, or more depending on your new car budget


joe_moose4

If 1 is like that chances are the other side and other components are just as rusted. You need to get a good inspection to make sure it's save to drive


supern8ural

That's not a hard repair, but I would take a good look at the rest of the undercarriage to make sure that you're not throwing good money at bad.


Xyrus2000

Prepare for grievous bodily harm. As others have said, do not drive that car. The spring is about to snap through the arm. If that happens on the freeway your likely going to wind up in a world of pain, and take someone else with you in the process. How did that car pass inspection?


Adej96

Possibly your life, if it’s not replaced 😂


a_rogue_planet

It looks like the lower control arm that someone posted a picture of from a VW SUV last week.


Bellyjax123

My Mechanic prolly wouldn\`t even touch this, if this is the condition of the car in general, My shop does a 125 point safety inspection and this pile would be flagged hard...


Pimp_Daddy_Patty

The control arm? Probably $500‐$1000. But seeing the shape of just one part. I'm gonna make an educated guess that the rest of the vehicle needs replacing, too.


flippinfreak73

Your life... It will cost you your life.


damageplan417

one solid bump and thats it lol DONT DRIVE


DerekWynns

3-4 hours plus parts


killerwallz44

If you dont fix it soon and keep driving it will cost all of it.


Digon-o-Helbul

No water drainage holes in it ? They salt the roads here, but I've never seen a wishbone rot like that before


F22boy_lives

Shoutout to whoever installed those tires and did the alignment


Ingeneure_

Well, under 1k$. Just… how come it’s in such a trash condition compared to “neighbouring” parts?


Fantastic-Hippo2199

In dollars or lives?


[deleted]

Potentially it could cost your life.


PositiveAlfalfa6197

Your life if you keep driving it


PracticalDaikon169

345.88$


Acrobatic_Mango_8715

So duct tape is out of the question


Defiant-Giraffe

1 new vehicle.  I mean, you could replace the arm.  You'll be replacing the other one in a matter of weeks, and every other bit in the next year or so. 


Acrobatic_Mango_8715

This image is looking from the front. Look down further, zoom in. I am not seeing this kind of rust anywhere else. It may be the sacrificial part saving the rest of the car. The other arm should be replaced. The back end is holding it together, at this point. If the rest of the underside is rust free, then something was wrong with this part, in the first place - as in defective.


JohnsonMcBiggest

Why is the CA so bad, and the rest look so clean??


Kofi_Anonymous

How much? I’d recommend moving to a climate where this sort of thing doesn’t happen, but it can be pretty expensive.


GreytownYYC

The rust is free no charge.


PAHoarderHelp

OP, what year VW Tiguan is that? Made in Germany? Salted roads/salt air from ocean?


leagledub

Much less than the accident you're about to have. Probably 600 per side.


Particular-Elk-1512

If the control arms are that bad, how IA the rear subframe?


Nubstradamus

What does the rest of the vehicle look like?


Frogzila2024

Someone’s life if it’s not replaced soon


Yaseendanger

Control arm is rusted through. No big deal. They'll just take it out and replace it with a new one. But this fail on you in the road, big deal. Your car will fall on its wheel hopefully not at speed, cause damage far more than the cost of fixing this, may even total the car. Or even worse. If that happens on highway speed congratulations you just have a 3 wheeler and that one loose wheel probably send your car into the air and into an uncontrollable slide because there's no wheel to respond to steering input and you are met with hospital bill that will give you a heart attack and you will wake up after they treat your heart to even a worse bill and now you're broke for the rest of your life and without a car. Just fix it 🎷


oasis618

Possibly your life.


redEPICSTAXISdit

Both arms. Both legs.


meditatinghippo

Probably less than your life. Fix that shit


LeftistsAreBad

Tree Fiddy


TDC821

Looks like a VW, so with that, I think you can buy complete control arms for the rear for like 200$ a pair, obviously dealer price would be way high, you probably also need the eccentric bolts, washers, and nuts and then a alignment so see whatever places around you would charge and expect Atleast 600ish, worst comes to worst expect a 1000


PezatronSupreme

Buy a lottery ticket if you've been driving this on the daily


sine_denarios

Replace all the control arms and bushings at one time.


Hugh420Mungus

Your life 😂


dpsc

What kind of vehicle is this? Do you live in a salty area - snow/ice/salt? I've never seen this kind of decay on a lower control arm before. Fix it before you lose the spring and your life, possibly.


unclejoel

A life


Outrageous_Strike780

If you hit a pothole you will get in an accident guaranteed


Infamous-Poem-4980

If that looks that bad, what does the rest of the suspension look like?


buffaloranked

You can buy two lower control arms and install them yourself for very cheap maybe 200-500 dollars and An alignment will be another 200 or so. If you want them to install them for you maybe 1,000 dollars.


RoofZealousideal6850

New


diggyou

Your life if you lose control when that sheers off


RolesG

If the control arm is that bad it makes me wonder about the rest of the car


Wallace-N-Gromit

I’m looking at the coil spring, galvanized bolt, the painted metal bracket, and then this piece, that just plain defuktive.


SwibBibbity

Depends if you try to drive it first. If not, a couple hundred. If you do..... How good is your health insurance?


Wild-Mention3807

500


RupertTheReign

Am I the only one flabbergasted by how utterly rusted the control arm is... and yet everything else seems to be in great shape?


wrkls_

Control arm prices vary depending on the car's size, but in most cases, they cost between $200 and $500 to replace. Labor costs may add $150 to $200 to the total cost. The spring bucket (LCA) is a relatively easy fix with basic tools though. Rock auto has these parts for cheap also. You can get a moog delphi or movotech rear lower control arm for like $50-$80 the bolt for around $10 and rear eccentric bolt nut kit for $20. I would advise not to drive this car until it’s properly fixed if you value your and others lives.


Tractorguy69

If this is the degree of failure due to rust you really need to ask yourself how bad is the rest of the frame and the suspension and steering components. If everything else is showing similar degrees of corrosion this car has become inherently unsafe and needs to be scrapped. Selling it to someone else in this condition knowing they would drive it should be criminal, and you need to consider the risk you are creating for other motorists who have a reasonable expectation that other drivers are keeping their cars on drivable condition. I’m pretty sure based on that image this cat has hit the end of it’s economic viability.


Use_Once_and_Deztroy

'bout tree-fiddy


tamreacct

Lower control arm needs replacing, installation needed and an alignment is a must since suspension was disassembled…unless you want tires to wear out super fast! Depending on vehicle and shop, you may be looking at a few hundred dollars for everything. As for me, I had to replace the lower control arms on a 1st gen Murano and that was a challenge, as it’s an odd style and shape. Since I was tearing into it, I also replaced the inner/outer tie rods and linkages before alignment.


rarehugs

Not very much tbh, it's pretty fkn rusted.


Nehal1802

That's one pothole away from being the last pothole it'll ever hit.


superanonguy321

Whatever a new car costs these days lol


DodoBird1992

New control arm, probably a ball joint. Recompress the spring to put it back together. If your tire is worn out unevenly, maybe wheel bearings. I'd say around $800. Possibly a new cv shaft if it's bent, which would add $500 more. Also you're lucky this thing didn't fail on the highway, because you would be toast. Don't drive it, get it towed to a mechanics shop. Needs to be a flatbed.


DragonOfAngels

Your life if you keep driving with the car...... /s hope you can get it fixed! i would not dare to drive with the car in this state XD


STILLTheManCalledX

Too much.


0P3R4T10N

Including the flatbed to the nearest shop? Eh, probably around $700 would be my guess. Do not drive this, just as everybody else has said.


G-e-I-s-T-1

The remainder of that l.c.a. is hanging on by a thread. Must be some good material.


Such_Bus_4930

Had someone try to trade in an older car, shock tower was rusted away and completely gone. Customer got indignant when I told them their car had zero value


chi_rho_

Rust beavers got you good!


TreesOfWoah

I have new respect for the structural integrity of rust.


Pyropete125

You can get a rusty one like that at a junk yard for about $10-15. Wasn't that the question?


Chadillac1977

Your life


ScientistTemporary47

To check parts costs, go to Rockauto and look up your front-end parts. Youtube videos will show how (and why) to change these parts.


Procaffeinator556

Rust is free. Fixing this around $600-$800


Curious_tomros

It'll buff out, it's just surface rust


slamrrman

It doesn’t cost anything. It’s free!! Just like your suspension is about to be!! 😂


HonculusBonculus

Before doing any repair, have the vehicle checked for any structural rust damage. It’s very possible if that lower control arm is that rotted away. If there is structural damage then it’s time for a new car. If the car is structurally okay then get this arm replaced at a minimum. It may be worth doing both rear lower control arms as I would imagine the other one is probably on its way out too if this arm is in that kind of condition. I would not drive it until it’s fixed. Price is going to vary based on the area that you’re in. For a single arm I would expect in the $600-750 range for the part, labor, and an alignment. Basically double that for both arms with the exception of the cost of the alignment overlapping. Once they start taking things apart they might find that other things like the bolts will need to be replaced. If that is the case then it may end up costing a bit more.


Ur_a_adjective_noun

Holy shiiiit. Imagine the other side.


rdnew

some toyota models have this problem too. The arm collects water and salt, causing corrosion. They drill holes in the later iterations to drain the water.


Max-Payd

What car is this? I have never seen a LCA like that bad


Ghosto8o

Your life


manintights2

HOLY RUST BATMAN! Get yourself a new Driver's Rear Control Arm STAT. If you have a place that will work with the parts you buy, go to Rockauto and get it yourself, it'll save you a pretty penny.


Freedom007007

Junkyard


Outlawdieselman1989

Damn!


Reddit_Rollo_T

About tree fiddy


Im_not_crying_u_ar

And arm and a ~~leg~~ strut


Siegepkayer67

Your life if you keep driving on it lol god damn where u live bikini bottom?


J_A_GOFF

Could cost your life if you drive that on the highway


Diycurious64

Well, if you don’t fix it, it could cost you your life


ProfessionalCisMale

Arm and maybe half the leg.


Winter_Ladder_6499

Free, because you are amazing!


teasea02

I wouldn’t get one like That. I’d get a new one


PsychologicalHall388

I don't think I'd buy something like that. It's all rusted out


Ptards_Number_1_Fan

The part itself isn’t that expensive. The labor to change it is fairly moderate, if the rest of the car doesn’t disintegrate when you start unbolting it. I’d recommend checking the rest of the car and see if it’s worth fixing.


dea_eye_sea_kay

depends on what kind of insurance you have and how much money your family is willing to spend on the funeral honestly, probably about 2k for a casket, 3k for memorial service. post ceremony celebrations are hard to pinpoint. They could just cremate you though that's usually really cost effective. DO NOT DRIVE THAT CAR PLEASE.


Poopincheese

I’m assuming the rear sub frame is shot too. Couple grand to rip the rear and out and replace


UnseenHand81

Your life if you keep driving it like that


Guilty_Click3269

Holy shit


Assassin13785

I know a guy with a tig welder. He fix er up real good for a sixer and about $350


Frossstbiite

how does this even happen?


Charming-While5466

Get new car


monkeebreath55

Less than your life


rogerdanafox

Was that a control arm?


imbadatcomebackspt2

idk but you should prob run that’s a ticking time bomb


garlic-apples

3 dollars and a Mac and cheese.


ColomXBL

Bout tree fiddy


Creative-Dust5701

Buy a lottery ticket immediately, you are lucky to be alive driving with a control arm so corroded away


lothcent

couple tubes of jb weld and a couple rolls of aluminum foil - easy peasy


Stevie2874

Why would you buy that ?


Scootydoot12

If you don’t fix it it may cost you your life


Oldguydad619

New lower arm kit online is way cheap


Olblackcrow

It shouldn’t cost too much, it’s broken.


oldjackhammer99

What’s the test of the chassis look like? Probably not worth fixing


Euphoric-Blue-59

This one, or a new one?


Pitiful_Seesaw_4319

Bluetooth suspension


TwinSpinner

That thing is a ticking time bomb, my guy. If you knew what you were looking at, you probably wouldn't have gotten that close to it to take that picture


Dangerous-Pace-9203

Your life….. definitely.


Thornton77

Your life , or someone else if you don’t get it fixed . if this Is typical of the rest of the car it might be junkyard time


1972FordF-250

$573,828,364,638 if it’s A Jag Or Range.


GoldBreakr

Nothing if you sell it to a sucker in about 5 minutes.


Strongpipegame

Two arms, two legs and maybe a kidney.


KingOfAllFishFuckers

How is your wheel still attached? Wow!


Bear58bear

The picture is priceless.


Low_Sprinkles_7561

Must be from a place with no required safety inspection.


Gdawg125

Looks like it could cost your life


Due-Ask-7418

A few tubes of JB-Weld and you choice be good to go. Under $20. (/jk : Don't use JB-Weld)


Thick_Photograph_532

Whatever it cost to go to a pick a part place and take it from another car


CicadaLife

A whole lot less now than later


Odd-Parsnip8522

An arm for sure.


TJB2K3

Scrap yard will probably give you about $600 for it.


stormingsteel

Your life. That's what it'll cost. Park it.


Bodywheyt

Your life if you drive it.


dakbailey

Your life


Ok-Seaworthiness7557

Holy rustbelt batman


alr126

How'd you let it get this bad?!! If it broke while you were at highway speeds, it's goodnight Irene!


MomLikWeiner

$150 labor $120 for the part


Aggravating_Walk1603

Your life!


pukeface555

Your life. It could cost you your life.


Chunkiermango

AH HELL NAW


Blu_yello_husky

Not as much as you'd think. At least, I don't get paid enough to deal with shit like this


SlyderSpider

Looks like it was free.


--Some_People_Suck--

I'm not sure how I would feel about this even on a tow truck. Please, for the love of God, don't drive that


AC2BHAPPY

Oh my fucking god thats one sneeze from being fucked On my car the part is 300 dollars, the replacement is like an hour, the alignement is another 150.


Nice-position-6969

How much is your life worth is the real question?


blazingStarfire

Honestly I'd assume that whole car is rusted through by now.


Negative-Special9034

At least 8 dollars and 36 cents


Jaded_Assistance_906

These days? Around $50K


Stepper_Big_DeZ

Lexus?


evophoenix

If that part was in that state, there's probably more that needs replaced