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Subaru Forester Control Arm Assembly Replacement at your home or office.

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Control Arm Assembly Replacement Service

How much does a Control Arm Assembly Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Subaru Forester Control Arm Assembly Replacement is $224 with $84 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2014 Subaru ForesterH4-2.0L TurboService typeControl Arm Assembly - Front Upper Right ReplacementEstimate$699.22Shop/Dealer Price$838.88 - $1249.74
2005 Subaru ForesterH4-2.5L TurboService typeControl Arm Assembly - Front Lower Right ReplacementEstimate$1184.09Shop/Dealer Price$1445.45 - $2225.40
2004 Subaru ForesterH4-2.5L TurboService typeControl Arm Assembly - Rear Lower Left ReplacementEstimate$466.71Shop/Dealer Price$548.75 - $790.68
2017 Subaru ForesterH4-2.5LService typeControl Arm Assembly - Rear Upper Left ReplacementEstimate$314.91Shop/Dealer Price$359.00 - $487.08
2014 Subaru ForesterH4-2.0L TurboService typeControl Arm Assembly - Rear Lower Right ReplacementEstimate$683.84Shop/Dealer Price$781.83 - $1059.32
2012 Subaru ForesterH4-2.5LService typeControl Arm Assembly - Front Lower Left ReplacementEstimate$597.75Shop/Dealer Price$712.69 - $1053.01
2018 Subaru ForesterH4-2.5LService typeControl Arm Assembly - Front Lower Right ReplacementEstimate$719.41Shop/Dealer Price$857.71 - $1267.56
2015 Subaru ForesterH4-2.0L TurboService typeControl Arm Assembly - Rear Lower Left ReplacementEstimate$540.14Shop/Dealer Price$598.96 - $766.25
Show example Subaru Forester Control Arm Assembly Replacement prices

What is a control arm and how does it work?

A control arm is a suspension component, usually made of heavy gauge steel or aluminum, that links the steering knuckle in the front — or axle carrier in the rear — to the frame of the vehicle. Many vehicles have upper and lower control arms. The inboard link(s) of the arm securely bolt to the frame of the vehicle through rubber bushings, while the outboard link of the control arm connects to the steering knuckle through a ball joint; all of which allow the control of the up and down movement of the steering knuckle or axle carrier. This minimizes the transmission of shock and vibration to the vehicle’s body.

When to consider replacing a control arm:

The structural portion of the control arm can last the life of the vehicle — except for cases of corrosion or crash damage. However, the rubber bushings and the ball joint in a control arm have a limited life. A mechanic should investigate if you notice:

  • Wheel alignment difficulties. Should the bushings, or the ball joint, in a control arm be worn, it will be impossible to properly align the vehicle. The worn components, or the entire arm, must be replaced.
  • Vehicle won’t track straight or pulls to one side. A car will not track straight and may require constant steering correction if there is a worn, bent, or loose control arm.
  • Clunking or squeaking noise. A loose control arm, or a control arm with dried out, rotted, or loose bushings, may move enough to cause detectable noise from the suspension as you go over bumps in the road.
  • Vehicle pulls to one side only when braking. Worn bushings or ball joints can allow control arm to shift when braking, causing the vehicle to pull to one side. Although, this could also be caused by brake calipers.

How do mechanics replace a control arm?

  • The vehicle is raised and supported on steel jack stands, and the wheel and tire assembly is removed.
  • Stabilizer bar links are detached from the control arm, if applicable. ABS wiring to the wheel speed sensor, if routed along the arm, is disconnected.
  • Control arm mounting bolts are detached from the frame and from the axle carrier if the control arm is in the rear.
  • For front control arms connected to the steering knuckle via a ball joint, the nut is removed from the ball joint stud and the stud is pushed through the steering knuckle to free the arm.
  • The arm is lowered from the vehicle and examined by the mechanic to confirm that the noise, or other problem, actually originated from a defect in the arm.
  • The new arm is installed using new mounting bolts if required by the service manual. In many cases, the fasteners must be tightened with the vehicle weight on the suspension in order to ensure the bushings are in a neutral, or resting, position.
  • The vehicle is lowered and road tested to confirm the problem is resolved. Replacing a control arm will change the vehicle alignment settings and the mechanic will refer you to a professional alignment shop to have the vehicle alignment set to factory specifications.

Is it safe to drive with a control arm problem?

No. If the car wanders on the road, pulls to one side, or noise from the suspension is loud, you need to schedule repair right away. Should the problem be limited to low levels of noise, such as clunking or squeaking, continued use of the car is reasonable until you can schedule a repair. Should the control arms be damaged as a result of a collision, it would be unsafe to drive the car until it is repaired.

When replacing a control arm keep in mind:

  • The number of control arm types vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the design of the vehicle suspension.
  • Control arms should be replaced in pairs — arms on both sides of a front or rear axle — if the reason for replacement is worn control arm bushings or a worn ball joint.
  • All other suspension components should be inspected when control arms are replaced because looseness, damage, or excessive wear in other parts of the suspension system will make it impossible to perform a wheel alignment after the control arms are replaced.

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Number of Subaru Forester Control Arm Assembly Replacement services completed
33+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Subaru MECHANICS
800+
experts on our platform
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Meet some of our expert Subaru mechanics

Real customer reviews from Subaru owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(3)
Rating Summary
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Chris

13 years of experience
490 reviews
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Chris
13 years of experience
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by Timur Bayramov
Forester 2011 - Control Arm Assembly - Katy, TX
Great experience, Chris was right on time and performed job as I was expecting it. Quality work, honest about thing that should be done to my car. No mess at all. Highly recommend.

Darnell

19 years of experience
5 reviews
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Darnell
19 years of experience
Request Darnell
by Marissa Kimsey
Forester 1998 - Starter - Los Angeles, CA
Darnell was very professional and helpful! He broke everything down and leveled with me, which I really appreciate. Can’t recommend him enough!!

Derrick

20 years of experience
16 reviews
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Derrick
20 years of experience
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by Adam Lovallo
Forester 2017 - Oil Change - Brooklyn, NY
Superb experience!

Mike

25 years of experience
79 reviews
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Mike
25 years of experience
Request Mike
by Jon Rodriguez
Forester 1999 - Spark Plugs - Ann Arbor, MI
Mike was great, and I highly would recommend him. His 25 years of experience and expertise was clear by how he patiently answered all my questions. Mike was extremely helpful and efficient!

Excellent Rating

(3)
Rating Summary
2
0
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
Number of Subaru Forester Control Arm Assembly Replacement services completed
33+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Subaru MECHANICS
800+
experts on our platform
Yourmechanic was featured in

New York Times NBC CBS Forbes INC Tech Crunch

Learn more about us

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