Driver's side lower control arm failure at 68k

[Jesse_James]

2012 Passat TDI SEL

The rear bushing of the driver's side control arm that is bolted to the body side of the car failed and ripped pretty badly. I was getting knocking noises while driving. This is the nearest -to-the-rear vertical bushing, not the front, closet-to-the-motor horizontal one. Anybody have lower control arm failures on their 2012+ Passats?

This is my wife's car and she says she hasn't hit anything or had a traumatic pothole attack her while driving.

I have the old control arm and the rubber looks very old and weathered.
Got a couple of photos, any way to upload images to this post?

 

[oilhammer]

Are you speaking of the compliance bushing at the rear of the control arm?

Because I thought it was sort of funny how they went BACK to that failure prone design on the newer cars. Yours is the first I have heard of failing on the NMS Passat though. But it does not surprise me.

Fortunately they are pretty easy to replace.

 

[Jesse_James]

My shop mechanic found this when they went to put the new tires on and do the alignment. They replaced it with no problem and the bump/knock disappeared. So all is well.

It looks like the rubber cushion used around the center aluminum bushing sitting in the steel arm was not formulated correctly and it just deteriorated prematurely. I've seen rubber bushings on old 80's Honda's that look better than this. Man, what the hell happened to quality control?

The form FAQ says that there is supposed to be a button labeled 'Manage Attachments' under the message box but it's been turned off.

Jesse

 

[jrm]

I live a mile down a pot hole filled dirt road and I rally my Passat threw it- no problems with my end links or any of the suspension yet! 115K

 

[740GLE]

log in to the picture hosting portion of the site and upload there.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/

 

[roni024]

I had a control arm bushing give out on my 2013. Found out when I brought it in for alignment. Apparently, pressing a new bushing into the control arm is not an easy task, as my local dealership was unable to do so. I had to buy a complete control arm with bushings installed. Luckily, the dealership sold the new arm to me at cost.

You may be able to press in a new bushing if you heat the control arm and freeze the bushing. Worth a try if you have patience.

 

[ekiM]

I had a control arm bushing give out on my 2013. Found out when I brought it in for alignment. Apparently, pressing a new bushing into the control arm is not an easy task, as my local dealership was unable to do so. I had to buy a complete control arm with bushings installed. Luckily, the dealership sold the new arm to me at cost.

You may be able to press in a new bushing if you heat the control arm and freeze the bushing. Worth a try if you have patience.

If you have a press, that's the way to go. Otherwise, if you have a reciprocating saw, you can remove it in seconds, just cut the metal ring of the bushing to release the tension. The new one can be installed with a dead-blow hammer or a vise and a bit of care. Not much more than a bit though, suspension components are pretty damned durable.

 

[roni024]

They had a press. Still couldn't make it happen. Maybe they were just plain incompetent.

 

[fredthe]

I was going to start a new thread, but found this one. Just had a control arm bushing fail on my '13 Passat TDI, at 195k miles. Possibly related the sway bar may have broken one of the bushings connecting it to the subframe, still waiting to hear on that one.

What's annoying is I had an alignment done two months ago, because there was a bit of vibration in the front end. They really should have caught it then, so I pointed that out and at lest they won't be charging me for the alignment after they do the control arm work.

 

[740GLE]

I'm starting to think we may have bushings going bad on ours too, yet had an alignment done and asked them to check for a clunk, you figure they'd love to find bad bushings and change them out for you, easy shop time.

 

[jw4free]

My 2012 front left lower control arm has a failed bushing at the rear of the arm. I had been hearing a clunking for quite a while 6-8 months maybe, and thought the left strut was making the noise. I did an oil change last weekend and was inspecting the front end. Grabbed the tire and heard / felt /saw the lower control arm slopping around. Rubber bushing fail. I have 185K miles on it. I won't blame the raccoon either (see my thread regarding front end repair). The right appears to be solid.

 

[jw4free]

Can you guys / gals recommend a good "vw" brand for the whole lower control arm. They range from $37 to $109. U:RO Parts, Delphi, DIY Solutions, Rein (without ball joint); Suspensia, Beck / Arnley, MevoTech (with ball joint)?

I am leaning toward Suspensia or Mevotech

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Our customers are happy with the quality of these: https://www.idparts.com/front-contr...-left-beetlenms-561407151m-58085-p-12418.html

 

[oilhammer]

I'd just get a new bushing. That's all they ever need.

 

[740GLE]

If you're doing the work I'd agree that just a new bushing would be the way to go, even with RS3 style. But if paying a shop, it'd be very tough to pass up $70 LCA with new ball joints and save a little bit in labor.

 

[oilhammer]

You won't save anything in labor if you change the ball joint. It takes longer to get the ball joint off the carrier than it does to press a new bushing into the arm.

 

[pedroYUL]

Don't know the part number of the small bushing, the one that failed, but if you are R&R'ing the control arm, I would change the big bushing at the same time for this one Audi 81A-407-183.

 

[fredthe]

A quick update on my control arm bushing issue, Dealer replaced the bushings with 2.5 hours of labor per side, 0.4 more than the book labor rate.

 

[jw4free]

Purchased lower control arm from ID Parts. Fast Shipping, good packaging.

 

[jw4free]

I had to loosen the subframe, raise the drivetrain, and use a pry bar to get the front pivot bolt to clear the transmission.


Used Driver side lower control arm.


The rubber bushing completely failed.

 

[740GLE]

You won't save anything in labor if you change the ball joint. It takes longer to get the ball joint off the carrier than it does to press a new bushing into the arm.

But what happens if the ball joint fails in XX more miles? or are these ball joints solid these days? Also if you don't want to change out the ball joint now, strip it off the new LCA and save it for the failure down the line.

 

[740GLE]

I had to loosen the subframe, raise the drivetrain, and use a pry bar to get the front pivot bolt to clear the transmission.


Used Driver side lower control arm.


The rubber bushing completely failed.

You have to undo transmission mounts? or just undo dogbone and slightly raise the transmission, while slightly lower the subframe?

Also kudos for using dual floor jacks, Saftey third!

 

[oilhammer]

Never seen a ball joint be needed on an NMS (yet). Plenty of broken compliance bushings, though.

 

[jw4free]

I used 3 floor jacks( passenger side not shown). I could not see where to locate my floor stands. But, my wife insists I keep my life insurance current.

l lowered the subframe about an inch on driver side, less on passenger side. It wasn't enough, so raised the transmission until it limited out, then took a prybar at the end of the subframe and got the bolt to clear.

Upon reinstallation of the bolt, I clearanced the web on the transmission slightly to make installation easier. I did not want to lower the subframe any more.

 

[CDuffey]

I used 3 floor jacks( passenger side not shown). I could not see where to locate my floor stands. But, my wife insists I keep my life insurance current.

l lowered the subframe about an inch on driver side, less on passenger side. It wasn't enough, so raised the transmission until it limited out, then took a prybar at the end of the subframe and got the bolt to clear.

Upon reinstallation of the bolt, I clearanced the web on the transmission slightly to make installation easier. I did not want to lower the subframe any more.

Hello, Nice post! I have 2013 Passat TDI NMS, I need to change out my lower control arms, but I'm a bit concerned with the transmission side bolt clearance issue. Can you give short overview of which subframe bolts i will need to loosen, and if I will need to place a bottle jack or just pry a bit to clear the transmission. If i could have an overview of the process to go on! Thanks in advance, I really appreciate your help. I am just afraid to break something by rocking the engine backwards.

Thanks,

Chad