My new '05 V6!!! Problems already?!

Hey guys! I'm new to the forum and a new Mustang owner. I decided I'm too poor to keep my 06 F-150 so it's going back to the dealer on Wednesday since the lease is up then. To keep myself mobile, I bought an '05 4.0L Mustang recently. The car is stock except for 19" Zinik wheels. It's got 44k miles on it and the guy said it's been serviced regularly. The only complaint he had about the car was the Shaker stereo in it.

I took the car to my mechanic a few days ago to have them inspect it. They told me it needed the following:

Air Filter - $56 parts / $0 labor
Serpentine Belt - $52 parts / $70 labor
Oil Change - $23 parts / $3 labor
Ball Joints - $342 parts / $112 labor
Rear Shocks - $102 parts / $30 labor
Brake flush - $0 parts / $90 labor
Power Steering Flush - $0 parts / $90 labor
Coolant Flush - $0 parts / $90 labor
Battery - $103 parts / $7.50 labor

Total - $678 parts / $492.50 labor = $1,170.25 + tax


This is way out of my price range. Are these ninety dollar flushes really necessary? And if so, can I do these myself? Where can I find instructions on how to do these?

I'm sure I can find an air filter and serpentine belt cheaper than that.

My main question is whether I can use these GT500 Cobra Front Lower Control Arms on my car. http://www.stangsuspension.com/store/comersus_viewitem.asp?idproduct=1515

I also found OEM LCA's at VarsityFordParts.com for $236 for the pair and rear shocks for $64 for the pair. I haven't done much mechanically before and am not sure if I'll have a problem trying to do this myself.

Also, everytime I hit any bump in the road, the wheel jerks and the car wants to veer. What can I do about this?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide!

56 dollars for an air filter is outragous. The belt shouldn't need to be replaced already with only 44K, although unless you're in very high heat, low humidity... it may make the belt start to crack prematurely.

The coolant is good until 100K, although I think you would be out of your mind to keep coolant in there that long... so I agree with the coolant flush. Unless you have a coolant flush machine... you really won't get all the old coolant out.

The ball joints... Have to see them to know if they were bad... But if they are... I would get it fixed... But I would get a second opinion on that.. they shouldn't be bad yet.


Shocks don't normally go out in 44K miles either.. but it's possible.. The charge for those is not bad.

Power steering flush.. not a bad idea... Fords are notorious for killing the pumps from dirty PS fluid.

The brake fluid flush should be done every 30K... so not a bad idea although 90 bucks to do that is out of this world expensive.

The battery is expensive.. but it really depends on what kinda battery. Interstates are pretty good.

FIND ANOTHER MECHANIC THIS ONE IS RIPPING YOU OFF
MY 06 HAS 40K AND DOESN'T NEED ANY OF THAT STUFF

You need a new mechanic.. Those prices are outrageous.

Most of that list is stuff you would do at 100k miles.. not 44k.

Get an air filter at Auto Zone or Wal-Mart and easily install it yourself..

The belt.. that shouldn't be due yet.. unless it's cracked. I got 125,000 out of the belt on the F350.. and it still looked fine. My sister got over 100,000 out of the one on her '98 Ranger.

Ball Joints- no way.. unless the 19's wore out the suspension, although I highly doubt that.

Shocks.. those can always be upgraded.. even when the car has 0 miles on it.

Battery- for $100 you should get an Optima and install it yourself.

Brake flush- good idea, but way too expensive.

Oil Change- again, Wal-Mart for supplies, and do it yourself.. Although $20-$30 is an okay price range.

Coolant-- seems too early.. I wouldn't stretch it to 100k.. but I do think your's has more life..


Good luck. Find a better mechanic that doesn't want to drain your wallet.

I went to walmart last week for an air filter and they werent listed in the book for 05 and up. went to autozone and checkers and same thing not listed. went to the dealer and was quoted $94! they might as well have asked me to bend over! a k&n is $42 at jegs. my 02 had 100k and only things I changed were the batt, coolant, oil, spark plugs. never had a problem with the power steering or brake fluid. I agree that mechanic is over charging.

That's why it's called Preventive Maintance. So you don't have a problem.

if your unsure about your first quote always get a second opinion, but don't mention any issues when you go to the 2nd place and just see what they have to say.

Yea I couldnt believe it either, they dont even list it at walmart.


http://www.partscheap.com/mustangaccessories05.htm
Ford Motorcraft Air Filter
4.0 V6, 4.6 V8 GT

Fits 2005-2008 Mustang V6 and GT
FA-1773
Your Cost
$22.61

yeah they are trying to rip you off. Geez. Find another Mustang owner around town and ask them to take a look at it. Most Mustang owners have a clue. Not all, but most.

Other then the labor on the belt... and the brake fluid flush... everything is in line with most major repair shops. You guys think it's a rip off because most of you do your own work... You don't pay others to do it. Gotta remember shops mark up parts to make money. ATLEAST TWO times what they buy it for... If they didn't... Your favorite shop would be shut down and out of business. I'm sure whatever you all do for a living, someone can do it and thinks you or your company charges WAY too much.

$342 for ball joints is so ridiculous its not even worth debating.

Considering I can't find any aftermarket manufactures of lower ball joints for the S197... you'd be looking at getting a WHOLE control arm from the dealer... times two.... Or you can go the only route I've found... the Steeda X5... but you need 18s to make them fit... So saying I'm getting lower arms from the dealer... You'd be looking right around 420-450 before tax. So 342 is pretty good to me.

Edit: I found them from Advance Auto. My price would then be around 370. So 342 is still sounding pretty good!


You guys have to remember. If you're used to doing it yourself... these prices sound outragious! You're only buying parts! And paying the rest in sweat and busted knuckles. So it's like 102 bucks for parts and your labor... or 340-370 and you can sit at home with your wife and kids and get a warranty. It depends on what's more important to you. Money, or your time.

All you need to do is ask the Mechanic to demonstrate why it needs what he is recommending. Maybe the car was launched like a "Bullitt" Mustang on a regular basis causing the shocks and the ball joints to wear out! The Coolant is usually recommended at every 30k miles. The brake and p.s flushes is not a bad idea...

I agree with PoopDawg that the parts price for the ball joints is correct because this is actually the price for the entire front lower control arm (x2) from Ford. The ball joints themselves apparently are permanently attached to the stock arms and can't be individually replaced unless you've got aftermarket LCA's with separate ball joints.

Anyway..so I did what I should have done from the beginning. I emailed stangsuspension.com and was told that the LCA's are a direct swap.

Now where do I get replacement hardware (bolts, nuts) and how do I know what size to use?

Using a stock GT500 arm? Just go to your dealer, tell them what you need and order it up. I know a lot of the bolts are stated to not be reuseable.... But I've reused them many times. They're not a torque to yield or stretch bolts (suspension bolts/nuts)... it's not like reusing a cam phaser or head bolt.

But the stock arms are like $300 plus shipping and the GT500s are $200. Aren't the stock GT500 arms better than the regular stock arms?

I guess I haven't looked into it for the Mustang yet. Jeez I replaced them on my 98 explorer and they were 40 bucks a piece or something like that.

Don't buy a word of this... well, almost none of it.

The service dude is trying to sell a bunch of maintenance crap to you. Its his job. All he's doing is looking at a manual and the recommendations for a Mustang with 44k. He didnt determine that by actually looking at the car.

Air filter is easy. Get it at wal mart for $15. Install it yourself.

Ball joints may be real. All the other stuff sounds like it would be nice... but NOT absolutely necessary.

Bad ball joints would be painfully obvious on a test drive; clunking llike crazy over bumps and when steering!!! bad rear shocks would be noticeable to most people; bouncy in the back. belt squeal would be obvious. All the flushes (brake/ ps/ coolant) not needed, unless you have specifically noticed an issue with that system.

Air filter & battery are easy to replace yourself. An Oil change is all I'd do on that list, and I wouldn't go to that guy.

Tom