MajorCommonSuspension

Honda Edix: Worn front ball joints, lower control-arm bushes and stabiliser links

Worn front ball joints, lower control-arm bushes and stabiliser links is a common suspension fault on the Honda Edix on the 2004–2009 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $300 to $900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 9 documented faults on the Honda Edix.

Vehicle: Honda Edix
Years: 2004–2009
Fuel: petrol
System: Suspension

This page covers the Honda Edix as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda Edix faults9 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The Edix/FR-V is well known for front (and sometimes rear) suspension wear as it ages, with worn ball joints, perished lower control-arm bushes and tired stabiliser link rods being the usual culprits. Owners report knocking or clunking over bumps and at low speed, and it is a frequent MOT/WOF failure point for excessive play in the front ball joints. Because Honda originally supplied the ball joint only as part of a complete lower wishbone, dealer repairs are often over-scoped and expensive, though independent workshops can press in separate aftermarket joints far more cheaply.

What you would notice

Knocking or clunking from the front over bumps and at low speed
Play felt in the front suspension when the wheel is rocked
Uneven or accelerated front tyre wear
WOF/MOT advisory or failure for ball-joint or bush play

How to check it

Where to look. Front lower control arms, ball joints and anti-roll-bar (stabiliser) link rods; also check rear suspension bushes

With the front raised, grasp each front wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock and rock it to feel for ball-joint play, then lever the lower control arm to check the rubber bushes for cracking or movement. Tug the stabiliser (drop) links for looseness and inspect the shock absorbers for weeping. Road-test over broken surfaces listening for knocks, and review WOF history for suspension advisories.

Parts involved: Ball joint.

What it costs to put right

$300 to $900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Have the front lower arms, ball joints or stabiliser links been replaced, and when?”
“Does it knock over bumps or when turning at low speed?”
“Are there any suspension advisories on the most recent WOF?”

Now check the Honda Edix you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

PistonHeads UK owner forum thread 'Honda FR-V front ball joints MOT fail' (owners report ball-joint play failing MOT, dealer quoting full wishbone replacement, independents pressing in ~GBP15-20 aftermarket joints)
carinterior (Alibaba) Honda FR-V (Edix) reliability and buying guides listing front lower control-arm bushings, shock absorbers and stabiliser link rods as common wear items causing clunks over bumps and uneven tyre wear
What Car? Used Honda FR-V 2004-2009 review noting suspension wear leading to knocking noises and uneven tyre wear

Honda Edix buyer questions

Is worn front ball joints, lower control-arm bushes and stabiliser links serious on a Honda Edix?

We rate it major and common on the Honda Edix. The Edix/FR-V is well known for front (and sometimes rear) suspension wear as it ages, with worn ball joints, perished lower control-arm bushes and tired stabiliser link rods being the usual culprits. Owners report knocking or clunking over bumps and at low speed, and it is a frequent MOT/WOF failure point for excessive play in the front ball joints. Because Honda originally supplied the ball joint only as part of a complete lower wishbone, dealer repairs are often over-scoped and expensive, though independent workshops can press in separate aftermarket joints far more cheaply.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda Edix?

$300 to $900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda Edix years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2004–2009 Honda Edix. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.