What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($261)MiddleHigher-cost states ($332)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $332 and AR the lowest at $261, across 51 states.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 6-9 years (33%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 30% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
61 owner complaints name this part.
Owners say the dealer could not fix or repeat the problem. If it comes back after a repair, ask what was tested before you pay again.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 42%.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
How serious did it get for owners?
Among the 61 owner complaints naming this part, being towed is the outcome owners report most often.
Outcomes owners reported in complaints about this part. Towed: 3; Crash reported: 1.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 61 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 18 (30%), followed by 2016 at 8 (13%); the smallest shown is 2020 at 1 (2%).
Has the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 19 equipment recalls that name joint since 2015 (power train and suspension), covering 118,724 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Dorman Products, Inc. in 2023, covered 27,528.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dorman Products, Inc.: Ball Joint | front control arm | certain Suspension Ball Joints, with part number BJ50075, and 2601797. | 27,528 |
| 2024 | Tenneco Automotive: Ball Joint | front control arm | certain aftermarket ball joints for 2013-2019 Ford Escape vehicles, MOOG part numbers K500346, K500347, NAPA. | 23,489 |
| 2022 | Tenneco Automotive: Sequoia, Tundra | front control arm | certain aftermarket ball joints for 2004-2007 Toyota Sequoia and 2004-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles, MOOG part. | 15,200 |
| 2025 | Cognito Motorsports: Rev C Ball Joint | front control arm | certain Rev C Ball Joints with part number 91253, for installation on 2011-2025 GMC and Chevrolet 2500HD and. | 12,160 |
| 2024 | Mevotech Us Inc.: Control Arms | front control arm | certain aftermarket lower control arms, part numbers 5CB801134 and 5CB801135. | 6,705 |
| 2026 | Tenneco Automotive: Lower Control Arm Assembly | front control arm | certain Beck/Arnley replacement lower control arm and ball joint assemblies for 2018-2025 Subaru Forester and. | 6,668 |
| 2023 | Ironman 4x4 Usa Ii Llc: Pro Forge | front control arm | certain Pro Forge upper control arms. Please see the recall report for a list of the affected part numbers. | 6,345 |
| 2017 | Trw Automotive Inc: Ball Joint | front control arm | certain aftermarket replacement Left Hand and Right Hand Lower Ball Joints, sold for use on Toyota 4Runner. | 6,086 |
| 2017 | Reyco Granning: Front Suspension | front control arm | certain Independent Front Suspensions (IFS) modules, sizes 1000, 1700, 1800, 20 and 24. | 3,328 |
| 2021 | Tenneco Automotive: F-150 | front control arm | certain MOOG K500359 ball joints, for aftermarket installation on 2015-2018 Ford F-150 trucks. | 2,394 |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 22 foreign recall campaigns that name joint with NHTSA since 2015 (matched by the filing text); the latest, from Daimler Coaches North America in 2026-06.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 256 | There is a possibility that the upper universal joint on the steering intermediate shaft assembly may have developed cracks during the manufacturing process at a |
| 2023-10 | Volkswagen Group. | 212 | 248-754-5000 Phone Washington, DC 20590 248-754-5093 Fax October 25, 2023 Date Subject: Notification of Recall Pursuant to 49 CFR Part 579.11 (a) Universal Joints Dear Dr. |
| 2024-08 | Kia America. | 192 | 573.6(C)(5) InDefect Description: Inteference between the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) main wiring harness and the 579.12(a) steering U-Joint bolt can occur while driving, Country in Which the Recall Is Being causing damage to the wiring harness. |
| 2025-06 | Jaguar Land Rover | 084 | Estimated number of vehicles affected (including breakdown by country) Country Volume Canada 3,343 Total 3,343 Estimated Percentage of Vehicles that contain the subject condition 100% -2- ATTACHMENT Reason for this Field Action A concern has been identified on. |
| 2026-06 | Daimler Coaches | 080 | 573.6(c)(3) Total Number of Vehicles Potentially 145 Affected: 573.6(c)(5) Defect Description: Due to a voluntary disclosure by the supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG, we have been informed that there may have been a manufacturing deviation in the ball joints. |
| 2025-05 | Jaguar Land Rover | 067 | -2- ATTACHMENT Estimated number of vehicles affected (including breakdown by country) Country Volume Canada 9,239 Total 9,239 Estimated Percentage of Vehicles that contain the subject condition 100% Reason for this Field Action A concern has been identified on. |
| 2026-02 | ZF. | 019 | The components at issue are replacement angle ball joints, center rods, steering tie rods and stabilizer rods utilized with the ZF steering rod assembly and supplied for aftermarket fitment to certain buses and heavy commercial vehicles. |
| 2025-02 | Ford Motor Company | 008 | Estimated percentage of the affected vehicles 100% reason for this field action it was observed that a gap condition existed between the left-hand front lower control arm (flca) ball joint nut and steering knuck |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 14 NHTSA recalls that name joint filed 2015 to 2024, 69.4% of the 1,146,768 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 351,367 vehicles still carrying the defect.
What it shows: Jeep 2023 is the largest at 93.5%, followed by Jeep 2024 at 87.0%; the smallest shown is Ford 2019 at 49.5%.
Has the maker published a fix?
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAM | 3500 2021–2027; 2500 2021–2027 | 9100841 Rev 1 | Jun 25, 2026 | If customer concern diagnosis leads to suspect u-joint issue with the prop shaft, u-joint service kit should be utilized to fix concern. |
| RAM | 2500 2021–2027; 3500 2021–2027 | 9100841 | Jun 17, 2026 | HD Front and Rear Prop Shafts Increase U-Joint Usage If customer concern diagnosis leads to suspect u-joint issue or failure with the prop shaft, u-joint service kit should be utilized to fix concern. |
| Dodge | Charger 2015–2022 | S2203000003 | Aug 15, 2022 | Proper front driveshaft universal joint (u-joint) inspection procedures for all wheel drive (awd) vehicles. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2022 | TSB 22-2175 | May 5, 2022 | Some 20152022 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel only, and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2021 | TSB 22-2043 | Feb 15, 2022 | Some 2015-2021 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel only, and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2021 | TSB 21-2064 | Mar 10, 2021 | Some 2015-2021 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel (SRW), and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
1 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Check your car
U-joint replacement costs $200–$400 for two standard sealed joints at a $100-an-hour shop. The number of joints moves the bill most: one joint is $100–$200 and four joints are $400–$800. Labor is the larger part, so the shop's hourly rate and how hard the driveshaft is to reach decide the rest. Those are our estimates, not a quote.
What does a U-joint replacement cost?
The price is parts plus labor, and our calculator builds each from a small set of choices.
| What you're buying (typical vehicle, default shop rate) | Our estimate |
|---|---|
| 1 standard joint | $100–$200 |
| 2 standard joints | $200–$400 |
| 4 standard joints | $400–$800 |
| 2 greaseable joints | $230–$440 |
| 2 OEM joints | $270–$520 |
Published guides land in the same area. Neither tells you which joints or which shop rate is behind that number, which is why the table above shows them.
Why do two quotes for the same job differ?
Shop rate is the biggest lever. The same two standard joints cost $200–$400 at the default rate, $230–$460 at $120 and $313–$625 at a $175 dealer rate. Hours per joint matter next: an easy-to-reach driveshaft estimates at $150–$300 for two joints, while a hard-to-reach one on a large truck estimates at $250–$500.
Part grade changes less than people expect. Choose greaseable or OEM if you plan to keep the vehicle and want a joint you can service, but do not pay for OEM labeling alone.
Can the joint be replaced, or is it the whole driveshaft?
This is the question that turns a few hundred dollars into a much larger bill. Many driveshafts use joints that can be pressed out and replaced. Some are sealed, and then the shop replaces the whole shaft. RepairPal notes that the repair is done either on the individual joint or by replacing the entire drive shaft.
Ask which one the quote is for, and ask the shop to show you the play in the joint on the vehicle. If it quotes a whole shaft, ask why the joints cannot be serviced and what the shaft costs on its own. Our estimate covers joints only, so a whole-shaft quote will sit well above it and is worth a second opinion.
How do you know it is the joint, and how fast should you act?
A worn joint makes a clunk when you shift between drive and reverse, a squeak at low speed, or a vibration that grows with speed. A joint that has seized or broken can drop the driveshaft, so a vibration that is getting worse is a reason to book the work this week and not next season. A clunk that has stayed the same for months gives you time to collect two quotes.
How do you get a fair quote?
- Ask for the quote itemised: number of joints, part grade, labor hours and hourly rate.
- Compare the hours and the rate to the table above.
- Ask whether the driveshaft will be inspected for balance and other wear while it is out, and what that adds.
- Get a second quote from an independent shop if the first is a dealer.
What does the estimate leave out?
Our range covers joints and labor only. It leaves out a replacement driveshaft, a center support bearing, balancing, taxes and shop fees, and any extra work found once the shaft is out. If the shop finds more, ask for the added items in writing before it proceeds.
Is it safe to drive with a bad U-joint? For a short trip to a shop with a mild clunk, usually, but a vibration that rises with speed is a reason to stop driving.
Do I need an alignment after replacing a U-joint? Meineke says it usually does not, since the work is on the driveline and not the suspension.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall flat file (equipment recalls, report type E) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) file downloaded 2026-10-05
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($331–$406) on 2026-10-04: our default's midpoint is 19% below the middle of that range. Methodology