Front Suspension Lower Control Arm Problems of Honda Civic Hybrid

Right lower control arm failed after 79,000 miles. Car suddenly stopped on city street after making a right hand turn from a stop at a stop light. Civic immovable after unexpected failure. Traffic was light and slow due to stop light and midmorning travel. What happens at highway speed with this failure? three weeks prior to failure, car was serviced at Honda dealership where car was purchased. Oil was changed and tires checked. No abnormal tire wear was noted. The car handled properly with no indication of misalignment. Car has been routinely serviced. After failure lower control arm was replaced. It failed three inches from one end. It broke through completely. It did not fail at a connection/wear point. There is no other obvious sign of damage to the part. Due to the failure, the control arm, sway bar, axle, strut, knuckle, bearing, and hub were replaced by a Honda dealership for $2500. All parts except axle are in possession of owner. Honda claims no obvious sign of factory defect and out of warranty. Service department knew of no test for existing control arms to assure safety. Car is driven on paved roads of reasonable condition to work in baltimore or on highway. Tires have only been replaced due to normal wear.

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