The Lemon Index$700 middle bill · most between $423 and $1,100
128 owner reports on 33 models
Dodge Dakota, Dodge Durango, Ram pickup
Owners reported paying a median of $700 for a ball joint replacement, with the middle half of bills between $423 and $1,100. That's 128 owner reports on 33 models (123 complaints to NHTSA and 5 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50030%
- $500–$1,00038%
- $1,000–$2,50020%
- $2,500–$5,0009%
- $5,000 and up2%
Share of the 128 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Dakota | 23 | $700 | $318–$1,000 |
| Dodge Durango | 22 | $606 | $474–$800 |
| Ram pickup | 12 | $790 | $592–$3,000 |
| Ford F-Series | 11 | $1,000 | $525–$1,600 |
| Jeep Liberty | 11 | $1,000 | $458–$1,300 |
| Toyota Tundra | 6 | $1,000 | $531–$4,100 |
| Dodge Caliber | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Ranger | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Compass | 4 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 24 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
Brake repair $700 · Steering rack replacement $2,000 · ABS module replacement $2,000 · Steering column repair $1,100 · Strut and shock replacement $900 · Brake booster replacement $1,000 · Wheel bearing replacement $600 · Control arm replacement $850
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11752194, 11686644, 11520900, 11434548, 11419371, 11419059, 11399248, 11397989, 11397824, 11341895, 11277239, 11243006 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $100 ▶ · $150 ▶ · $150 ▶ · $200 ▶ · $261 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a ball joint replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $700, and the middle half paid $423 to $1,100, from 128 owner reports on 33 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a ball joint replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Dodge Dakota, Dodge Durango, Ram pickup. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do ball joint replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 123 complaints to NHTSA and 5 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.