A mechanic gave my car a once over an pointed out that carriage bushings are an Achilles heel of this car. It has 100000 miles on it but is well maintained... or so I thought. The mechanic said the model is known for the rubber bushing deteriorating then forcing a big repair bill.
Q1) Is there some lubricant or conditioner that can retard the deterioration?
Q2) Cost to repair please?
Let's take this one step at a time.
I own two 2nd gen. Concordes - both with over 100k miles - one with 210k miles on it.
Which bushings is the mechanic talking about? There are some bushings that do wear out - you simply replace them. Nothing catastrophic.
The likely ones to need replacing over the life of the vehicle are inner tie rod bushings, sway bar bushings (and the sway bar end links), and the control arm bushings (replace control arms - they come with the bushings). Other than those, the engine cradle bushings can be pricey, but they can easily last the life of the car - mine are all still original.
Are you in a heavy rust belt? If so, that can make the replacement of the cradle bushings a PITA and expensive.
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