Mechanic refused to fix rusted control arm and subframe
Severe rust on structural parts like control arms and subframes leads mechanics to refuse repairs due to safety liabilities. This leaves owners who cannot afford a new car stranded without even temporary transportation.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 13.9× more often in r/AskMechanics than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1cutting and welding the frame yourselfDid this help you?
- 2Getting the vehicle towed to a shop instead of driving itDid this help you?
- 3Selling the rusty car as-is or for partsDid this help you?
- 4Buying a clean, rust-free replacement car instead of repairingDid this help you?
- 5Rerouting the new brake line along a different path like the frame rail instead of dropping the fuel tank and exhaustDid this help you?
- 6Applying waterproofing coatings, fluid film, or primers to slow down further damageDid this help you?
- 7selling the vehicle for partsDid this help you?
- 8scrapping the carDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“This can’t be safe to drive ? Rusted hole thru lower control arm on 2013 Toyota sienna.”source ↗
“The brake hardline rusted enough to break open and leak recently, so it is out of commission.”source ↗
“Unfortunately the shop I took it to said that replacing the brake line involves removing the fuel tank and potentially exhaust, which are both rusty enough they feared they'd break and need replacement too, and weren't willing to undertake that.”source ↗
“I am looking for advice on what the best option to get this car working again even just for another 6 months or so. Or if it is completely cooked be honest with me.”source ↗
“I have a Honda s2000 with rust how much should I be willing to pay to get repaired?”source ↗
“Is this fixable? Not mine but my brother's 2000 Jeep Cherokee. Rear sway bar has rusted off the frame.”source ↗
“Left control arm snapped/broke, and i would like to replace it. The rest of the subframe is also pretty rusted, which is why my mechanic is not willing to perform the repair. But I need a vehicle even just temporarily and can’t afford to buy another car.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 12How to fix small rust spots on a car yourself
- 4What to do if your car's subframe is rusted through
- 8Can I fix major car body damage myself?
- 6Finding individual brake parts for an older car
- 3Can you use JB Weld on a cut sway bar or metal car part?
- 5Do I need to wire brush surface rust before applying Fluid Film?