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Originally Posted by mwt
They may or may not be trying to scam you
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The ball joints are a wear item on these cars. They do get loose very quickly compared to other cars.
$500.00 dollars is way too much to fix them
$150 for both sides would be an average number depending on where you live. It is about an hour worth of labor and there are several different prices for different mfg of the ball joints.
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I hope that helps
Mike
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If the 2002 is similar to the previous generation Taurus, then $500 for two ball joints is not that high (assuming they really are bad). On the 1998 the steering knuckle, hub, bearings, and ball joint are all one piece. From the dealer, they go anywhere from $175-$250 each. You can pick new OEM ones up on eBay for around $120 for a pair, but I doubt many Midas shops shop on eBay for their parts. Replacing them is not too bad of a task with some fairly common tools (plus a large socket for the axle nut). You will need to transfer over the rotor heat shield (riveted in place with huge rivets) and the ABS sensor.
[edit] Just remembered that I have the service manual for 2002 Fords. The knuckle assembly appears to be identical to my 1998 with the integral ball joint.
-Rod