Well, an update on what I'm presently dealing with.
I received a phone call yesterday (2 days after being told the car was unsafe and 1 day before the part would *hopefully* arrive) from my "local" Subaru dealer. They informed me that the front lower control arms were REbackordered and now will not be available until mid-January. I had opted for the additional rental insurance (because I have a fully-loaded SUV rental) so to help lower those costs the dealership is supposed to allow me to bring back the rental in exchange for a "dealership" car on which I would not have to pay additional insurance. Here's hoping they call soon so I can stop paying the extra insurance!