Where are Moog parts made? The answer may surprise you!

where are moog parts made

Where are Moog parts made?

“Where does Moog make their parts?” Sadly this question isn’t as easy to answer as it used to be. Back in the golden years, Moog chassis parts were manufactured solely in the USA, and in a lot of cases, people still assume that today. But as the years have gone on we have seen more and more Moog parts from one country after another. Curiosity got the best of us, and we wanted to know just how many countries Moog manufactures in. Since we order our Moog parts directly from Federal Mogul, and those parts are shipped directly from their warehouse to our Stephenville warehouse, we thought we’d just go searching.

If you forgot your reading glasses, we put our findings in video form just for you. Otherwise, keep scrolling.


Search Party: Around the World and Back

After a search of our Moog inventory, we found out that Moog makes their parts everywhere from Japan…
where are moog parts made
To Turkey…
where are moog parts made
and of course, the United States of America.

where are moog parts made


That’s a Whole Lot of Countries

All in all, we found 16 different countries that Moog manufactured their parts in. That’s a far cry from just being made in the U.S.

where are moog parts made

No way you say?

where are moog parts made


Is there any way to find out where a Moog part comes from?

If the question of “are Moog parts made in the USA” is unrealistic, what can we do? Aha! How about we ask “how do I tell where MY Moog part came from?” This inquiry is much easier to solve: Check the label on the BOX! Each Moog part has the country of origin listed on the label. This is pretty easy to do if you are looking at the box, on the shelf in a store. However, if you are more with the times and are shopping online, you may want to contact someone at your vendor of choice before you purchase. Considering most online retailers ship without the original box to save on shipping costs, you’ll be hard pressed to find the origin without the box. If the country of origin is really important to you, this is your heads up before you order any parts online.

where are moog parts made


I can at least know where a part number is made, right?

Wrong. Of all the “where is Moog made” aspects, this is most interesting: you can’t even narrow it down by part type or even part number! You could order the exact same part number from two different companies and have two different countries of origins. How do I know you ask? Look what we found in the warehouse… Same part number, different countries of origin. Now rest assured, they are the same part, but they came from different parts of the world.

where are moog parts made
… and again…
where are moog parts made


The correct answer: Moog is a GLOBAL brand

where are moog parts made

With so many places around the world manufacturing Moog’s parts, there’s not really a way to predict exactly where a specific part will come from. The best, and really only way, to determine where a Moog part was made is to check the label on the box. We had a light-bulb moment! We finally found the answer to the question, “Where are Moog parts made?” The answer: The World! Moog parts are manufactured all over the world. With a global economy comes global manufacturing, Moog is no exception.

What do you guys think, surprised or no? What other countries have you found on your Moog box?

107 comments
  1. Brit
    Brit
    August 7, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    I notice that one of the boxes notes “Euro-Spec”, but the box next to it does not. Are these in fact the same part?

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      August 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm

      You would think that there is a big shiny answer on how these parts are tuned specifically for European or Asian cars right? Unfortunately that’s not really the case. It’s essentially just marketing. Moog thought it would sell better in those markets with “Euro-Spec” or “Asia-Spec”, but it’s the same part.

      What’s really funny, if you look at the comparison picture above, is how the part that’s made in China says “Euro-Spec”, but the part that was made in Germany (actually in Europe) doesn’t say anything. Pretty interesting.

      Reply
      • Baki
        Baki
        August 12, 2017 at 8:43 am

        I am from Europe. Car part dealers in Europe are offering MOOG ball joint AMGK500063. In the USA they are offering K500063. What is the diference? Many thanks.

        Reply
        • Chelsea Baker
          Chelsea Baker
          August 14, 2017 at 7:05 am

          Hello Baki!

          Good question. There is absolutely no difference between the AMGK500063 and the K500063. Federal Mogul is the manufacturer of several different brands including MOOG, so the “AMG” is just a prefix to help identify the brand. If you have any other questions or if you need help looking for something you can contact our amazing customer service team.

          Reply
      • dave
        dave
        December 27, 2017 at 11:12 pm

        You seem to have it backwards. Yes these parts are made specifically for European, Asian, and American cars. There is no “tune” word that’s applicable but each part is specific to the different vehicles. it’s not marketing, it’s just making a compatible part. Euro-spec doesn’t mean anything because customers don’t even see the box until point of receipt. It’s not funny or interesting, rather boring useless trivia. What WOULD be interesting is whether, when the same part is made in multiple locations, they both have identical quality. For example German and Japanese (everything) is usually top notch, while Chinese metal sometimesm fair but the rubber often a poor, short-lived, stinky alternative.

        Reply
        • Josh Daniels
          Josh Daniels
          January 4, 2018 at 8:23 am

          Hey Dave,

          Hope you had a Merry Christmas and thanks for checking out our blog. I think there might be some confusion about what Drew said earlier.

          We get a lot of concerned calls and emails from customers about the quality of Moog parts that are manufactured in other countries. I just got off the phone with the Garage Gurus over at Moog and I asked them about the Asia and Euro spec parts and the quality concerns.

          Drew was correct in saying that the Asia and Euro spec parts were just a marketing move by Moog, and that they are the same parts as those that are not labeled Euro or Asia spec. It is confusing, and Moog has since stopped labeling their boxes in this manner, but the old boxes do pop up from time to time.

          As for the quality concern, Moog does use manufacturers outside of the US to make some of their products. To achieve the incredibly broad coverage that Moog is able to provide they must outsource some of the load or cut back on the variety of parts that they can produce. Since, some manufacturers are suspected of using inferior materials to cut costs, Moog’s own engineers must approve the manufacturer’s process and materials before they are used. That said, I doubt that an engineer is sitting in the factory watching each ball joint as it’s formed from raw materials till it’s nestled in a yellow and blue box.

          Moog offers a lot of different parts for a lot of different makes and models and they do their best to make sure those parts are up to snuff. Suspension.com backs up the Moog products (minus RK control arms and hubs) we sell with a limited lifetime warranty for manufacturer defects, which is not something that all dealers do.

          Hope that clears up some of the confusion. Thanks again for the comment Dave.

          Reply
          • Tim
            Tim
            July 13, 2023 at 10:29 am

            Curious why the RK CAs and Hubs are not backed up by Suspension.com

          • Josh Daniels
            Josh Daniels
            July 21, 2023 at 11:33 am

            Hey Tim,

            The short answer is that Moog has a different warranty for the RK vs the CK series parts and we follow the warranty specifications of the manufacturer. We covered this question pretty thoroughly in our article about Moog’s warranty so for more information I would refer you there.

            Thanks for the question!

  2. Edwin Lingle
    Edwin Lingle
    August 7, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    I can’t believe that that Moog builds parts in 16 different countries. I have a 67 Mustang and I want US manufactured parts for it. I feel that us built parts are far superior to parts made overseas.

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      August 7, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      We had a hard time believing it too. At first. It’s pretty hard not to believe it when you have the Moog boxes staring at you claiming so. Edwin, you aren’t alone in that sentiment. Many people feel the same way about US built parts. And while I won’t argue in either direction, it’s very clear that Moog is now a global brand and the days of USA made only Moog parts are long past. Let’s just hope the same quality that made Moog the “go to” part in OEM replacement doesn’t suffer.

      Reply
      • Jerr
        Jerr
        October 2, 2017 at 6:59 am

        “Let’s just hope the same quality that made Moog the “go to” part in OEM replacement doesn’t suffer.”

        I can answer this one. “Hope” doesn’t get the job done in this case. One of my Moog strut assemblies have failed within 13,000 miles and had to be replaced. Another one was not even assembled correctly and was still shipped out in this condition prompting an immediate return before it could even be installed.

        Reply
        • Josh Daniels
          Josh Daniels
          October 2, 2017 at 3:02 pm

          Hey Jerr,

          Wow, sorry to hear about those strut assemblies. Can’t believe one was shipped out incorrectly assembled. It sounds like you really got a bum deal.

          We sell a lot of Moog products and the majority of the time folks get exactly what they’re looking for. That said, we have heard some complaints on our blog about customers occasionally receiving sub par parts in Moog boxes. We’ve also talked before about Moog making positive changes to their products like the move to put their premium Problem Solver ball joints in ALL of their control arms instead of just the CK series. They recognize that there are problems with some of their suppliers and are working to bring the best product possible to the customer.

          When and where did you get those strut assemblies? We handle the 3 year warranty from Moog in-house at DST. 13K miles or not, if you’re less than three years out from purchase and the part failed from manufacturer defect then you should get a replacement. That’s what we would do.

          Reply
  3. Greg Wherland
    Greg Wherland
    August 7, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    Regardless of where the parts are manufactured, shouldn’t the big question be “are the parts made to the traditional Moog standards we have been using for years?” And in today’s day and time shouldn’t quality be more important than location?

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      August 7, 2015 at 3:35 pm

      Greg that’s a great point. When it boils down to it, most people want a quality part to replace the part that just failed. But a lot of people stand in the camp of only wanting US made parts. I can see their point of view and don’t fault them for it.

      Again however, the days of Moog part being made solely in the US are long gone. Now people are faced with a decision: to keep buying the Moog brand or refuse due to overseas manufacturing. There are few “exclusively made in US” OE replacement brands out there. Should people not buy Moog because they put their name on parts made overseas? Even if the quality was the same (just a hypothetical)?

      Reply
    • kitkat1957
      kitkat1957
      February 23, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      the point should be quality yes…but what about the fact that millions of American citizens are without a job because of this outsourcing…we need to bring the manufacturing back to the USA if we want to build our backbone strong again as a country. many parts that are made in China are of very inferior quality

      Reply
      • Josh Daniels
        Josh Daniels
        February 24, 2021 at 4:32 pm

        Hey Kitkat,

        Quality and price is the bottom line for a lot of folks but in some cases the parts they need are just not available from a local manufacturer. Moog does operate production plants in the US but they also have parts made in plants outside the US.

        As for quality, Moog engineers do check the parts that are made for them in other countries to make sure they are up to snuff.

        Reply
  4. Cchhd
    Cchhd
    December 28, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Remember that Moog doesn’t make every part themselves. Many of their parts are reboxed from someone else. The Turkish parts are probably made by Deeza. The Japanese parts are most likely Sankei 555 or other OEM parts from the Japanese OE supplier.

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      December 29, 2015 at 8:28 am

      Yes that is the case. They deem those parts “Moog Engineer Approved”. It was explained to me by a Federal Mogul employee that there are so many OE part numbers that they can’t make all of them. So in an effort to widen their coverage, they have outsourced to other manufacturer’s around the world. They assured me that these parts are “moog validated construction”, but what that means exactly is hard to say. Good point!

      Reply
  5. Abe
    Abe
    February 25, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    a better question is do the non u.s.a made parts have moogs gusher bearing setup? I bought 4 sets of tie rod ends [that equates to 8 tie rods] before I got the ones that are made in the u.s.a by moog the boots say moog on them, and they have the grease fittings too [some sets of the 4 did not have the grease fittings] the usa made parts, are in my eyes, more likely to have the gusher bearing then the outsourced parts I could be wrong but I like to hear a response from someone that works for moog or at the least another opinion from another consumer.

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      February 26, 2016 at 10:39 am

      Abe! That’s a great insight. We buy our parts directly from Moog’s parent company Federal Mogul. So all of our parts come directly from Moog. For the most part, no matter the country of origin, the Moog features like grease fittings and gusher bearings are in these parts. Although, sometimes we do receive a part that looks completely different or clearly lacks the Moog features. We send those parts back immediately.

      Anyone else notice any differences in part features from varying countries of origin?

      Reply
  6. Jennifer Gomillion
    Jennifer Gomillion
    March 14, 2016 at 12:55 am

    I purchasedon’t two Moog Sway Links at the same time. Both boxes were labeled correctly. Inside were two different parts. One was clearly a Moog part with the label and dark painted pieces with grease fittings. The other was a bright silver, no grease fittings and the screws coming g out were different lengths. Part didn’t even fit. Senter it back to rock Auto for a replacement and received the same exact incorrect part. The only thing that say Moog is the box. Nothing else. Frustrated this is the second time sending back.

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      March 14, 2016 at 9:28 am

      Unfortunately that happens a lot. We have a lot of customers that call our Customer Service line with the same issue, so we know how frustrating that can be. If you’re still having some trouble give our customer service team a call and they can help you get the correct MOOG part. Our number is 1-800-406-2330 and punch extension 105. That’s our Customer Service Manager Brit. He loves helping people who’ve had bad experiences get the correct part.

      Reply
  7. Wade
    Wade
    August 15, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    I just replaced 4 ball joints on my 2010 dodge ram 2500, with moog parts. After two weeks I went to get the front end aligned and the top ones already have movement. I just ordered Carli Suspension ball joints. They are made in the US and have a lifetime warranty. I well NEVER buy a moog part again.

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      August 16, 2016 at 8:07 am

      Wade, I understand the frustration. Sorry you had troubles with your parts! Unfortunately with all of the outsourcing Moog does, the parts received are not always up to the caliber you would expect. Knowing this, we back our Moog customer’s with a lifetime warranty just in case something like that happens. Did you purchase it thru us? If so give our customer service team a call (1-888-406-2330) and we can take care of you if you did purchase from us.

      Also, I’m curios, what part number did you have trouble with? And do you know what the country of origin on the box was? I can check our warehouse to see if we have the same country.

      Reply
    • Earl Hickey
      Earl Hickey
      November 27, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      The MOOG ball joint for your truck K7460 IS made in USA, and genius, the upper ball joint is telescoping by design as the dodge axle/knuckles have manufacturing inconsistencies that requires the use of a telescoping ball joint. It is not worn out and it doesn’t move while in operation, it adjusts upon installation to make up for the tolerance differences with the straight axle and knuckle machining. Nice misunderstanding. I hope the plastic Carli ball joint bearing holds up for ya!!

      Reply
      • Josh Daniels
        Josh Daniels
        December 7, 2016 at 2:01 pm

        Earl, you are absolutely right about the upper ball joint being designed to have some vertical play. We dug around a little and found a cut-away photo of an OE ball joint that backs you up.

        ram ball joint cross section

        You can find a more detailed description of this particular product in Moog’s product bulletin for the K7460.

        Are Carli ball joints really made with plastic? I hope Wade stuck with the Moog ball joints!

        Reply
  8. Dennis Long
    Dennis Long
    August 20, 2016 at 1:39 pm

    Well, just purchased Moog wheel bearing/hub kit for my Dodge. Had to go to two different stores to get them, one was packaged in Moog plastic the other is a cheap bag with a stamp on the part Made in Korea. If this is what I am spending more money on you done lost a costumer. I was purchasing Moog for the USA durable made Product for the price, not some foreign junk that don’t even look the same let alone move the same! SMH!!!

    Reply
    • Drew Taylor
      Drew Taylor
      September 27, 2016 at 7:25 am

      Hey Dennis, I’m sorry for your frustration. We’ve come across this issue with many of our own customers as well. Unfortunately Moog has outsourced a lot of their parts in the last decade. As I stated in the article, we found 16 different countries of origin in our warehouse alone. If you decide you want to buy Moog parts again, try giving us a call. We can search through our warehouse and see if we have any Made in USA Moog parts on our shelves.

      Reply
      • No More Moog
        No More Moog
        October 14, 2016 at 11:21 am

        “We can search through our warehouse and see if we have any Made in USA Moog parts on our shelves.”

        Drew, even that won’t help. I just received a second new MOOG inner tie-rod from Rock Auto after returning the first one that was clearly cheap chinese crap in a Moog box marked “Made in USA”, only to receive a Meyle Germany part in the Moog box that’s marked “Made in USA”.

        The original order was for two tie-rods, the crap chinese one I returned was accompanied by a high quality Japanese part that also came in a Moog box marked “Made in USA”.

        This is not only wrong, it’s illegal under US consumer protection laws.

        I am done with Moog because you never know what you will get. It’s a sad commentary on our once great country, excellence has been replaced by mediocrity and deception.

        Reply
        • Chelsea Baker
          Chelsea Baker
          December 1, 2016 at 8:47 am

          We’re sorry to hear you weren’t satisfied with your purchase. I know that if you give our customer service team a call (1-888-406-2330), we would do what we can to ensure you get the part you want. Any one of them would walk out to our warehouse and check out the part for you as well as send you pictures, if needed.

          In this article we were trying to generate discussion about the fact that for Moog to be able to provide the extensive number of parts they do, the manufacturing has to be spread around a little bit. We’ve already seen examples of the same part being manufactured in different countries.

          The big question for a lot of people is, “Does the country of origin determine the quality of the part?” Earl made a good point about the exceptional quality of the stabilizer links which are manufactured in Mexico but approved by Moog. We understand that some people only want US made parts on principal. But the fact is, Moog is a global brand and manufactures a certain amount of its parts in different countries.

          Reply
        • Rand
          Rand
          August 5, 2018 at 8:55 am

          Ha, Where’s the quality control when Moog engineers aren’t in the factory keeping an eye on things. Foreign manufacturers are making junk and packing it into Moog boxes. I’ve already heard enough about Moog. I used to get mine from Sears. They came in a Moog box, said Made In The USA. Now made in 16 countries. Will never buy a Moog brand again.
          Rand

          Reply
          • Josh Daniels
            Josh Daniels
            August 23, 2018 at 9:38 am

            Hey Rand,

            We understand the feeling. Moog used to be a solely Made in the USA company, but to be fair the company has grown a lot since that time. To cover all the makes and models they do they have to outsource some of the manufacturing.

            In today’s market that’s flooded with cheap parts, and consumers that will buy whatever is the lowest price, can a company grow if they don’t adapt? Moog still manufactures parts in the USA most of their articulating parts come from the states, but they also offer parts for vehicles that are manufactured in other countries. Why shouldn’t the replacement parts be made there as well?

            It’s a pickle, but at least the parts are labeled with the country they were manufactured so you know what you’re getting.

            Take care Rand.

  9. Earl Hickey
    Earl Hickey
    November 27, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    Not sure if your sending the right message here…. but my investigation at local MOOG distributor resulted in the following country of origin ranked in order of popularity. Looks like “non-technology” parts (bushings) may sometimes be globally sourced, but articulating stud type parts come from North America, most from USA.
    Stabilizer bar links from MOOG’s Mexico facility have thicker bar stock, metal bearings, greaseable, internal boots, wrench flats. They are not “off-shore” junk. BALL JOINTS FROM bOAZ, Alabama, TIE ROD ENDS FROM Maryville, Missouri. Do a little deeper research.
    POP COO MOOG # DESC
    1 USA K7275 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    2 USA K8695T Ball Joint
    3 USA K80196 Ball Joint
    4 USA K80026 Ball Joint
    5 USA K5342 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    6 USA K6600 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    7 USA K80197 Ball Joint
    8 USA K8607T Ball Joint
    9 USA ES3488 Tie Rod End
    10 USA K8772 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    11 MEX K80252 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    12 USA K5255 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    13 USA K80631 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    14 INDIA K6712 Control Arm Bushing
    15 MEX K8645 Stabilizer Bar Bushing
    16 MEX K80296 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    17 MEX K80066 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    18 USA K8989 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    19 USA ES3459 Tie Rod End
    20 CHINA K6698 Control Arm Bushing
    21 USA K7348 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    22 MEX K80008 Ball Joint
    23 USA K3134T Ball Joint
    24 MEX K7258 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    25 USA ES3614 Tie Rod End
    26 CHINA K7471 Control Arm Bushing
    27 USA K7406 Sway Bar Bushing Kit
    28 MEX K9643 Ball Joint
    29 USA ES3631 Tie Rod End
    30 MEX K8687 Ball Joint
    31 MEX K80104 Stabilizer Bar Link Kit
    32 USA K7460 Ball Joint
    33 USA EV80645 Tie Rod End

    Reply
    • Chelsea Baker
      Chelsea Baker
      November 30, 2016 at 4:15 pm

      Thanks for compiling that list, Earl! We really appreciate your input. You’re totally correct about the quality parts being manufactured outside the US. Our neighbors to the south manufacture some great parts, and the description you provided for their stabilizer bar links is right on the money.

      I compared our stock with your list and came up with similar results with a few exceptions, one being K7471 was manufactured in Turkey. The fact is we can’t definitely say whether a part number will come from one country or another. They source from a truly global market. This example really helps illustrate that: We have two ball joints, one made in Germany and the other in China. As to the quality of these parts, Drew addressed some concerns in an earlier comment:

      “They deem (overseas manufactured parts) ‘Moog Engineer Approved’. It was explained to me by a Federal Mogul employee that there are so many OE part numbers that they can’t make all of them. So in an effort to widen their coverage, they have outsourced to other manufacturers around the world. They assured me that these parts are ‘moog validated construction’, but what that means exactly is hard to say.”

      We don’t think anything Moog makes or stands behind is junk, we think Moog makes and sells an exceptional product. Moog has recently engineered some awesome steering knuckle assemblies that really streamline the wheel bearing replacement process. We have these parts on our shelves and they look fantastic. They just happen to be manufactured in China.

      Considering the fact that until you open the box you cannot always definitively know where each individual product is manufactured are there any Moog parts you have run across that have questionable manufacturing? As a dealer of the brand we haven’t run into anything ourselves that we would hesitate to sell to a customer, but I would love to get your input on that.

      Reply
      • Earl Hickey
        Earl Hickey
        June 8, 2018 at 7:14 am

        The K9699 Germany and China sourced parts were dated 2013 according to the box label. I would be curious if MOOG transitioned manufacturing to their Boaz, Alabama factory, but it is probably unlikely as this fits several XJ Jaguars, a very slow mover. But they normally source from OE supplier’s or manufacturer’s that can provide a “MOOG-level” quality on slow mover’s, until VIO prompts them to manufacture in-house. They state that 85% of their socket style parts are North America made, (which a quick survey of any MOOG distributors sales/inventory would validate) so the analysis to search out 16 countries among 10,000+ skus seems skewed to prove some point. Now on the other hand, choose any competitor, Mevotech, TRW, Dorman and you will find close to 0% made in US. Dig a little deeper,

        Reply
        • Josh Daniels
          Josh Daniels
          June 20, 2018 at 2:51 pm

          Hey Earl,

          Good to hear from you again. I just got off the phone with the Garage Gurus at Moog and asked about exact numbers for parts made in North America and they said they didn’t have that information on-hand but assured me it was “most”. Since these numbers likely fluctuate from month to month as supply and demand changes, there is probably not a firm list anywhere that can be referenced factually for more than a short period of time. The tech also vouched for parts coming out of their European division, having found them of good quality and running them on his own vehicle with no problems.

          We currently have 13,500 SKUs stocked in our warehouse, but our own survey was just to see how many different origin countries we could find. We did not conduct an exhaustive search and our warehouse does carry some slow moving parts (so we are better able to provide coverage for all our customers) so this might have some effect on the data if we were to look at the label on every box in the warehouse for a country of origin. We may have to take a sampling of our stock in the future and see how the ratios compare.

          The confusing part is that some SKUs have parts with different countries of origin. Without knowing exactly when these parts were made (there is a date on the box, but not the part) it’s hard to tell if the manufacturing of a part has transitioned to the US from elsewhere or visa versa.

          We do not stock the other brands you mentioned but it’s very likely that you’re right about Moog having more US made parts than most of their competitors since we know they have parts coming out of their Boaz factory.

          Thanks for keeping us on our toes, Earl, and we’d love to hear any other thoughts or information you come across.

          Reply
          • Gerhardt H
            Gerhardt H
            June 4, 2023 at 8:51 pm

            515201 Front wheel hub and bearing unit for 2006 toyota tacoma where is it made and if china why the higher price than another chinese made knock off?

          • Josh Daniels
            Josh Daniels
            June 7, 2023 at 9:25 am

            Hey Gerhardt,

            I don’t have one of those hub and bearing assemblies in front of me so I can’t tell you for certain where they are manufactured, but they appear to be coming out of Thailand. It is entirely possible that they are made in China or one of several other non-US countries.

            There are numerous responses to this article that touch on the issue of country of origin so I won’t rehash those points, but to say that we have been told by Moog that there is a level of QC by Moog engineers that takes place during the manufacturing process of their parts, even if those parts are coming from a factory not based in the US. The price of Moog parts reflects the testing of the quality of materials and verification of design and manufacturing process that goes into these parts.

            We believe (and this is backed by a decade of customer feedback) that these are quality parts. Will there be an occasional lemon? For sure. But overall they perform well and last. If you want to roll the dice on a cheaper brand, its a free country 🙂

            Thanks for the question Gerhardt and hope you have a good one!

  10. Daryl
    Daryl
    December 14, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    I own a 2003 Lincoln Navigator and am on my 10th set of outer tie rod ends(es3695) bought from Oreilly’s. Again after a couple weeks the boot fails to hold grease causing a loud clunking noise. The boots are suppose to be sealed and have no overflow relief.
    I originally contacted Moog after the fourth set and was told I had to handle any problems with the store. it is definitely poor quality and workmanship with the part. I have Duralast parts on my Chevy truck and haven’t had one problem.
    It is nice to have a lifetime warranty but if you are changing the part and having to get new alignments every couple months, and the company does not even think your time is valuable, why buy anything from that manufacturer again. I use to buy only Moog but have found numerous parts are substandard and will have to reconsider ever buying another for myself or my customers.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Baker
      Chelsea Baker
      December 15, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      Hello Daryl!

      Wow, your 10th set? We’re both sorry and surprised to hear about your troubles with the es3695. We’ve sold Moog Parts for over a decade and we’ve found them to be exceptionally made. With your case being so unusual we called Moog to see if they have had any issues with this particular part (they do a great job at keeping track of any premature failures) and they had no complaints recorded.

      You sound like you know what you’re doing but we have to ask a few clarifying questions just to get all the details. Are you using a pressurized grease gun? When a pressurized grease gun is used, you have to be careful not to overfill the boot. Overfilling can lead to the tearing of the boot causing the tie rod to fail. Are you using the correct grease? It is suggested from Moog engineers to use a premium heavy-duty lithium or synthetic grease.

      I know that you originally purchased from O’Reilly’s and Moog requires any returns to go through the original dealer. But if you have any questions or concerns give our customer service team a call (1-888-406-2330). If you hit ext. 114 for Edwin, he is our ASE certified mechanic on the team who would gladly answer any of your questions.

      Reply
  11. Rick Hogue
    Rick Hogue
    January 17, 2017 at 6:53 am

    Very interesting information here, thanks to all that contributed. I too assumed they were all made in the US but considering the shear number of different parts I understand. Just about to replace all 6 U-joints and rear bushings in my 89, hope I can get US made ones.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      January 17, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      Thanks Rick,

      We’re glad you enjoyed the article! We understand the sentiment of seeing that “Made in the USA” sticker on a product, but we trust that Moog is not going to put their name on a part that isn’t up to snuff. To cover as many applications as they do they have to share the manufacturing load, but those parts are still “Moog validated construction”.

      We appreciate and agree with your view on the matter and would like to applaud your understanding!

      Also, if you would like, you can call, chat, or email our customer service team, (888)-406-2330 and mention that you would like to have US made parts we can pick those out of our stock. Almost all of the U-Joints we stock are made in the USA and I’m sure we can find some home grown rear bushings as well.

      Good luck with your restoration! If you get some pictures of the process feel free to post them.

      Reply
  12. MOHIDDIN
    MOHIDDIN
    January 28, 2017 at 7:35 am

    HI HOW ARE YOU I NEED MOOG SPARE PARTS MOOG PARTS VERY GOOD HOW CAN I ORDER IM FROM KUWAIT MY NAME MIHIDDIN NOURA ALI IMPORT &EXPORT PHONE 965-66460801-965-94430869

    Reply
  13. AJ
    AJ
    February 2, 2017 at 9:41 pm

    You missed the point.
    The fact that your staff will hand pick the “good” parts for one customer does not change the fact that SOMEBODY is gonna get the “passed over” part.
    There has got to be a better way of distributing the Good stuff, and keeping track of the failures.What I mean is, If I was given a choice between a Moog-offshore and a Moog-USA, clearly identified by packaging, I could make a choice. That would eliminate the problem right at the sales counter. And when the local distributor sees the Moog offshores not selling, He gets to complain. And when a nation of these vendors ship the junk back to MOOG,…..SHAZZAM!. the cat’s outta the bag; the people have spoken!
    As to failures, how many failed parts ever get returned? Most of us just trash-can the part and go get another. Until a pattern emerges. Then we complain.Like the guy on his 4th set.
    As to in field failures, I’m thinking word of mouth will kill the company. There’s just not that many old Mopars out there anymore, and the internet connects a lot of us. So when one of us experiences an issue, we all do. And when one fella tells a friend on the internet, everybody knows, not just two more. Instead of a long slow dying process, now it is sudden death.
    Moog needs to correct this or face the possibility of declining sales across multiple lines.Because if a Mopar man has a Chevy buddy, who has a Ford buddy, well you get it. And lots of Mopar guys have other than Mopar cars also, and if I can’t trust a Moog part on my Mopar, I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t trust a Moog part on my non-Mopar either.
    I’m so glad I have a parts stash of good used OEM parts, to service my cars with. I would hate to have to choose a front end parts supplier these days. 🙁

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      February 6, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Hey AJ,

      You are totally right that picking out good parts would eventually lead to someone receiving the part at the bottom of the barrel. We believe any part that has been approved by Moog engineers is going to meet a certain standard of quality, no matter the country of origin, and we don’t sell anything we believe to be sub-standard. Our offer to pull a part from a specific country of origin wasn’t a dig at parts made outside the USA, but merely a concession to a customer who had a preference that we could accommodate.

      As far as failed parts are concerned, Moog’s problem solver line is a direct result of Moog listening to consumers, researching the problem, and designing solutions to replace OEM parts that have flaws which cause them to fail or wear out prematurely. To address concerns about where a part originates, Moog has begun to transition all of it’s control arm manufacturing back to the States. They’re also expanding their plants here in America and it looks like they are getting back to their “made in the USA” roots.

      If you ever need to buy a replacement suspension part for one of your rebuilds we hope you’ll give Moog a try. You can contact our excellent customer service team here at DST, who will do everything they can to get you the parts you want.

      Reply
  14. Franklin Morales
    Franklin Morales
    March 4, 2017 at 2:24 pm

    I want to buy a upper control arm Moog RK620636, I would like to know where it is manufactured, since I had a bad experience with inner tie rod for a fusion 2008 that with 25 thousand miles broke one with the moving car, something really very dangerous.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 15, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      Hey Franklin,

      We have this particular part in our warehouse and the box states that it was manufactured in China. The RK series uses Moog validated construction but the parts aren’t always made in America. This allows Moog to offer a greater amount of parts for a wider range of vehicles than if they only produced their parts in the States.

      Moog will be putting their Problem Solver ball joints into their RK series control arms soon, adding some of their innovative ideas into these affordable parts. In the meantime you can take a look at this article explaining the difference between the Moog control arms. It might help you decide what you want to buy.

      If you have any other detailed questions about these parts, our wonderful customer service team will be waiting for your chat or call. And good luck with your control arm search!

      Reply
  15. Randy Yauck
    Randy Yauck
    April 3, 2017 at 6:16 am

    Had Moog Ball joints and idler arm (all badly worn) , coil springs (sag badly) in less than a year with 6K miles and I used Mobil synthetic grease, 10 years ago. I was even warned by a garage owning friend not to buy them.

    I used to use Moog all the time and had great service, but not enough parts sold I guess!

    Don’t know where they were made, and lifetime warranty doesn’t help as labor isn’t free and nobody wants to do the job every 6 months. Had good luck later with Spicer , but good stuff seems to be hard to find as they are gone for a number of years now!

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      April 7, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      Hey Randy,

      We’re sorry to hear about your experience with those Moog parts. We have sold their brand for over a decade and have had overwhelming positive response from customers during that time. We haven’t found a brand that beats Moog when it comes to consistent quality of the part. Independent durability tests have shown Moog ball joint to last as much as FIVE TIMES longer than other aftermarket manufacturers who claim to be better than OE, and every NASCAR winner since 1966 has had Moog ball joints on their car.

      Moog is constantly refining the designs for their parts and coming up with solutions for hard to fix problems. Things like an integral dust boot or their gusher bearing technology are what set Moog apart from their competitors. We offer that lifetime warranty you were talking about and we genuinely believe that this part will outlast anything else you could buy. We hope you’ll give Moog another chance and feel free to call or chat with our amazing customer service team who would be happy to answer any questions.

      Does anyone have a story or pictures of a Moog ball joint that bent when it might have broken? The factory tests are pretty compelling but we would love to see a real world example.

      Thanks for the comment Randy!

      Reply
  16. Kevin Cowart
    Kevin Cowart
    May 6, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    Curious, Do these foreign manufacturers run a certain lot for moog, then use the same set up conditions for other manufactures? Heat treating is one particular area of interest, 3 hours in the oven or 4 hours? I think we, as Americans, have become weary of aftermarket parts that vary in price considerably. Especially if the same QA conditions can get you a part that cost’s less due to a manufacturers name.

    Reply
    • Graham Slaughter
      Graham Slaughter
      May 16, 2017 at 11:46 am

      Hey Kevin. That really is THE question, isn’t it? If everything from Moog was made in one factory -THEIR factory- there certainly wouldn’t be any question about it. Obviously that isn’t the case here considering how many countries we’re looking at. To be really honest, I couldn’t tell you if the same part is available through different manufacturers. We simply aren’t privy to that information, and even if we were I would imagine it would be on a case by case basis.

      However …

      There has been at least one circumstance where we received a part from Moog and it contained a ball joint with a different brand stamped on it. Initially we thought it was a mistaken return from a different customer who bought one brand and then went with the Moog part instead. After a little research we found that all of those boxes in our warehouse had that same part in there. I wasn’t familiar with the brand, so we did a little research ourselves. As it turns out, the part in the box was actually a rather high priced part at the other manufacturer. It certainly wasn’t a cheap knockoff. It didn’t even look cheap. I couldn’t tell you if that was Moog simply buying stock from a different manufacturer to bridge a gap in availability or if that’s the only place they get that part from.

      In the end, it really does boil down to your last point. Are we as consumers paying more for a product simply because of the brand name that is on the box? In a global marketplace, there’s certainly opportunity for that to happen.
      I’m familiar with another brand of tie rods and ball joints in the marketplace that market themselves as a premium product. They even offer a lifetime warranty. It sounds great unless you’re aware of the fact that:

      • This other manufactuerer does indeed source all of their products from cheap Chinese manufacturers
      • The owner is actively looking to sell the company which would likely invalidate that lifetime warranty right about the moment you need it

      In contrast to the company mentioned above, Moog has been around for decades. They’re not a flash in the pan that will be gone tomorrow leaving you hanging if you need warranty support.

      Speaking of warranty, you can take your final point a step further. What about when you can purchase the SAME BRAND part from multiple manufacturers at different prices? In some cases you can purchase Moog parts cheaper from one dealer over the other. Most people probably aren’t aware that Moog allows their dealers to set and support their own warranty for the Moog brand. If you look, you wont find an official warranty statement from Moog. While we at Suspension.com provide a limited lifetime warranty on most Moog parts that we sell (the cheaper RK line of control arms are excluded), many other dealers provide little to no warranty whatsoever.

      In the end, choosing WHERE you buy parts can be just as important as what brand you are buying.

      Reply
  17. Owen
    Owen
    June 1, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    I bought a stabalizer link for an 05 Malibu from Moog. It came in a Moog box with “Made in Mexico” written on it. The part looks heavier than the original, but has no part number stamped on it. It also had some metal shavings on the boot. Very odd.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      September 13, 2017 at 10:53 am

      Hey Owen,

      This isn’t as odd as you might think. We’ve demonstrated in this article that Moog is a global brand with incredible coverage that can only be sustained by outsourcing some of the manufacturing. That said, we don’t know how quality is assured in those factories, though Moog says the parts coming out of them are “Moog Validated Construction”. The owner of Suspension.com had some interesting thoughts on Moog parts being manufactured in other countries, but the last word on the matter is “does the part work?”. If it does, then the “made in” sticker only matters if it matters to you.

      Let us know how that stabilizer link is holding up Owen. Thanks for the comment!

      Has anyone else experienced a strange out of the box experience with Moog parts?

      Reply
  18. Al
    Al
    July 9, 2017 at 9:55 am

    I spoke to the owner of a very popular well respected off-road shop near Wichita KS. The man is a legend in the Jeep world, and on Jeep forums. He focuses on front end builds, and lifts (particularly Old Man Emu, and OME hybrid lifts.) Every set of ball joints from Moog that he’s seen or he’s installed, have failed.

    We’re talking about a lot of daily drivers, folks who don’t “wheel” their vehicles, a guy who has and sees success with other brands. Spoken to a couple others as well. Same thing. They know what they’re doing.

    Moog used to be the absolute gold standard. Now its hit or miss, it seems. But people who are brand loyal, are sentimental about all kinds of junk. It appeals to their need for certainty. Prejudice is prejudice. For something, or against it. Learn, or return.

    We all have jobs. The market is competitive. Sometimes a company that made a profit before, feels they have a right to keep making one, regardless of the quality of what they produce.

    Customers want more. Not a gamble. They have families and hobbies too. Explanations, apologies, empathy, don’t cut it it. Just keep them rolling safely.

    If Moog wants business, make decent parts, please. Not by milking a once respected name. Not marketing attempts to peddle failure. We’ll buy them.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      July 14, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Hey Al,

      First of all, thanks for this very well thought out comment. We really appreciate your ability to criticize without ranting. Hat’s off to you.

      We’re very sorry to hear about this shop owner who has had trouble with Moog parts in the past. All of us are only able to make judgments based on our experiences and it sounds like he has had some bad ones. As a dealer of the Moog brand we believe in the overall quality of their parts and the company’s ability to manufacture some great suspension technology. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t sell them.

      That said, there is always room for improvement with any brand. An example is Moog’s RK line of control arms that do not feature Moog’s premium Problem Solver ball joints. In these cases you might not know what you’re getting in the way of ball joints. We assume this was done in an effort to provide price range options for their customers since these control arms are basic replacement parts, meant to restore a daily driver quickly and cheaply.

      Here’s the good news; Moog is planning on upgrading the RK line of control arms by using their Problem Solver ball joints which include features like the Gusher Bearing, Integral Dust Boot, and the Hardened Ball Stud. We think this is a pretty good sign that Moog is still sensitive to the desires of its customers.

      I know it probably isn’t reflective of their entire catalog but this recent demonstration indicating that Moog’s Problem Solver ball joints out-last many competitors might be relevant here.

      In the end, it really is the “hands on”, “in the field” experience like that of the shop owner you know that paints the picture of how parts are performing. It sounds like in his case, that isn’t a terribly pretty picture right now. Lets hope that Moog is seeing these failures and (similar to their decision to upgrade the RK line of control arms) reacting to correct the problems in future iterations of those part numbers.

      Thanks again for your thoughtful comment Al.

      Reply
  19. Luka
    Luka
    October 5, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    HI,

    Were are these parts manufactured:

    NI-WB-12774
    NI-LS-7228
    NI-LS-7227

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      October 9, 2017 at 8:06 am

      Hey Luka,

      I spoke with one of the Garage Gurus at Moog and they informed me that these parts aren’t sold in the US so we don’t have them stocked in our warehouse. Without having these parts physically in my hands to look at the label and handle the part I just can’t tell you with certainty where these parts were manufactured.

      Moog outsources some of their manufacturing in order to provide the extensive coverage their brand affords, but this means that unless you’re actually holding the part you won’t know the country of origin. In our own warehouse we demonstrated that even the same part, sitting side by side on the shelf, can come from different places.

      If you have any other questions you can ask here or call or chat with our knowledgeable customer service team. Sorry we couldn’t look at those parts for you Luka, good luck.

      Reply
  20. Anthony
    Anthony
    October 6, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    I ordered moog brand ball joints the other week and got in the mail ball joints not in a moog box and said the brand was three five with 555 stamped on it. The boots look cheap and does not look like a moog product. I spent 170$ on these. If someone could help me that would be great. Definetly want to return these as of now.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Baker
      Chelsea Baker
      October 16, 2017 at 7:31 am

      Hello Anthony,

      I sent you an email last week to see how we could help, I didn’t get a response so I hope you were able to get the help you needed. That is definitely an unusual problem. If you still need help finding the correct parts – don’t hesitate to contact our customer service team. They can check our stock and make sure you would be getting the correct MOOG parts.

      Has anyone else run into this problem?

      Reply
  21. Tug
    Tug
    October 22, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    I just bought lower control arm driver side for 06 envoy Denali 5.3…dismantle old. Went to put new one in….No Fit! The bracket is 1/8 of a inch to thick.Will not Slip in….. Cross referenced everywhere. Correct numbers… The away bar bushing were wrong side also…away bar links ? Yes I live in a Florida HOA….My truck is jacked up till they can find correct part and my 1 day off….. My 1st MooT buy was for my 72 442 455… Could. Bought every since.. Bad reviews. Seem to be happening and I’ve been caught………

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      October 23, 2017 at 8:24 am

      Hey Tug,

      Sorry to hear that your part doesn’t seem to fit. Are you absolutely sure about the part numbers and that they fit your envoy? Our references show that for the 2006 GMC Envoy the part number for the the driver side lower control arm is RK620467 – Which is the control arm and the lower control arm support bracket.

      The part should be the same whether you have the 2WD or 4WD. If you have a lift installed it could affect the fitment of your control arms. If you would like to call or chat with the DST customer service folks they can get a little more information and figure out what’s going on and get you the part you need.

      Best of luck getting your Envoy back together.

      Reply
  22. Power Steering pump on 2004 Accord 4cyl - Drive Accord Honda Forums
    January 13, 2018 at 11:21 pm

    […] Rudi is online now   Quote Quick Reply post #7 of 7 Old Today, 09:21 PM KW2004Accord Out of Control   Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 2,161 Thanks: 376 Thanked 287 Times in 265 Posts Moog brand isn't what it use to be – Where are Moog parts made? The answer may surprise you! – Suspension.com […]

    Reply
  23. voice of reason
    voice of reason
    February 4, 2018 at 8:16 am

    you don’t want to buy any chassis, suspension, etc. parts made in southeast Asia- period. use common sense. the best manufacturers are USA, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Japan.
    If I had to pick a top 3 it would be USA, Germany, Japan.
    the only 2 acceptable Asian sources are Malaysia and Philippines.
    Taiwan, China, Korea, Viet Nam, India are all shit.

    Reply
    • Graham Slaughter
      Graham Slaughter
      February 19, 2018 at 10:59 am

      Thanks for your input. I dont suppose you could offer some input on why you would choose those countries specifically?

      Reply
  24. Better ball joints? - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
    February 5, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    […] Re: Better ball joints? Here's a good explanation of why Moog quality has been suffering, I've noticed a downward trend with their products over the last year and a half as well on more than just the FJ… Suspension.com – Where is Moog made? […]

    Reply
  25. Bruce sedlak
    Bruce sedlak
    March 1, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    I have 2sets of Moog rear sway bar links fail on my 07 focus. I also have Moog front
    sway bar links with less than 20,000 miles and one has already failed.i am not going to purchase any more moog parts

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 2, 2018 at 9:32 am

      Hey Bruce,

      Sorry to hear about those endlinks. Where did you buy them? Suspension.com offers a lifetime warranty on those parts when they’re bought through us, because we expect them to last a long time. For the rear is it the bushings that are failing? Rubber endlink grommets can begin to degrade if they’re exposed coastal climates or driving on rough or salted roads.

      If the hardware is still good you might try putting some polyurethane grommets into the assembly. They don’t cost much, last a long, long time, and almost always come with a lifetime warranty. Besides this, the endlinks aren’t going to transfer more vibration from the road with poly bushings installed so you get a little stiffer sway bar (less body roll) with no comfort trade-off. If you have the measurements you can find universal polyurethane grommets here or contact Suspension.com to help you find what you need.

      For everyone else’s benefit, the front endlinks on the 2007 Focus are a ball joint style so when they show signs of wear they have to be replaced entirely. It’s strange that those endlinks would wear out after only 20k miles. Are the ball joints loose or is it something else? Would you mind providing some details or emailing some pictures to us so we could take a look? We want to be able to tell the manufacturer if something is going wrong with one of their parts.

      Hope this helps with those rear endlinks, good luck.

      Reply
  26. Jeggs Moog 5103K ball Joint? - Chevelle Tech
    March 10, 2018 at 7:48 am

    […] if that helps. Geoff, looks like I need to start checking my boxes better. I found this link… Where are Moog parts made? The answer may surprise you! – Suspension.com I have 4 Moog's for my S10 in the shop that I am about to go check. 1969 Chevelle SS — […]

    Reply
  27. Steffen Hafsmo
    Steffen Hafsmo
    March 15, 2018 at 4:35 am

    I just ordered a pair of rear anti-roll bar end links for my 03′ durango. One was made in Mexico and the other made in USA.
    The part made in Mexico is far superior of the cheaper looking USA made. The Mexico part was nearly identical the removed stock part. Coated black, sealed ball joint, and proper rubber bushing. The US version was not pained at all, and naturally started rusting immediately, came with a re-greaseable ball joint (as things used to be in the 60s), and of course, the cheap, useless polyurehane bushing. Cause for many a squeak and unnecessary road noise. Ball joint wasn’t even perpendicular ot the rod, as it should be.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 19, 2018 at 2:18 pm

      Hey Steffen,

      We’ve heard similar comments about the quality of Moog suspension parts coming from Mexico. It sounds like they’re using quality materials and not cutting any corners on the designs, as is sometimes the complaint from folks about non-US Moog products.

      Do you mind me asking what brand of end-links you purchased? It’s very strange to see two of the same part from the same brand and have polyurethane bushings on one part and rubber on another.

      Also, I don’t know about your experience with poly bushings, but if they are properly greased with polyurethane bushing grease they should go 5+ years before they begin squeaking or need re-greasing. Plus they have a longer effective lifespan than rubber and in the end-link position they shouldn’t add any vibration or road feel to your ride but will reduce body roll and improve traction during a turn.

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Steffen, and hope those sway bar end-links are working out for you.

      Reply
  28. Curtis Guyer
    Curtis Guyer
    March 18, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    where would you say these moog ball joints are made? please type #323066532193 into e-bay search to see pic

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 19, 2018 at 2:46 pm

      Hey Curtis,

      It’s impossible to say for certain from that picture where the parts were manufactured. The country of manufacture would be on the sticker with the barcode, but those boxes are a older style. There is no visible marking on the part itself so there is really no telling.

      We have other pictures of this front upper ball joint that show the Moog logo embossed into the dust boot, which the E-Bay part does not have, but other than that we can’t say for sure. I would be cautious since a knock off will fit in a Moog box as easily as the real thing.

      Reply
  29. Bill
    Bill
    March 26, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    Moog: Your warrantees only mean we have to do the work twice, or pay an auto shop to do the work more than once. I don’t see any difference from Moog’s attitude compared to starter and alternator rebuild shops, who pump out bad parts, and always say they are sorry.
    So I guess Moog is just another company that will not admit to their downgrade, unless you corner them.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      April 5, 2018 at 8:10 am

      Hey Bill,

      Are you refering to a personal experience with some Moog parts? One of the warranty complaints we have heard before has regarded the ball joints in some control arms, and there is a simple explanation for this:

      Moog has to compete in a global market that has been flooded with cheap suspension components.

      As an example Moog developed it’s RK series of control arms that up till now have not included premium Problem Solver ball joints to make them more affordable. While Moog’s CK series arms do contain the Problem Solver ball joints they are more expensive, but Moog has said that they will begin using their premium ball joints in the RK arms soon.

      Moog makes OE replacement parts and even throws in some improvements on the original designs when possible. Here is a list of Problem Solver Ball Joints that Moog has manufactured to address specific design flaws in OE ball joints on certain makes and models.

      Thanks for the insight, Bill.

      Reply
  30. RubiconFreedom
    RubiconFreedom
    May 3, 2019 at 6:50 am

    Although I’ve not purchase these parts from you, you have a wealth of information which Moog themselves has already told me. I’ve been a Moog supporter from years back. In this light, we’ve had to replace the factory drag link, tie rod & sway links on our 2017 Jeep wrangler. As part of our dedication to Moog Products, we’re replacing the entire front end with Moog Problem Solvers. However and at this time, we’re unable to replace the ball joint which will take place over the next year. We’ve just recently had a chance to complete the front end installation, but as expected the dealership whom performed the service, botched the job. We then turned to another shop to correct the issues made by that dealership. Lastly we’re having a hard time determining if the steering is correct or we’re getting a lot of feedback from these crappy Bridgestone tires which again will be replaced & upgraded to a different brand. When it’s all said and done, we would have invested approx $1,800+ on replacing the coil springs, shocks & the above described Moog products.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      May 9, 2019 at 8:44 am

      Sorry to hear about your experience getting the front end work done. The tires could be part of the problem, but if those ball joints are in sad shape they could be the source of your feedback. Also, I don’t know if you’ve had an alignment after all that suspension work but if not you could definitely have some quirky handling characteristics.

      Hope all the work pays off and those Moog parts improve your steering sharpness.

      Reply
  31. Jeff Horsman
    Jeff Horsman
    May 30, 2019 at 8:21 am

    The RK621369 and RK8121 control arms are replacements for my 1967 Mustang. Do they have the problem solver ball joints? Where are these manufactured? I have been using Moog components for twenty five years and have been very happy.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      June 12, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Hey Jeff,

      I looked into those control arms and these RK series do not have the Problem Solver ball joints installed. We have several of these control arms in our warehouse and the label states that they’re made in Taiwan.

      Typically the Problem Solver joints are designed to fix some flaw in the OE design, but if there is no outstanding flaw or precedent for premature failure of the ball joint then Moog doesn’t try to design a new replacement since the original design seems to be working as intended.

      When you’re making a decision about what replacements to install it comes down to: What kind of driving are you going to be doing?

      If you’re wanting to push the boundaries of your Mustang then a more expensive premium option for control arms might be what you need. If you want to restore the factory handling and ride then the RK arms will give you similar results to the original arms. We’ve talked about the reason these RK parts are made elsewhere in another blog, but long story short they are marketed as a replacement option that doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the Problem Solver joints but is also less expensive.

      Hope this was helpful and good luck on the control arm replacement.

      Reply
  32. David Rogers
    David Rogers
    October 28, 2019 at 2:14 am

    It seems to me, that moog should make parts for American cars in America and use their other plants to make parts for all other cars, then everybody would be much happier. I mean if you didn’t buy an American car then buying an American made part would be of no concern to you. And by AMERICAN car I mean FORD, GM, and MOPAR and yes I know GM is known as CHINA motors and MOPAR was owned by a GERMAN co. and now an ITALIAN co. but most people still consider these three car companies to be AMERICAN cars.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      November 6, 2019 at 9:49 am

      Hey David,

      There are a lot of folks that have a similar opinion about Moog, but for the most part Moog does follow the guidelines that you laid out. I just spoke with one of the Garage Gurus over at Moog and they were able to speak to the question of part manufacturing location a bit.

      Like you said, it makes sense that some makes and models would use non-US manufactured parts since the original parts are non-US. Most Moog parts for American manufactured vehicles (and some for vehicles of other manufacture) are Made in the USA, Moog’s European division manufactures many parts for European vehicles, and many parts for Asian vehicles are manufactured by Moog approved plants in Asia.

      Is this the case with 100% of Moog parts? No, but for the most part the above general rule applies.

      Thanks for the comment David.

      Reply
  33. Daniel Williams
    Daniel Williams
    July 20, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    The bottom line is…the REAL reason people buy MOOG parts is that they believe them to be of superior quality to most others…because they were at one time…and made soley in the USA. Sadly…as has been pointed out comment after comment…this is no longer true…and it’s a gamble if you will recieve an actual high quality…made in the USA part from MOOG. NO ONE cares about a great warranty anymore…because it means NOTHING these days. What they DO care about is having to do a repair a second or third time that should have held up the first time for the money they paid. It’s a HUGE hassle to do your own maintenance on your vehicle…of ANY kind…and then have to do it again…out in the sun…and on the ground for lots of people. They buy MOOG with the hope that this will NOT take place…and they can get on with the next repair. I abandoned MOOG loyalty long ago for this very reason. If I can’t count on MOOG to provide a quality part EVERY TIME for the higher price they want…and REGARDLESS of marketing strategies or whatever other excuse they come up with…then I might as well save some money and go for the lesser priced part from another long time manufacturer that will more than likely hold up just as well as anything I get from MOOG!

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      July 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

      Hey Daniel,

      Sorry to hear you don’t have a lot of confidence in the Moog brand. Is this based on a personal experience you’ve had with one of their parts?

      By and large, Moog parts actually are “superior quality to most others”. You can call us biased because we sell their brand but we wouldn’t sell the brand if they didn’t demonstrate quality in their product. Moog’s Problem Solver line is engineered to replace parts with known design flaws so people can have a longer lasting part instead of one that is destined for a short life. Further, their ball joints have been shown to last 5X longer than their competitors in an independent study.

      We’ve had lots of interactions with customers of Moog over the last 10 years, the vast majority of whom have been satisfied with their parts. The occasional defective part does slip through sometimes and that is why they have traditionally offered a lifetime warranty on their parts, because those cases are the exception and not the rule. Moog actually allows individual dealers to handle their own warranty claims so where you buy the part will determine what kind of warranty you have. The article “What is Moog’s Warranty” explains this more in-depth.

      To address parts made outside the US, to compete in a global automotive parts market and offer coverage to a huge range of makes and models Moog had to expand manufacturing to include thousands more parts and the only way to feasibly do this is to outsource some of the manufacturing. Moog has said that the parts coming out of these factories are held to certain standards and sampled by Moog engineers for quality.

      Moog has also drawn a distinction between some of their parts that are meant to be low cost replacement options and and those meant to be upgrades in quality over the original parts such as the disparity between the RK and CK series control arms. Saying this, we understand that replacing a part more than once because the part is defective is a huge pain. But, our bottom line is we believe you’re better off with Moog than with another option, if for no other reason than having a warranty is better than not.

      Appreciate your opinion Daniel, and thanks for the comment.

      Reply
  34. Frederick Anthony
    Frederick Anthony
    September 10, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    Is M513084 (a hub assembly) a Moog number or a number specific to the Moog corporation?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      September 11, 2020 at 7:42 am

      Hey Frederick,

      Moog just uses the numerical portion of that designation (513084) to identify that wheel hub. Some dealers will add their own prefixes or suffixes to that number for various reasons, such as to help customers or warehouse employees easily identify the brand of the part.

      Hope this was helpful.

      Reply
      • Frederick Anthony
        Frederick Anthony
        September 11, 2020 at 9:00 am

        Cool…..but Timken (amongst others) uses that number too! Also, does Moog manufacture that hub for Duralast (Autozone), because they (Autozone) also use that number! Can you explain?

        Reply
        • Josh Daniels
          Josh Daniels
          September 11, 2020 at 10:31 am

          Sorry, about that.

          I dug a little deeper, called Moog, talked with our mechanic and after all of that I can’t tell you for sure but it appears that a lot of aftermarket part manufacturers use Moog’s part numbers for their products as well. I can’t say for sure with the wheel hubs if Moog is the chicken or the egg, but I can say in regard to chassis parts (according to Moog) other companies crib off of Moog’s part numbers.

          Hope this was more helpful.

          Reply
  35. Timothy Evans
    Timothy Evans
    March 30, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    The bottom line here is we, as customers, should be able to choose which parts we want. If I want a part made in the U.S., or any other country for example that enforces environmental and fair labor laws, then I should be able to choose. The parts should be coded to make shopping easier for customers. Throwing your hands up and saying, “well i’s a global market now, nothing we can do”, is a lazy horse shit response. As the people on this forum indicate, people want to know where the parts they want and need are manufactured. This seems like it should be pretty easy to add a code indicating country of origin on the box or the part (the best option).

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 31, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      Hey Timothy,

      First off, as the article indicates in text and images, the country of origin IS displayed on the box.

      Second, as an online distributer, we sell parts to people all over the world, many of which drive vehicles that are not composed entirely of parts made in the US… much like most of the vehicles in the US, which leads to –

      Third, even if you own one of the 91 models (out of 250 in 2020) that the American Made Index classifies as “American Made” the standard only stipulates that the vehicle is composed of more than 50% American made parts.

      Given current trends, odds are better than average that the next vehicle you buy will be composed of less than 50% American made parts off the line. The AMI has actually had to lower their standards in recent years from 75% American made parts to 50% to be able to compile any kind of list of “American Made” vehicles. By 2015 there were fewer than 10 vehicles that met the 75% standard and today no vehicles do.

      The most American made vehicle from American made parts in 2020 (Ford Ranger) contained 70% US/Canada manufactured parts, which of course means that 30% of those parts were coming from… somewhere else.

      Moog does have manufacturing plants in the US where they make aftermarket replacement auto parts. More than 75% of their socket style components including ball joints, tie rod ends, control arms, etc. are made in the US. But for some applications they have to outsource to other plants and even then Moog engineers check the parts coming out of those plants to ensure their standard of quality.

      Folks are well within their rights to demand American made replacement auto parts, and our company carries many exclusively American made brands, but the simple fact is that in many cases if you want a part that will replace the broken one you’re going to have to get it from the factory that made the original. And most of the time that factory isn’t in the US.

      Hope this was helpful.

      Reply
  36. Tom waite
    Tom waite
    August 12, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    BMW builds cars in Spartanburg SC and having worked in that factory i can say honestly that quality is their first priority. I also built commercial drive axle assy’s at Arvin Meritor in Forest City NC and the no. of units that can be built per shift is priority with “quality” coming in second place (“We’ll deal with it later”). The point being that Made in USA doesn’t automatically mean a quality part is being produced. I use MOOG suspension parts on two 4WD vehicles and have no regrets. And our local auto parts store stocks most everything i need giving me the opportunity to examine the parts prior to purchase. Do your research before purchasing.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      August 20, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      Hey Tom,

      Thanks for the insight! I would imagine this is the case in most places – some plants have a high standard of quality and some are looking for maximum profit for minimum cost.

      We’ve been selling Moog parts for 15 years at this point and we’ve heard good and bad from customers and in that time Moog has consistently shown itself to be a dependable brand of steering and suspension parts. There are always going to be flukes with any brand but based on the feedback we’ve received over the years Moog is a good bet.

      Thanks again for sharing your experience.

      Reply
  37. Eddie
    Eddie
    November 15, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    Geez, I wish I discovered your website years ago! Anyway, I was trying to look up where Moog front lower control arm and ball joint assemblies are manufactured for a 2010 Mazda3 GS sedan, but haven’t had any luck. Moog part numbers are RK621270 (front right lower) and RK621271 (left front lower). I contacted Moog support but they never got back to me. I’ve been trying to decide to go with either Moog or Mevotech. I managed to confirm directly from Mevotech that their front lower control arms for the Mazda3 are manufactured in China. I don’t suppose you guys might have an idea where the Moog RK621270 and RK621271 are manufactured?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      November 16, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      Hey Eddie,

      We were able to get our hands on an RK621271 in our Texas warehouse so we checked out the part label which indicated that the part was made in Taiwan.

      That said, we can’t confirm if every run of this part has the same origin. We have documented how some individual parts that share a part number were manufactured in different countries. Moog has said that every part under their brand has been certified, meaning the materials and production practices of that run of the part have been approved by Moog engineers, to provide a certain level of confidence. In this case, since a large percentage of Mazda manufacturing takes place in Japan, it’s not surprising to see a control arm from Taiwan where some of the components are manufactured.

      Hope this was helpful.

      Reply
      • Eddie
        Eddie
        November 26, 2021 at 11:20 pm

        Thank you! This is very useful. It’s understandable that parts are manufactured from all over the world these days. I know there is a perception that parts manufactured in China aren’t always the best quality. I work at a oil and gas drilling services company and some of the parts are manufactured in China. Quality is hit and miss. Sometimes great, sometimes not-so-great. But that’s probably more or less the case for parts manufactured anywhere in the world.

        Anyway, another question I have is regards to this control arm from a local parts website: https://www.partsource.ca/products/cb65094-moog-rk-series-control-arms-control-arm-assemblies?_pos=1&_sid=d4184c86a&_ss=r

        The description says, “CB65094 MOOG RK Series Control Arms & Control Arm Assemblies”. However, that number is different from the Moog RK number. I Googled the number and it appears to be from MAS Industries / Dorman. I don’t t think it’s an “interchange” number. I asked someone at Partsource over the phone but unfortunately he didn’t seem to know. So what I’m wondering is, does Moog manufacture control arms for other manufacturers, and in this case, not under their own brand name? Or could this simply be a case of Partsource just labelling the part description wrongly?

        Reply
        • Josh Daniels
          Josh Daniels
          December 2, 2021 at 10:08 am

          Hey Eddie,

          Thanks for the kind words! The real crux of the ‘country of manufacture’ issue is that some replacement parts are only available from non-US factories. In some cases there is no other option besides the dealership and odds are that part is also made outside the US.

          As for this control arm, I would guess that this is a labeling error on the part of the website, with either the part number or the product details. The product image appears to be a stock photo so it’s hard to tell one way or the other.

          In regards to the manufacturing question, it’s pretty convoluted. Federal Mogul who owns Moog will do private label runs of parts for auto shops to use in their day-to-day repairs but not for other brands that are going to resell the part. So while these parts are manufactured by Federal Mogul/Moog they are not technically considered ‘Moog Parts’ and in the case of control arms they would not have Problem Solver balls joints which is the real line of separation between Moog and other brands. These would be more in line with Moog’s RK series which serves as a less expensive OE replacement.

          It’s a murky topic but I hope this clears things up a bit.

          Reply
  38. David
    David
    March 15, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    I won’t buy a “Made in China” part, unfortunately there is no way to know until you have the box, so if it is I will return it, Thank God for Amazon return policy

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      March 22, 2022 at 9:23 am

      Hey David,

      For some vehicles this is an ok philosophy, but in a lot of cases a “Made in Other-than-the-USA” part is all that is available. Today a significant amount of OE parts in most vehicles are manufactured around the world and those factories are also making the replacement parts.

      Reply
    • ed
      ed
      November 28, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      These days the country of origin doesn’t matter as much. What does matter is how much the client is willing to pay for quality control…

      Reply
  39. Jim Downing
    Jim Downing
    December 29, 2022 at 11:18 am

    I am right now buying rear wheel bearing hubs for my car and I was initially going to go with Moog. Since there is the possibility of these bearings being made in China, I am now going with a company that uses only bearings made in Japan or the USA. I once bought brake rotors made in China and learned never ever again – fool me once!

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      January 3, 2023 at 1:42 pm

      Hey Jim,

      Sorry you had that bad experience with some brake rotors. Most people have a preference for where their parts are made, but in some cases that option does not exist.

      Moog’s coverage is vast and there are simply too many years, makes, and models with different parts for Moog to manufacture replacements for all of them. For their premium Problem Solver line, which are made in America, Moog designs and manufactures replacements that fix a flaw in the original.

      For those who just need a replacement and can not find one, Moog sources parts from other factories and many times these factories (where the original parts were made) are not in the US. Moog validates the manufacturing process in those factories but they can not check every part that rolls off the line. Since they provide coverage for an immense amount and variety of parts it’s unrealistic to expect them to all be manufactured in the USA.

      Good luck with the new bearings!

      Reply
  40. tobytronica
    tobytronica
    February 16, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    Buying automotive parts is currently something of a hit/miss experience in my opinion. There is an awful lot of junk out there, and I’m not taking a swipe at Moog, who in my limited experience of the brand seem to be a top shelf product.
    I have experienced ‘catastrophic failure’ of an aftermarket – common UK brand – BMW front suspension arm, just hundreds’ of miles into its life. Fortunately it occurred at 20mph: the bottom ball joint part of the component detached itself following minor impact with road debris. Losing much of the steering control and bodywork damage was the outcome.

    Suspension coil springs seem to be made to only last between oil changes. A KYB K12 1.2 Micra front coil spring lasted three years. Not too bad, how many miles?
    Just 890 mls. The car had Premium KYB Springs fit to each wheel in early 2020.
    The global event, yeah that one, saw the Micra garaged in March of 2020. A few weeks ago, this very low mileage Nissan was brought from hibernation. It started second try.
    When I tried to reverse the car out, collection of grating, thumping and generally things not feeling right, it was very obvious that all wasn’t okay.
    Both front coil springs having simply broken. Whilst the car was stationary. Under its own weight. In a heated garage.
    As an apprentice mechanic – working on Datsun – I believe that I replaced two coil springs throughout that time. I haven’t a clue as how to buy affordable car parts that will be as good quality as when your car was made? Bosch?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      February 17, 2023 at 8:49 am

      Hey Toby,

      Good Lord, both front coil spring just broke in the garage? Sounds haunted.

      There are definitely some parts out there that were not manufactured with longevity or quality in mind, and folks should be careful when looking at prices that seem too good to be true. That said, name brands that have been putting out parts for a long time should be careful about outsourcing manufacturing. Now in some cases those factories are making the parts that go on the stock vehicle so the quality should be comparable, but quality control is vital when outsourcing.

      We have been selling Moog for over a decade and our feedback from customers is overwhelmingly positive. Have there been some defective parts in that time? For sure, but the vast majority of their parts are solid according to our customers.

      Hope you have better luck in the future with coil springs and we would love to see some pictures of that double spring disaster if you have any 🙂

      Reply
  41. Jeff Craig
    Jeff Craig
    April 16, 2023 at 5:12 pm

    How does Moog insure the quality is being maintained in the 16 countries that manufacture Moog parts? I am a retired automotive engineer and I know firsthand that US based suppliers have a challenge insuring that their parts quality is maintained in their overseas manufacturing plants.

    I found that parts my suppliers made in Mexico were as good as the quality of US made parts. A lot of the reason for this was because my suppliers could easily travel to their manufacturing plants located in Mexico to address any manufacturing issues. I am sure Moog has the same experience with Mexico. It is not as easy for US based suppliers to travel to their manufacturing plants located overseas. Many commenters on here have stated, based on their own experiences, that quite a few of the countries where Moog manufactures parts have a reputation for producing inferior automotive components and products in general.

    I would like to know what processes Moog uses to insure the quality coming out of ALL of their overseas plants is the same as the quality Moog see in their US plants. This is especially true for the countries of China, Korea, India, Thailand, Turkey and Taiwan known for manufacturing inferior auto parts.

    I am sure that Moog builds in these 6 countries for the low-cost labor that they can get and not because Moog has such high sales volumes in these countries. The other specific countries not mentioned above I left off, especially Canada, Germany and Japan which have a reputation of producing well designed and high quality automotive parts.

    I have a few more questions, is all the Moog Engineering and Design work done in the USA? Does all the raw materials (Metals, Plastic, Rubber, Paint, Etc.) and manufacturing tools (such as Machine Tools, Etc.) that Moog uses for manufacturing come from a single source or are they locally sourced near the Moog plants in each of these countries? And, do all the Moog plants use the exact same process for manufacturing like parts?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      April 21, 2023 at 7:44 am

      Hey Jeff,

      Those are some great questions and while we are not Moog, and so are not privy to all of the information, here is a short recap of what we’ve been told regarding the quality control process –

      According to Moog, their engineers will verify the manufacturing process at a facility and inspect a random sample of the first run of a part, including design and material. We’ve been told that other samplings are taken but we do not know the frequency of those checks.

      Besides the low cost of labor in other countries another reason that Moog outsources manufacturing is to provide more coverage than they could with their own factories. Also the original parts on many vehicles were manufactured in those other countries to begin with. According to the NHTSA numbers only ~75 makes of passenger motor vehicles manufactured in 2022 contained more than 50% US/Canada made parts.

      To address the spirit of the other concerns I think the problem runs a little deeper.

      It comes down to competition in a global market. When enough people buy the lowest cost option, regardless of quality, then a company needs to have a response and find a way to offer an alternative which those consumers will buy. Moog does have some QC protocols in place but they don’t have engineers checking every part that rolls off the line, but as long as people are willing to buy parts from fly-by-night companies on Amazon that originated from who-knows-where then some QC is a step up from none.

      Moog does draw a distinction between their ‘premium’ line and the OE replacement options. Moog’s Problem Solver line is made in the US at it’s plant in Alabama and these parts are designed to correct known flaws in the original parts on many vehicles. The majority of Moog’s articulating suspension and steering parts are made in the US as well and likely have more consistent QC than those manufactured across the pond.

      Like I said, we don’t have all the answers, but we do have over a decade of direct interaction with customers of Moog parts and the vast majority of folks are satisfied with the quality and longevity of their parts.

      Thanks for the thoughtful questions, Jeff, and if we come across any more information we will get that out 🙂

      Reply
  42. William Martin
    William Martin
    August 8, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    Moog back in the 80’s was the best you can buy. But I recently purchased there ball joints and upper control arms and they are junk only lasted 6 months. Will never buy there products again. They used to last years.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels
      August 11, 2023 at 9:53 am

      Hey William,

      Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with those arms and ball joints. They should be lasting much longer than 6 months! Something is wrong or you’ve been hauling bags of gold out of the mountains of Alaska for half a year.

      It would be interesting to get more information, such as the vehicle and the part numbers. If those parts are having problems or there is a fitment issue it would be good to let the manufacturer know so they could see if there is a pattern with those parts. Did both of the ball joints and arms fail?

      Hope you have a good one and sorry about your troubles.

      Reply

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