What Is Moog’s Warranty?

what is moogs warranty
what is moogs warranty

Moog Parts Warranty

In the time since it’s inception, Moog has changed ownership a few times and expanded it’s market to include an enormous number of parts covering a vast amount of makes and models. With these changes, some of Moog’s manufacturing has been outsourced to factories overseas which has raised some questions about the quality of the brand, like the state of the limited lifetime warranty that Moog has historically offered on its parts. In this article, we will try to shed some light on the facts regarding Moog’s warranty.

TL;DR – Moog works with dealers on a case by case basis regarding warranty issues, so when you buy a Moog part the individual dealer warranty is what you have… or don’t have.


moog warranty

What is Moog’s Warranty?

Moog offers a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects in their Premium Steering and Suspension parts like Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, and U-Joints for as long as the buyer owns the vehicle. This includes all the normal provisions: non-commercial use, part is still on the original vehicle, vehicle is less than 8k pounds, rubber wear and tear parts are not covered etc.

R Series Control Arms, Hub and Strut Assemblies are instead covered by a 3 year warranty (more on R Series later).

…the warranty you get depends on where you buy your parts.

Not a bad deal, right? Pretty standard for suspension and chassis parts. If the part has a flaw from manufacturing or materials then you get a replacement. The hitch comes from the fact that the individual dealers of Moog parts are responsible to the customer for supporting the warranty, which is another way of saying the warranty you get depends on where you buy your parts.


Where You Buy Matters

Moog still offers the same warranty against defect with one important provision; it is up to the dealer you bought the part from to honor the warranty. The rub is that since Moog does not sell directly to the public the customer must work with the dealer they purchased the part from. Which means that if the dealer directs you to Moog to fulfill your warranty, you don’t actually have a warranty.

…if the dealer directs you to Moog to fulfill your warranty, you don’t actually have a warranty.

Some dealers of aftermarket or replacement suspension parts will direct you to the manufacturer for warranty claims. This is fine in some cases, but comparing the information you get from some parts dealers and Moog’s current position on the matter… well, your warranty can become stuck in customer service limbo.

moog warranty and dealer warranty

suspension moog dealer

Suspension.com – Unlike “other retailers”

We believe in the customer getting what they paid for. We provide customer service because we believe that when you purchase a product you should be able to talk to a knowledgeable representative if there is a problem. Suspension.com provides a limited lifetime warranty on Moog parts that we sell (3 years on R Series, Hubs, and Struts) because we believe that they are the best aftermarket replacements you can get, and on the rare occasion that there is a problem our customers are better off with Moog parts than another cheaper option.


moog products last longer

“The BEST Warranty…

…Is the warranty you never have to use.” That’s the old saying and the attitude that a lot of folks take when it comes to their suspension parts. If you take a look at Moog from this angle they do a better job than a lot of other aftermarket replacement parts. Recent independent durability tests have shown that Moog ball joints last five times longer than their competitors.

Some of the cheaper aftermarket dealers you can find are cheaper simply because they are just a website.

All that said, if you get a lemon out of the box then you’ll need a warranty to replace it as painlessly as possible and that means you’re at the mercy of the dealer you bought the part from. Some of the cheaper aftermarket dealers you can find are cheaper simply because they are just a website. No real customer service, sketchy return policy, they likely never even see the part that is being sent to you. If you’ve had the unpleasant experience of needing to replace a part that should be under warranty and getting nowhere then you know what we’re talking about.


What About the R Series Warranty?

Moog’s R Series parts are an interesting phenomenon but the reason they exist is troubling: Moog needs a cheaper option than their premium parts to compete with knock-off brands. Basically, Moog created a product that replaced the higher quality/more expensive problem solver ball joint with an OE style ball joint, usually made in a non-US factory. These are guaranteed “Moog Validated Construction” which means that for the 1st factory run of every RK series part, engineers run tests on the first and last part to ensure they are being made to spec. This allows Moog to have an option for the folks who aren’t really looking for a long-lasting, high-quality part but just an OE style replacement that they can slap on their vehicle to get it on the road again as cheaply as possible.

These two examples of RK and CK Moog control arms for a ’06-’10 Jeep Grand Cherokee show the difference between the Made in the USA premium part and the Taiwan made replacement. In short, Moog still offers the high quality parts they have been known for, but they also offer a more affordable version and the difference between the warranties reflect the quality.

Moog needs a cheaper option than their premium parts to compete with knock-off brands.
moog ck vs rk series
different moog control arms

Why The Difference?

The majority of people when faced with two options will choose the cheaper of the two. When a company like Moog sells a high quality part for a profit their price is going to be higher than a part made with inferior engineering behind it or lower quality materials. But when most consumers look at two control arms, they pay the most attention to the numbers behind the dollar sign.

For Moog to be able to compete with the knockoff brands, which can gobble up a lot of business, its necessary to provide a lower cost option. Thus, Moog began outsourcing some of the manufacturing responsibilities to factories outside of the US. This drives the price down but also makes quality control a little problematic since a particular country’s manufacturing standards may not be the best and Moog engineers are simply not able to check every part that rolls out of some of these factories.


The Good News

First of all, there are dealers (like Suspension.com) that do offer limited lifetime warranties on the Moog parts they sell, you just have to check them out before you buy.

Also, Federal-Mogul (the company that owns Moog) is in the process of being purchased by Tenneco and this means changes will be coming. We won’t know anything for a while, but one such change could be how the manufacturer warranty is handled.

Finally, Moog is in the process of expanding its plant in Boaz, Alabama. We’ve also heard that production of around 100 new CK series control arms which feature the premium, problem solver ball joints will begin with this expansion. Whether or not these new control arms will have a lower cost like the RK series we will have to wait and see, but these parts will be made in the USA in Moog’s own factory. This shows a shift by Moog back to its roots of quality made products where the warranty is just the icing on the cake.

These changes look promising but until they are concrete it pays to know the dealer’s warranty before you buy a Moog product. If you don’t you might end up on the frustrating side of a customer service call.

know your moog dealers warranty
…it pays to know the dealer’s warranty before you buy a Moog product.
20 comments
  1. Buddy
    Buddy
    September 7, 2018 at 8:27 am

    Since this is an online store front instead a brick and mortar store how will the warranty be handled?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      September 20, 2018 at 7:23 am

      Hey Buddy,

      DST handles any warranty issues with our amazing customer service staff. You won’t need to go through a 3rd party to get your warranty taken care of. Whether you placed an order over the phone or on our website you will be able to talk to a knowledgeable human being and get support for your warranty.

      Reply
  2. Brit
    Brit
    September 7, 2018 at 8:55 am

    How does Moog determine who makes their RK series line? Do they physically go to the facility and inspect them before hiring them to make their product?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      September 21, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      Hey Brit,

      I spoke with the Garage Guru’s at Moog about this and they said that they begin by taking sample parts from potential manufacturers. They then compare them with the Original Equipment part to check the quality. After this, they take the part apart and conduct more tests on the metallurgy, construction, and other aspects of the part. If the part passes muster then it’s certified by Moog.

      Beyond that initial testing, Moog tests the first and last part of every factory run of a part to ensure the standards are being kept up.

      Thanks for the question Brit.

      Reply
  3. Gayleco
    Gayleco
    October 30, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    Appreciate the info, I’ve been building Hub To Hub IFS Conversion Kits using MII Geometry for about 20 yrs. We offer Moog tie rod ends as an option to Parts Master. Earlier a few of the Moog have come in that looked like the Parts Master in that the boots was not bonded to the tie rod, don’t have any way of knowing about the internal parts. Just checked the ones we have in stock & the Moog all look good with boot bonded, all show made in USA, some of the Parts Master show Made In Turkey & some Made In USA.
    We have had problems with the quality of the rubber the boots are made of on the Parts Master tie rod ends & ball joints that we was using. The boots on the Moog tie rod ends we have received lately and the XRF ball joints that we only use seems to be OK.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      November 1, 2018 at 1:24 pm

      Hey Gayleco,

      Moog offers some great benefits with their tie rod ends and the warranty that we offer reflects what we believe is a quality part. I believe Parts Master offers re-boxed parts from other manufacturers and I’m not sure what their warranty is like.

      Since you have 20 years of building those kits IFS kits could you say about how many of the tie rod ends have needed warranty replacements? I’m wondering if there is a difference between the number of those that were Parts Master compared to Moog.

      Thanks Gayleco, and keep up the good work.

      Reply
  4. Thomas McGregor
    Thomas McGregor
    January 9, 2019 at 7:13 pm

    I bought front right and left Moog spring/strut assemblies for my 2005 Solara. I noticed they were not advertised where they parts were being manufactured, but upon receiving I noticed they were made in China. After mounting them on my car I notice there was a popping sound coming from the struts as I went over bumps and speed bumps. I figured the noise was coming from either ball joints or stabilizer bar struts. I replaced all of those parts and the sound was still there. I started looking at the axles and replaced both of them–and the noise was still there. After talking to a mechanic, he was baffled where the noise was coming from and neither of us considered it would be a strut, but that was exactly where the problem was. I contact ShockWarehouse where I got the struts and they send another left strut/spring assembly under warranty. After replacing the left one my problem vanished on that side and it was quite. The right one was still popping going over bumps, so they have sent a right one for me to replace. I would like for Moog to take these struts apart and find out what the manufacturing defect is. I have never had a new strut make noise.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      February 15, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Hey Thomas,

      That is strange that both the left and right were causing noise. If you contacted Moog directly I’m sure they would want to know more about your experience. Glad you were able to get warranty replacements. Do you happen to remember where the second set was manufactured?

      Good luck with the new struts.

      Reply
  5. Robert K Davies
    Robert K Davies
    May 17, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    In reference to the aftermarket parts dealer above, they do indeed honor Moog warranties. They offer an easy online form to file your claim, obtain an RMA and get a replacement shipped out.

    I am in no way associated or employed by ********. I’m only a repeat customer of the last 5 years, with no issues of any sort.

    I’m not sure if I’m bothered more by this senseless hit against a parts company that has done me right for years, by what is now obviously a competitor. Or, that Google Now fed me this click baited advertisement as an actual article of independent journalism.

    Then again the author did make a very valid point in checking your dealer’s warranty process before buying.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      May 22, 2019 at 1:30 pm

      Hey Robert,

      This is the senseless clickbait journalist that wrote the drivel that offended you so 🙂 Seriously though, I think the dealer loyalty is commendable and I appreciate your comment.

      Anyway, I’m sorry if portions of the article didn’t align with your experience. The section which contained the name of another aftermarket suspension parts company was pulled directly from their website and was meant to show a disparity between the manufacturer and dealer warranty information, which it did.

      As I have personally neither bought nor returned any Moog products from this company I drew from the experiences of our customers who have previously been told by that company to contact Moog directly for warranty fulfillment. Our customer service folks have heard from MANY customers who were referred to Moog for warranty fulfillment by many different parts dealers, including the one mentioned in our article. Moog has had this policy in place for some time so the problem is being ignored by some dealers, either honestly or conveniently, but in the end the customer is left holding the sack.

      In the interest of staying above board, we will remove the mention of that company from our article and your comment. I’m glad you’ve had success in getting the parts you need but I’m not going to apologize for calling out a company when they have repeatedly passed the buck on other customer’s warranties. Truth be told, we greatly benefit from their historically poor handling of Moog warranty claims because those customers, once burned, are usually looking for a better option the next time around.

      If I made a plug for our own company it’s because that’s my living but I believe my article was a fair assessment of the reality of the warranty situation. Further, with pride but not arrogance, I have to say that our customer service experience is hands down better than ********. Suspension.com takes care of its customers in-house and does not pass off warranty claims to Moog.

      I’m curious to know what your experience with returning Moog parts to ******** has been? Good or bad I would like to hear it.

      Genuine thanks for the comment and I wish you continued good luck in buying parts, and returning them if need be.

      Thanks and Best

      Reply
  6. dave9
    dave9
    August 2, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    It all reads like nonsense. Vague hand waving gestures but when actually asked about, quote ” Buddy September 7, 2018 at 8:27 am, Since this is an online store front instead a brick and mortar store how will the warranty be handled?”

    The rely to that question was nonsense, quote “DST handles any warranty issues with our amazing customer service staff”.

    If in fact this is a seamless warranty service, the correct answer would have been “if there is any issue of failure, simply contact suspension.com (WTF is DST????) and arrange to send in the part for a replacement, or we offer free advance shipped replacement if you allow to be temporarily charged for the part until the old part is received by us.”

    The latter is definitely the only way anyone gives a carp about a warranty because the last thing someone wants to do is have their vehicle up on block for weeks while the old part is returned, the replacement is authorized, and shipped, and shipping time. Nope, nobody wants to not be able to put the new part in when the swap the old part out. Any other stipulation to a warranty is worthless.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      August 12, 2019 at 10:26 am

      Hey “dave9”,

      The answer you provided is indeed correct, but not in every situation since we do not live in a perfect world bubble where small businesses aren’t scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars worth of products every year with false warranty claims or stolen identities and credit cards. I’m sorry that you were dissatisfied with the answer to how our warranty is handled, but to answer any other way would ignore the nuance of the situations that our customer service team encounters everyday. If any amendment is made to our return policy for a customer by our customer service manager it is invariably and exclusively to the benefit of the customer and the detriment of our bottom line.

      Believe it or don’t, some customers do not mind waiting to receive replacement parts under warranty if it means lower shipping costs. Some customers need the parts right away and we work with them on a case by case basis to get them what they need, when they need it. Some “customers” are just trying to work the system.

      The customer service folks at Diverse Suspension Technologies (Suspension.com) go well out of their way to accommodate our customers, and while we have policies regarding warranty claims we always take care of the customer. We aren’t a call center in another country. We aren’t a pre-recorded message instructing you to call the manufacturer for warranty information. We are real people trying to help other real people get the parts they need and taking care of problems that come up as best we can.

      Have a nice day.

      Reply
  7. James Romaine
    James Romaine
    July 31, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    I’ve replaced the upper and lower ball joints on my Toyota tundra 2000 and with in 6to 8 months they both broke while driving down the road what kind of warranty is there for me or should I get a lawyer

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      August 10, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      Hey James,

      First off, glad to hear you’re ok and sorry to hear about your troubles. A failed ball joint while driving is no joke.

      I’m going to assume these were Moog ball joints but where you bought them is going to be a factor in the warranty since individual dealers are allowed to set up their own warranties. It does not appear that you have purchased parts through our website so we suggest contacting the dealer you bought the parts through first.

      In any case ball joints should not be failing after just 6 months. Could be a problem with installation or it might just be a lemon.

      Good luck with the warranty.

      Reply
  8. Bob Oakley
    Bob Oakley
    June 3, 2021 at 6:11 am

    I installed two moog struts on a 2011 Malibu. After about a year they started making (rattle) noise on gravel drives and bumps in road. I put new sway bar links, sway bar bushings, both CV axles, everything in the suspension system. Finally took it to a mechanic and he said the noise was from the top of the struts. Now I am trying to find out if they have a guarantee.

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      June 9, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Hey Bob,

      It does sound like it could be the bearing on the strut mount which can be individually replaced if the rest of the strut is sound, saving some money on parts.

      If it’s going bad after a year 1) it’s a lemon or 2) there was an install problem or 3) they’ve experienced unusually high volume or rough miles. Those parts should still be under warranty, but that can depend on who you bought them from. If you bought them from us our customer support folks will be able to help you out.

      Hope you can get it sorted.

      Reply
  9. Rick
    Rick
    September 23, 2021 at 7:31 am

    Does putting a lift kit on a vehicle void the limited lifetime warranty on Moog parts?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      September 24, 2021 at 7:36 am

      Hey Rick,

      Lifting a vehicle over 2 Inches does void the warranty for Moog parts. This is due to the fact that a lift over that size can have a detrimental effect on the suspension geometry of most vehicles and cause some components to wear and tear at an accelerated rate.

      Reply
  10. steeve
    steeve
    November 13, 2022 at 4:03 am

    I had the 2 suspension tables changed on my toyota sienna 2017 in August 2021. RK622036CQ, RK622035cq
    sienna @175,000 kms
    how is it possible that these 2 same parts are still broken. .
    I have traveled only 15,00 kms since and 14 months of use.
    MOOG states that the life of their part should be 5 times longer than others.
    is this a problem with this model only? and the next piece that will be installed under warranty, will they have the same defect?
    I know that the 2 new suspension arms will be free: but I would have to pay for the work and the alignment again. will I have to pay for repairs every year for these parts guaranteed for life?
    what’s wrong with these parts?

    Reply
    • Josh Daniels
      Josh Daniels • Post Author •
      November 18, 2022 at 2:49 pm

      Hey Steeve,

      First off, sorry to hear about your troubles with the control arms on your Sienna. We assume it’s the ball joints that are the problem? If they are wearing out that fast you might have another issue that is accelerating the wear on the arms.

      Secondly, as the above article states, the RK series parts are not the premium Moog parts that boast the 5X longer than average lifespan. The RK series are OE comparable replacement parts while the premium Problem Solver parts contain the features that increase longevity and performance, but they are more expensive. The Moog Problem Solver front lower ball joints for the 2017 Sienna (driver side and passenger side) cost about as much as an entire RK control arm.

      Again, those arms should last longer than you’ve experienced and if they are failing simultaneously it sounds like there might be an underlying issue. But the premium ball joints are the parts that are designed and tested for increased lifespan.

      Hope this was helpful and that you get the control arms sorted out.

      Reply

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