E46 Lower front ball joint/bush?

[1st_petrolhead]

I have an E46 2.0D Sport with about 35K on it

I seem to remember reading on the forums about people having problems with worn lower front ball joint or bush (can't remember).

Is this a common problem?

Is it normallly repaired under warranty?

[phelix]

Yes and maybe; sometimes it's argued to be wear and tear.

[8Tech]

These cars wear out both of the components you mention, especially the bush. It gives excessive wheel front/back travel and shows itself as a knock when stabbing the brakes at low speed. I almost always replace these bushes with poly bushes which last much longer and give better road holding. If its the balljoint then a new lower arm is your best option as they can be EXTREMELY tight to remove and install and not worth the saving.
I see no reason for these to be done under warranty, they are a normal wear and tear item on a modern car with the current speed ramps etc we now have.
Try German, Swedish and French car parts, they will be significantly cheaper than BMW and just as good.

8Tech.