I've had this Lexus GS300 2004 for like going on 3 years, and I'm on the 3rd round of having to fix control arms and ball joint issues. The first time, I thought okay it's a 20 year old car it's expected to have issues start to happen that need to be upgraded, no sweat.
Second go round, I was like what the hell.
Now the third go-round, I am about ready to lose my mind. What is going on with this? It can't be the mechanic because I've used three different very capable people. Real mechanics. And keep having these same issues. Is this a thing with the GS300??

 

Cheap replacement parts?

 

For context, a control arm/ball joint issue on one of these designs/builds is like a once every 150k to 250k mile repair.

If it is happening earlier than that/more often, then there’s something else going on - subframe damage, defects, etc.

 

Shops will use the cheapest parts they can get their hands on to maximize profit. Unless you specify or provide a brand, you'll get garbage Autozone parts.

 

There is a front-end suspension resonance with the 2nd gen GS geometry, but it would be helpful to understand "this issue" that you've mentioned, but not described.

 

The OEM lower ball joints usually last at least 100k miles, they currently cost about $150 each. For about $120 each you can get Moog problem-solver ball joints that are excellent quality and they have added a grease zerq, and if they are kept greased and not over greased or something, they should last forever. The ball joints that go bad after just a year are typically available on eBay for $24.99 for the pair. If you are keeping the car, get quality replacements parts and you shouldn’t have to do anything repeatedly