Q: I have a 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona. I was told I need new ball joints. Along with that the mechanic said it requires new control

The ball joints for the lower arm on your model are vended separately so you do not have to buy the lower control arm with the joint already installed. The reason they want you to change the entire arm is because it is more profitable for them and it is less work. If the UPPER control arm is being replaced there is a circumstance where both sides (UPPER only) have to be replaced and that is if the new design arm is being installed. With regard to the lower arm though, if only 1 ball joint is worn past the factory spec you can just change the worn one but that assumes, of course, that they have actually measured and evaluated the other side to determine if the other side is usable as is. Often, just due to mileage if one side is known to be worn, the other side is replaced under the assumption that the other side is probably not far behind in terms of failure. The bottom line is if they propose to replace any part (the ball joint, in this case) because it is allegedly worn out, ask them to demonstrate exactly how they evaluated the joint and determined that it is no longer usable. If they fail to do so, or fail to give you an intelligible, credible, and complete explanation, such that you can make sense of what is going on, run for the exits. If you want a certified mechanic from YourMechanic to evaluate this for you and replace only that which is necessary, while giving you an intelligent, personal explanation of what is going on with your car, please simply request ball joint inspection/replacement and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.