Thanks for the thoughtful explanation. Very true, he is worried about damaging the control arm taking off the compliance bushing that is exactly what he said.Aluminum control arms are on the majority of vehicles today.
I am not arguing he is trying to scam you. There are two possibilities if you think he is honest:
1. He is afraid that he might damage control arm, you come back etc. etc.
2. Replacing the whole arm might be bit easier, though I don't see how in this case, considering the design.
I would go OE arms or bushings. The thing with aftermarket is that all options are mediocre, maybe average. Unfortunately, Lamfoerder or TRW don't have aftermarket options for many of these family haulers. While expensive, it is a critical safety part, and mediocre parts will mess up the drive. Rubber might not absorb impacts very well, and since I have the same vehicle in the garage, I know that steering is really not a strong point on Pilot. The quality of fluid in the bushing might also be bad. You might end up with a lower quality of ride and worse handling. With quality parts, stiffer bushings mean better steering and handling. With mediocre parts, anything is possible. Your braking might be worse, it might vibrate during braking etc.
The interesting thing I learned about on this forum and Piloteers is that I have been having some
"warped rotor feeling" in my steering wheel and brake pedal. I thought it was because I had new pads installed without new rotors and the pads needed to be bedded in properly. That could still be the issue. BUT oh yes for sure, I am going to spend the money for OEM. I cannot take any chances with steering issues, especially in our winters here in Michigan!