After seeing several threads of the failures in the rear bushing of the front control arm in the 2103-16 CX-5 I did some research and saw that the 2017+ control arm appears to have a redesigned bushing to address the cracking problem. As it appears to me the cracks begin and propagate from the voids in the bushing, and the 2017+ bushing does not have any voids and appears to be thicker, so I assume it should last a bit longer at least. As I needed to replace the passenger side arm as both the bushing and ball joint were worn out I ordered an aftermarket 2017+ arm, Beck/Arnley part number 102-8132 to at least see if it would fit my 2013 CX-5, base, 2.0 6mt.
It bolted in perfectly, did not interfere with anything on the chassis, no modifications were required. After going on a drive the arm appears to function perfectly as a replacement part. While the replacement arm for the second gen did cost about $40 more than the 2013-16 version by the same manufacturer, I expect it to hopefully last longer in service, and avoid the bushing cracking problem in the future. In theory you could do this with an OEM mazda part for better quality, but i'm a cheap DIY sort of person.
Hopefully this helps someone out in the future!
It bolted in perfectly, did not interfere with anything on the chassis, no modifications were required. After going on a drive the arm appears to function perfectly as a replacement part. While the replacement arm for the second gen did cost about $40 more than the 2013-16 version by the same manufacturer, I expect it to hopefully last longer in service, and avoid the bushing cracking problem in the future. In theory you could do this with an OEM mazda part for better quality, but i'm a cheap DIY sort of person.
Hopefully this helps someone out in the future!
