Do you hear an audible "groaning" sound when you go over uneven surfaces, and especially when you steer? If not, get a second opinion. I think the dealer is trying to screw you.
My '93 Accord had its front lower joints replaced last year (at about 200,000km). And yes, it was making that groaning sound. My mechanic showed me that one joint had developed a lot of play in it.
It's more than play, they can seize, too. That's really, really bad, by the way, and totally quiet.
Check out these images:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/balljoint/
That's my car, three years ago. The symptoms were that you'd step on the brake and the car would veer to one side then straighten out again. I thought it was the brakes, but had no success in curing it.
What happened was the right lower joint was sticking: As the suspension compressed and decompressed, the stud was flexing more than the ball was moving in its socket. Eventually the stud's metal had had enough and broke off, resulting in the damage you see in the photos.
The failure itself was pretty scary. Big bang, corner dropped, very loud screeching noise and some smoke. Wrecked the tire. I saved the lower control arm by deciding to steer onto the gravel shoulder.
If the dealer tells you to change the lower balljoints, do it. It's a small price to pay, believe me.
