$1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

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bampf
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by bampf »

My point is that I'm not sure you can "guarantee that you need new struts at 130k" with the information the OP has posted, unless you know that his initial repair estimate was based on a real evaluation of strut/shock condition.
Sigh. OK let's break this down. The car is 12 years old. It has 130K miles. Some manufactures say "replace at 50K". Others say "100K". Some say 5 years. The only way to really know for sure is to take them off (unless you are able to measure tolerances with far greater accuracy than op appears to be able to) and depress them to see if they do in fact dampen the "shock" like they are supposed to. Many times the springs hide the strut failure from the ill informed. If you are going to do that, the struts are imminently going to fail, they aren't going to last 200K miles (setting the obvious internet story that is going to pop up with the one exception from my cousin barney on his 2003 Honda civic who has "400K miles and struts that are as good as new!") Please. :annoyed

Setting aside my hyperbole in my original quote I also said "Google signs of strut failure". So, good job seizing on my hyperbole. You have added immeasurably to the discussion by anecdotally pointing out two cars, both with substantially fewer miles then OPs, that didn't exhibit any signs of strut failure (tire wear) and didn't have a diagnosis from a mechanic (whether you believe it or not).

I stand behind the statement that the struts are probably failing. I also stand behind the statement that it shouldn't be ignored and that with motivation and work, it can be done substantially cheaper than $1400.
:|
Peace out.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by F150HD »

______________
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Luke Duke
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Luke Duke »

munemaker wrote:
Helo80 wrote:what made you say that? 12-13 year old car with 131K miles on (potentially) original shocks is well beyond said parts life expectancy.
From experience, I don't agree with that. I currently have a 10 year old CRV with 198,000 miles on it, and have never done anything with the shocks and struts. A while back, I had a Chevrolet Tahoe with 195,000 miles on it (when it died) and never touched the shocks and struts. I had a 12 year old Honda Pilot with 165,000 miles on it when it died, and it had the original shocks and struts. Also, our roads here in western PA are terrible.
I guarantee you that you needed new struts/shocks on all of those vehicles. You probably didn't realize it because they tend to get worse very slowly.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by inbox788 »

Luke Duke wrote:
munemaker wrote:
Helo80 wrote:what made you say that? 12-13 year old car with 131K miles on (potentially) original shocks is well beyond said parts life expectancy.
From experience, I don't agree with that. I currently have a 10 year old CRV with 198,000 miles on it, and have never done anything with the shocks and struts. A while back, I had a Chevrolet Tahoe with 195,000 miles on it (when it died) and never touched the shocks and struts. I had a 12 year old Honda Pilot with 165,000 miles on it when it died, and it had the original shocks and struts. Also, our roads here in western PA are terrible.
I guarantee you that you needed new struts/shocks on all of those vehicles. You probably didn't realize it because they tend to get worse very slowly.
You're probably correct.
Your battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. The one-year warranty includes service coverage for a defective battery.
https://www.apple.com/batteries/service-and-recycling/

Bad struts are like bad batteries. They're soft failures and thresholds. So many miles, so many years, etc. Even after they "go bad", they still work, sometimes adequately. If your phone battery reliably worked for 70% of the original lifetime, would you be in a hurry to replace it (original 20 hours, now 14 hours)? A lot of us are driving around with car batteries around 5 years old that are probably bad according to some criteria or test, but as long as it keeps starting the car, it's good enough, until it leaves us stranded. (BTW, I'm using one of these to test my car batteries https://www.amazon.com/BA7-100-1200-Ele ... B0015PI7A4 ; it's supposed to be better than small/simple load testers.)

What's the criteria for struts and springs? Bounce test? Is there a a good measurement without having to take it to take it off the car and send to a certified lab?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiW0ISi8N-w
https://www.kyb.com/knowledge-center/sh ... ce-shocks/
https://www.kyb.com/knowledge-center/sh ... agnostics/

Sounds like these road test criteria (nose dive, acceleration squat, ride harshness, bottom-out, etc.) are reasonable road test and maintenance vs restore vs repair is good way to think about it. However, it's subjective and require experience.
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bampf
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by bampf »

I think people misunderstand what the reason for shock/struts are used for. A simple google search reflects this:
These parts are designed to control the tires, to keep them in contact with the road surface as much as possible. If vehicle tires are free to bounce (which is what happens when struts and shocks wear) they are not as effective at gripping the road, so steering, handling, and braking are all affected. Shocks and struts are not just for ride comfort: their primary function, tire control, is a much more important role.
If you aren't worried about steering, handling, braking or you know, being able to keep your car on the road, well, then do what ever you like... After 100K the stuts aren't dong much for you anyway. Really really...
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by FeesR-BullNotBullish »

Great post. All of the insight is inspiring me to make this overdue repair to my '06 Focus. Like OP, I was quoted over $1000 at my local mechanic. I just found a shade tree mechanic on craigslist, called a parts store, and the whole job will be around $650 ($200 for parts + $450 for labor). I realize "shade tree mechanic on craigslist" sounds like a red flag, but

a) I got a good feeling talking to him on the phone - he sounded competent, gave me insight on what parts to buy, and provided a couple references
b) it's a 2006 Focus
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Helo80
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Helo80 »

bampf wrote:
My point is that I'm not sure you can "guarantee that you need new struts at 130k" with the information the OP has posted, unless you know that his initial repair estimate was based on a real evaluation of strut/shock condition.
Sigh. OK let's break this down. The car is 12 years old. It has 130K miles. Some manufactures say "replace at 50K". Others say "100K". Some say 5 years. The only way to really know for sure is to take them off (unless you are able to measure tolerances with far greater accuracy than op appears to be able to) and depress them to see if they do in fact dampen the "shock" like they are supposed to. Many times the springs hide the strut failure from the ill informed. If you are going to do that, the struts are imminently going to fail, they aren't going to last 200K miles (setting the obvious internet story that is going to pop up with the one exception from my cousin barney on his 2003 Honda civic who has "400K miles and struts that are as good as new!") Please. :annoyed

Setting aside my hyperbole in my original quote I also said "Google signs of strut failure". So, good job seizing on my hyperbole. You have added immeasurably to the discussion by anecdotally pointing out two cars, both with substantially fewer miles then OPs, that didn't exhibit any signs of strut failure (tire wear) and didn't have a diagnosis from a mechanic (whether you believe it or not).

I stand behind the statement that the struts are probably failing. I also stand behind the statement that it shouldn't be ignored and that with motivation and work, it can be done substantially cheaper than $1400.
:|
Peace out.


FWIW - It's not worth getting into a fight with people on the internet about this topic. However, I 100% agree with this post.
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Helo80
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Helo80 »

FeesR-BullNotBullish wrote:Great post. All of the insight is inspiring me to make this overdue repair to my '06 Focus. Like OP, I was quoted over $1000 at my local mechanic. I just found a shade tree mechanic on craigslist, called a parts store, and the whole job will be around $650 ($200 for parts + $450 for labor). I realize "shade tree mechanic on craigslist" sounds like a red flag, but

a) I got a good feeling talking to him on the phone - he sounded competent, gave me insight on what parts to buy, and provided a couple references
b) it's a 2006 Focus

$450 in labor is not bad. You could do it yourself for free, but if you're not mechanically inclined or don't have the tools, $450 is a decent price in labor.

Make sure you get an alignment afterwards if this shade tree mechanic doesn't do it. Anytime you do suspension work, it's a good idea to do an alignment.
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magicj
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by magicj »

Great timing on this topic. I just purchased the necessary parts for suspension replacement on my 2012 prius. There's 94k on it now and I'm feeling the effects of worn suspension. Harsh ride, loose on the highway, and loose in the turns. I drive 30k a year and have done quite a few suspension replacements before I ever saw seepage from a shock/strut. A corolla w/that many miles is due, but if you are remotely handy I would do it yourself to save some dough.

Here's what is necessary for my suspension job.
2 struts for the front
2 strut mounts for the front (recommended..trust me)
2 insulators (boot) for the front (rears looked good)
2 shocks for the rear
$430 shipped. Will take a saturday with a spring compressor rental from advanced auto.
One of the best bargain tools I've ever bought: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-hea ... 68099.html
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by munemaker »

Luke Duke wrote:
munemaker wrote:
Helo80 wrote:what made you say that? 12-13 year old car with 131K miles on (potentially) original shocks is well beyond said parts life expectancy.
From experience, I don't agree with that. I currently have a 10 year old CRV with 198,000 miles on it, and have never done anything with the shocks and struts. A while back, I had a Chevrolet Tahoe with 195,000 miles on it (when it died) and never touched the shocks and struts. I had a 12 year old Honda Pilot with 165,000 miles on it when it died, and it had the original shocks and struts. Also, our roads here in western PA are terrible.
I guarantee you that you needed new struts/shocks on all of those vehicles. You probably didn't realize it because they tend to get worse very slowly.
Speaking for my current ride (the CRV), it drives as nice as it ever did, the tires wear evenly and it just passed inspection. So how could it need shocks and struts? Are you in the business of installing shocks and struts?
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by inbox788 »

munemaker wrote:Speaking for my current ride (the CRV), it drives as nice as it ever did, the tires wear evenly and it just passed inspection. So how could it need shocks and struts? Are you in the business of installing shocks and struts?
Funny you should say that. I'm in the same boat with a 2010 CRV, 80k miles and drives like new AFAIK, but a total layman here. No handling issues (just did some tests this morning --max accelerating and hard braking after following this post) and bounce test seems ok. I don't drive it a lot, so won't pass 100k for a while, and that's when I'll worry about mileage if I still have the car. Is there some time factor to worry about (like air leakage after 20 or 30 years)?
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Helo80 »

You all are something else:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice ... hat_havent

A shock that has 100K miles on it is likely no longer doing much for you.

OP has two choices:

A) Get a second opinion, maybe a free wheel alignment check that may find something off in the chamber or toe, and then get an alignment and a new set of tires only to have this problem happen in another 20K miles where we can revisit all these comments

...or...
B) Get new shocks and struts, a wheel alignment, and new tires, and then the problem has a much better chance of being fixed.

That being said, some of the bushings on the lower control arms and ball joints could be shot as well and you may find even more parts to replace.

FYI --- All the "uneven wear on the tires stuff".... yeah, lots of mechanics like to sell you wheel alignments because it's a fairly straightforward and easy job for them that requires no parts, it's just labor. Even then, you're usually at the whim of the computer machines that are hopefully calibrated correctly.

I'm sure there are several youtube videos that demonstrated the hydraulic component of a worn shock and how it's a night and day difference with a new one.
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wander
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by wander »

Helo80 wrote: A) Get a second opinion, maybe a free wheel alignment check that may find something off in the chamber or toe, and then get an alignment and a new set of tires only to have this problem happen in another 20K miles where we can revisit all these comments

...or...
B) Get new shocks and struts, a wheel alignment, and new tires, and then the problem has a much better chance of being fixed.
I replaced struts several times and did not need wheel alignment at all. You only remove one bolt at the bottom of the strut and three on the top, nothing else.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Helo80 »

wander wrote:
Helo80 wrote: A) Get a second opinion, maybe a free wheel alignment check that may find something off in the chamber or toe, and then get an alignment and a new set of tires only to have this problem happen in another 20K miles where we can revisit all these comments

...or...
B) Get new shocks and struts, a wheel alignment, and new tires, and then the problem has a much better chance of being fixed.
I replaced struts several times and did not need wheel alignment at all. You only remove one bolt at the bottom of the strut and three on the top, nothing else.
For my own sanity, I'm probably going to peace out of this thread soon.

Sure, you don't HAVE TO do a wheel alignment as evidenced by some here who feel like you never have to replace your shocks or struts. /s
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wander
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by wander »

Helo80 wrote: For my own sanity, I'm probably going to peace out of this thread soon.

Sure, you don't HAVE TO do a wheel alignment as evidenced by some here who feel like you never have to replace your shocks or struts. /s
I do bring my car to the shop for wheel alignment every time I replace inner our outer tie-rod ends. I actually did it about 4-5 times on my car. That is something I must do since I cannot put the tie-rod back precisely compared to the equipment at the shop. But for the struts, I haven't thought of taking it in for alignment. Maybe you are right, or maybe because I know that I will replace the tie rod soon and the car will get wheel alignment anyway. :D
david99
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by david99 »

Try getting an estimate on repairpal.com
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aceoperations
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

david99 wrote:Try getting an estimate on repairpal.com
Replacing front and back shocks, on both sides, is estimated at $1200-1300. I suppose this is the current market rate for this job.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Luke Duke »

munemaker wrote:
Luke Duke wrote:
munemaker wrote:
Helo80 wrote:what made you say that? 12-13 year old car with 131K miles on (potentially) original shocks is well beyond said parts life expectancy.
From experience, I don't agree with that. I currently have a 10 year old CRV with 198,000 miles on it, and have never done anything with the shocks and struts. A while back, I had a Chevrolet Tahoe with 195,000 miles on it (when it died) and never touched the shocks and struts. I had a 12 year old Honda Pilot with 165,000 miles on it when it died, and it had the original shocks and struts. Also, our roads here in western PA are terrible.
I guarantee you that you needed new struts/shocks on all of those vehicles. You probably didn't realize it because they tend to get worse very slowly.
Speaking for my current ride (the CRV), it drives as nice as it ever did, the tires wear evenly and it just passed inspection. So how could it need shocks and struts? Are you in the business of installing shocks and struts?
Speaking for my current ride (the CRV), it drives as nice as it ever did,
- It drives as nice as you remember it driving

the tires wear evenly and
- Uneven tire wear is only one possible sign of bad struts/shocks

it just passed inspection.
- They don't test struts/shocks during an inspection

So how could it need shocks and struts?
- I'll let you come to that conclusion yourself
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=strut+lifespan

Are you in the business of installing shocks and struts?
- No.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by sunny_socal »

You only pay $300 for an entire set of tires - at Costco? :shock: I shop for tires there as well (highly recommended), my usual bill is $800 and that's including the rebate of the month. Just a Honda Accord, nothing fancy.

Conclusion: your shocks may be worn, but it's just as likely that your low end tires simply wear quite quickly. For a 2nd car of that age, I'd leave it alone.

PS. Are you actually just asking "Is it ok for me to buy that new 4Runner I've always wanted?" :wink:
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

sunny_socal wrote:You only pay $300 for an entire set of tires - at Costco? :shock: I shop for tires there as well (highly recommended), my usual bill is $800 and that's including the rebate of the month. Just a Honda Accord, nothing fancy.

Conclusion: your shocks may be worn, but it's just as likely that your low end tires simply wear quite quickly. For a 2nd car of that age, I'd leave it alone.

PS. Are you actually just asking "Is it ok for me to buy that new 4Runner I've always wanted?" :wink:
My records show that my last set of tires cost $386 for all 4. They are Bridgestone epcos tires, and not what I would consider low end. I bought them in Costco when they were $70 off a tire. This offer pops up quite often. I'm not really sure why it costs you $800.

I would like that 4runner, but not for that price. :D
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by new2bogle »

I got a quote for all four of my wheels last year for shocks/struts (Camry). Pep Boys came out the cheapest at ~$600. This is in TX though. I got the quote because the shop I used to go to said I needed all four new ones. I went to Toyota for my next oil change and they said it was fine. Lesson: stop going to that shop and pay the extra $15 per oil change to get the pros at Toyota too look at it.

The toyota dealership quoted me $900, but said it wasn't needed.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by new2bogle »

aceoperations wrote:
sunny_socal wrote:You only pay $300 for an entire set of tires - at Costco? :shock: I shop for tires there as well (highly recommended), my usual bill is $800 and that's including the rebate of the month. Just a Honda Accord, nothing fancy.

Conclusion: your shocks may be worn, but it's just as likely that your low end tires simply wear quite quickly. For a 2nd car of that age, I'd leave it alone.

PS. Are you actually just asking "Is it ok for me to buy that new 4Runner I've always wanted?" :wink:
My records show that my last set of tires cost $386 for all 4. They are Bridgestone epcos tires, and not what I would consider low end. I bought them in Costco when they were $70 off a tire. This offer pops up quite often. I'm not really sure why it costs you $800.

I would like that 4runner, but not for that price. :D

I believe the corolla uses a smaller tire, which may be the cost difference.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by sunny_socal »

aceoperations wrote:
sunny_socal wrote:You only pay $300 for an entire set of tires - at Costco? :shock: I shop for tires there as well (highly recommended), my usual bill is $800 and that's including the rebate of the month. Just a Honda Accord, nothing fancy.

Conclusion: your shocks may be worn, but it's just as likely that your low end tires simply wear quite quickly. For a 2nd car of that age, I'd leave it alone.

PS. Are you actually just asking "Is it ok for me to buy that new 4Runner I've always wanted?" :wink:
My records show that my last set of tires cost $386 for all 4. They are Bridgestone epcos tires, and not what I would consider low end. I bought them in Costco when they were $70 off a tire. This offer pops up quite often. I'm not really sure why it costs you $800.

I would like that 4runner, but not for that price. :D
Those are low end tires. One guy only got 14k miles out of them, your 20k is actually not bad. And you got $70 off the set, not per tire.
https://www.tirerack.com/survey/SurveyC ... HR5EP422V2

Anyway - I'll bet your shocks are good enough for the type of driving you do with that car. I wouldn't change a thing. Even stay with the Bridgestones, what's a few hundreds bucks every 5 years?
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munemaker
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by munemaker »

Luke Duke wrote: it just passed inspection.
- They don't test struts/shocks during an inspection
Actually, here in PA checking the shocks is part of the state-mandated vehicle inspection. From the PA vehicle code:

"(12) Check the shock absorbers and reject if the vehicle continues free rocking motion greater than three cycles after release, indicating loss of the shock absorber function."

Reference: http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/c ... 75.80.html
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aceoperations
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

OP here....

I got a complete suspension evaluation this week at pep boys for $20 (the Toyota dealership quoted me $135 for an evaluation). The suspension is fully worn down, and the mechanic suggested an immediate replacement. The strut boots are also torn and need replacement. Pep Boys quoted me $1500 for the job ($800 for parts, $700 for labor). They were willing to give me 50% off the labor costs if I got the work done right then and there. Luckily, nothing else was identified as worn-out.

Looks like it is going to be a DIY project. I'll be going with KYB strut-plus assembly. I'm considering getting an impact driver and some jacks stands for extra safety. I'll also need some rust remover to loosen some bolts.
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by SimonJester »

aceoperations wrote:OP here....

I got a complete suspension evaluation this week at pep boys for $20 (the Toyota dealership quoted me $135 for an evaluation). The suspension is fully worn down, and the mechanic suggested an immediate replacement. The strut boots are also torn and need replacement. Pep Boys quoted me $1500 for the job ($800 for parts, $700 for labor). They were willing to give me 50% off the labor costs if I got the work done right then and there. Luckily, nothing else was identified as worn-out.

Looks like it is going to be a DIY project. I'll be going with KYB strut-plus assembly. I'm considering getting an impact driver and some jacks stands for extra safety. I'll also need some rust remover to loosen some bolts.

For what its worth I did my 2002 Corolla without an impact driver, but your millage may vary...
I used a bit of PB blaster to loosen up some of the bolts.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
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Helo80
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by Helo80 »

aceoperations wrote:OP here....

I got a complete suspension evaluation this week at pep boys for $20 (the Toyota dealership quoted me $135 for an evaluation). The suspension is fully worn down, and the mechanic suggested an immediate replacement. The strut boots are also torn and need replacement. Pep Boys quoted me $1500 for the job ($800 for parts, $700 for labor). They were willing to give me 50% off the labor costs if I got the work done right then and there. Luckily, nothing else was identified as worn-out.

Looks like it is going to be a DIY project. I'll be going with KYB strut-plus assembly. I'm considering getting an impact driver and some jacks stands for extra safety. I'll also need some rust remover to loosen some bolts.

Thanks for the update. I cannot say that I'm particularly surprised by the findings of Pep Boys. I hope that they showed you the wear and tear on said parts. I know for Honda's in that year, the bushings tended to go and cracked far too easily (sometimes even within the 3yr factory warranty). Feel free to ask around for a third/fourth/fifth opinion on any grease monkey at your employer or on the internet at Toyota Nation or r/askamechanic. Not to belittle Toyota, but they're not doing anything special that would take the vehicle beyond 100k miles. Once you do the work, your ride quality should be noticeably better. TBH, even if you had the Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to 125K miles and 10 years, if this issue happened at 120K miles and 9 years, I would bet dollars to donuts that Toyota would tell you to pound sand as their VSA excludes wear and tear parts like shocks. I recently helped my folks purchase a new Toyota and I told the finance manager that tried selling the EW hard that if it covered shocks, I would probably buy it --- but it does not so....... yeah... no, thanks.

KYB is a fine brand IMHO. Some people don't like them, but you'll find some people pull perfectly good shocks for an even softer feel (comfort) or to firm up the suspension (for racing and feeling the road). http://www.autonews.com/article/2015091 ... -for-price As you can see, KYB is an OEM supplier for Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Sub, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. If i had to do another shock job, I would go with KYB next go around. I used Monroe purely for pricing reasons and had a leaking shock after 15K miles that fortunately RockAuto replaced under the standard Monroe warranty no problems. So, I personally have had a bad experience with Monroe, but that does not make them a crap brand. Monroe tends to be more of a "good bang for the buck" as opposed to the high end shocks though.

Personally, I have found RockAuto to be generally the most competitive on car parts pricing. No promises for your particular make/model. Also, 5% coupons are not hard to find for RockAuto.
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aceoperations
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

Thanks for the link to the reddit sub. Some good info out there. FYI, the sub redirects to r/MechanicAdvice/.
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bampf
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Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by bampf »

Thanks for the update. I cannot say that I'm particularly surprised by the findings of Pep Boys. I hope that they showed you the wear and tear on said parts.
I agree with Helo80. I am not shocked even a little bit about the findings. This was a good thread, even if just to show all the misconceptions out there. And, I learned things as well. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Nescio
DiamondplateDave
Posts: 209
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 10:23 pm

Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by DiamondplateDave »

If you are going to do the work yourself, consider going to Harbor Freight etc. and getting their big 30" x 1/2" "breaker bar". Get a set of 1/2" impact sockets (black, six-pointed metric). I used these CONSTANTLY when I had older cars. The breaker bar will loosen fasteners that an impact driver (you are talking about the one you hit with a hammer?) will not budge. It will break off bolts, which can be bad. If you're not rushed for time: Spray with Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster a day or two in advance. Try and loosen the fasteners. Any that move, spray again, then tighten, then loosen again, etc. Once you've gotten the easy ones freed up, work on the harder ones. Just a little torque in either direction will help break the rust and allow the lube to work inside. Trust me, it's worth spending an extra 10 minutes gently working a fastener loose rather than trying to extract the remains. Please note, I am from Upstate NY where road salt is endemic, you may not have the difficulties I am used to in loosening parts. However, I doubt you will ever regret purchasing a breaker bar and impact sockets.
wrongfunds
Posts: 3187
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:55 pm

Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by wrongfunds »

They were willing to give me 50% off the labor costs if I got the work done right then and there.
This should be HUGE RED FLAG. Do you not have any trusted independent shop that can give you honest diagnostics? I understand that majority of car repair places is filled with less than honest personnel but surely you can find at least one in your area?
Topic Author
aceoperations
Posts: 202
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:04 am

Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

wrongfunds wrote:
They were willing to give me 50% off the labor costs if I got the work done right then and there.
This should be HUGE RED FLAG. Do you not have any trusted independent shop that can give you honest diagnostics?
I don't see why this is a problem, except to indicate that the labor is overpriced to begin with. FWIW, my independent trusted mechanic had told me months ago that the struts are up for a replacement, and that I should do it once I got some more life out of my tires. I also don't believe that the suspension is in "extremely bad condition" and that "car should not be on the street" as Pep Boys put it. I was not hard to tell that it needs replacement after Pep Boys showed me the condition under the car. Regardless of who does it, the suspensions needs replacing. I might as well pay myself those labor costs, and maybe learn a thing or two about DIY car maintenance! :moneybag :beer
wrongfunds
Posts: 3187
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:55 pm

Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by wrongfunds »

sorry, what I meant is that any place which tells you "this offer is valid right now and will be void if you don't take it immediately" is to be avoided at all costs in any field of life.
Topic Author
aceoperations
Posts: 202
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:04 am

Re: $1368 for new shocks/struts on '05 Corolla?

Post by aceoperations »

wrongfunds wrote:sorry, what I meant is that any place which tells you "this offer is valid right now and will be void if you don't take it immediately" is to be avoided at all costs in any field of life.
Agreed. I got out of there immediately! :)
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