How Do I Know if I Need New Struts?
Over time, your struts will begin to wear down. Highly rated mechanics talk about some of the warning signs they need replaced and how much they cost.
The job of your car’s struts is to keep it balanced and flat on the road.
Driving with extremely worn out struts would cause your car to continuously bounce as if you were on a roller coaster ride.
Although mechanics consider struts a reliable, long-lasting component, they do occasionally break down and need to be replaced, says Joel Hawley, shop foreman at highly rated Beany’s Auto Service Center in Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Here are a few things to know about your car’s struts:
What are struts?
Struts are part of the car’s overall suspension system and hold the body of the car off the ground. Removing the struts would cause a car to fall.
Struts incorporate many suspension assembly parts, such as the coil spring and shock absorber, and affect your car’s steering and alignment. They provide support to the suspension springs.
Their main job is to act as shock absorbers to support the weight of the vehicle and ensure a smooth ride.
Shocks and struts are terms often used interchangeably, but there are differences. Many vehicles come with struts on the front, and shocks on the back end.
The only job of a shock is to absorb bumps on the road. Like struts, shocks level the car when you drive over a bump and keep the car from bouncing down the road, Hawley says. If a shock was removed, a vehicle would still be able to move around, but there would be plenty of bouncing around.
“They keep the car down on the ground,” Hawley says.
When your car's struts wear down, it can affect your car's handling and turning ability. (Photo illustration by Steven Shepard)
How often do struts need to be replaced?
Some manufacturers recommend replacing struts every 50,000 miles, other auto experts say 100,000 miles is a good range. Hawley recommends somewhere in between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.
“If you change them as a part of routine maintenance, you’re not going to have any problems,” Hawley says.
Rick Mogab, owner of highly rated Rick’s Automotive in Granada Hills, California, though, generally recommends not replacing them until there’s a problem because they can be expensive.
“If the tires are fine, and there’s no indication they’re wearing down, spending $1,200 on brand new ones, that would be tough,” he says. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, the customer calls me [because there’s a problem related to the struts].”
Signs your struts are wearing down
When struts wear down, it affects your car’s handling and turning ability, Hawley says.
Here are a few signs they need to be replaced:
• Hydraulic fluid will leak out from one or more of the struts, if they’re breaking down.
“The top of the strut will be wet,” Mogab says. “Hydraulic oil will be running down the strut.” Because the oil often is not visible, your mechanic can spot leaks during an inspection.
• Pushing the hood car down by hand is another easy way to check the condition of the struts.
“If everything is OK, the car will come up and settle immediately and not bounce one to four times,” Hawley says.
This can also be said when you hit a bump while driving. If the car continues to bounce and doesn’t settle quickly, it’s a sign the struts are wearing. A car that bottoms out is also a sign the struts may be wearing out. Bottoming out is caused when the coil springs are worn and allow the car to dip close to the ground or touch the ground after hitting a bump.
• Tire wear or uneven wear is another warning sign, Mogab says. Worn struts can lead to tire cupping, which causes your back tires to sound like a basketball is being dribbled down the road while you drive.
“Tire wear will be the first telltale sign [your struts are wearing down],” Mogab says. “There will be high and low spot patterns on the tire and bouncing of the wheels on the road.”
The cost of new struts
If you’re unsure the condition of your struts, take your vehicle to a reputable mechanic to have it checked out. If you don’t have a mechanic you trust, search Angie’s List for one highly rated by car owners in your area.
Hawley recommends replacing struts and shocks in sets for the safety and stability of the vehicle. For example, if your passenger’s side strut is going out, replace both front struts to ensure that each side handles the same.
Struts cost between $725 and $750 for a set, including installation, according to Mogab. Shocks cost less than struts, typically between $100 and $150 apiece, according to experts.
It typically takes two to three hours to replace shocks and struts, according to highly rated mechanics.
