car repair- struts, shocks, & rear arm bushings

[robbase]

Well I took my car in for routine maintenance to my normal shop- Tune up and coolant flush, they also checked the car out and found it needs front struts & rear shock replaced and 2 rear arm control bushings (est. $1,650 total)

I didn't really notice any problems while driving, but dude said it should be changed every 60K miles, I never changed any of this and am at 140 K miles

was wondering what the mechanically inclined YM crowd thinks (necessary? and ideas for cost control- suggested name brand shops that do this cheaper, etc...)

I plan to keep the car at least one more year, will only use it for "local" driving- with the exception I have to move from Austin Texas to Kansas City Mo this summer - so car would need to make that drive (12hrs / 700 miles) and then can stay local

car is a 2000 Honda Civic, I am thinking after my year in Kansas City the Army will move me to Europe (I hope so) so I would not want to take the car with me. Of course this is not definite and if I don't get assigned to Europe I would keep the car if assigned elsewhere in the states for at least 2 more years

I plan to get another mechanic to give it a 2nd oppinion as well

Anyways--Thoughts? Questions?

thanks

[phil5185]

but dude said it should be changed every 60K miles

Struts/shocks seem to be the new version of 'your idler arms are lose and you will lose control and die' that was popular in the 1980's. (My wife and daughters were continually getting hit with this with their cars, we finally changed shops). Sears was a big offender in that era - they were sued, ordered to pay a punitive fine, and ordered to stop recommending inappropriate repairs.

No magic replacement period - if they break and you hear load clunking sounds you replace them, otherwise they will last for the life of the car, >200,000miles.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I would definitely get a second or third opinion and estimate.

[RoadToRiches]

It's hard to say if at 140k you need new struts. That's what I have on my car and I know I need new struts. I am planning on keeping my car for hopefully another 100k so I will change mine..soon.. lol

You usually don't "feel" the struts going bad because it's little by little, your ride degrades... so it's not like one day if feels fine and then next day, boom, you feel you need new struts.

One more year, I wouldn't change them then. Just drive the thing. They won't fall out or anything like that.

I tell you what though.. at 140k if you do decide to change them, your ride will be 1000000000 times better.

[ty]

struts, shocks, & rear arm bushings

dayum, sounds kinda kinki if you ask me.

;D

[ty]

Actually I had that done to me a long time ago. I just went in for coolant and engine flush, then they told me I needed all this other work done on my car that was over 2k in work. I told them bye and went to another mechanic. He looked at my car and told me there was nothing wrong with my car as the others said was wrong with my car. I had this mechanic for many years, small building mechanic, busy with the locals and honest. Then he upped and moved out to the Valley here in CA and that was too far of a drive for me to keep making to get an oil change, but I liked him and his work, so I actually drove about 60 miles for an oil change and break work from time to time.

[busymom]

Showed your post to my DH. He agrees on getting a 2nd opinion, and also check your owner's manual.

In checking your shocks & struts, give your car the "bounce test". If you don't know how to do that, let me know, and I'll have him walk you through it.

Best of luck. Cars can be a serious money pit.

[buster]

.

[brdsl]

HA. HA HA.

Drive it til it stops, only do routine maint.

If you think it rides fine, it is fine. Nothin happened over the last 80k, so what is going to happen now?

Watch your tires, if they wear funny, then looking further into it.

FWIW. I am rolling along at 289k, with original shocks, etc. 3rd set of tires (since 40k) and only 2nd set of brakes....oil changes and maint. every 3k. Clutch at 70k, head gasket (know problem at 175k?). Fuel pump at 200k.

[spartan7886]

I changed out the struts on mine around that mileage. Living in Houston for about half the life of the car, we've got a lot of horrible roads. I would tend to think the wear on your struts is highly dependent on the quality of roads in your area.

I believe there's a subforum for automotive/mechanical problems over on EE where Rick takes questions.

[robbase]

well I took it for a second oppinion and this mechanic found nothing wrong but the wipers needed replacing (which I already knew)

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I had something similar happen earlier this month. I took my car to the dealer in for a recall repair and an oil change. I had had the 30K PM done on it a few months earlier and everything checked out ok. Dealer said that I had <10% left on my brake pads and that the rotors were badly oxidized - did I want them to do a $450 brake job? This was critical as my brakes might fail.

Ummm, no. I took it back to the place that did the PM and they showed me that I had >30% of my brake pads left and I easily had 18 mo. left on them.