How long should struts and shocks last? (F150, vehicles, replace)

[reneeh63]

I had my oil changed today and the guy said my struts (or shocks?) were leaking so I should have them looked at. I just replaced both 4 years ago...I don't put many miles on because I have a winter car and summer car - so maybe 25k miles tops.

Is there any chance they might be covered under some kind of warranty? It seems really soon to be having to replace them - especially considering some last 100k miles! I'm not thrilled about another expensive fix. What's been everyone's experience?

[rbohm]

shocks and struts are wear items, thus they generally have no warranty. as for how long they last, the cheap one dont last very long, and even expensive ones can have a short life depending on the conditions they operate under.

[duster1979]

Some vehicles eat shocks and struts, and aftermarket replacements never seem to last nearly as long as the originals. And they've got rubber seals that could conceivable dry out and fail if the car sets for several months a year.

As far as a warranty goes, it depends. Some have a limited lifetime warranty, it would be worth looking into but you'd better have some documentation of the work. And "limited" in this case would mean very limited.

Did you look under the car to confirm that they actually are leaking?

[easy62]

All depends on what type of roads you drive on if you drive on dirt roads with potholes that's putting extra wear and tear, and I've seen people fly over speed bumps you could see sparks from them bottoming out. So it all depends on how you drive and were you drive.

[MyNameIsBellaMia]

The struts on my Plymouth Voyager lasted 18 years. Had to replace them, first time, 1999 year van, about 2 months ago.


They don't make 'em like that anymore.

[Crashj007]

Shocks and struts rarely leak. If they do you would have a puddle in your parking spot and fluid all over the shocks.
They wear out, though. Push a corner of your car down a couple of times. Really bounce it hard. It should come right back into place settle down and not bounce up and down.
My 2002 PT Cruiser is as good as it ever was. My 1994 BMW did need all four done a couple of years ago.
YMMV.

[wit-nit]

Struts and shocks usually last @50,000 miles under normal driving conditions. Off road or harsh driving conditions you'll get a lot less than that.

Many unscrupulous dealers spray oil on shocks/struts trying to convince you that you need new shocks. If there is oil on them I'd wipe them off and then check for oil a week later then decide.

[unit731]

Originally Posted by reneeh63

I had my oil changed today and the guy said my struts (or shocks?) were leaking so I should have them looked at.

Apples and Oranges.

You don't state what make model you have.

A shock absorber is just that.

A strut or MacPherson Strut is usually a coil spring with a shock absorber inside. The coil springs almost never need to be replaced. To change the shock inside a MacPherson Strut - the shop needs a specialized compression machine/tool. So most shops replace the entire MacPherson Strut - sometimes called quick struts.

Rare

Shocks can leak but it is quite rare. Shocks do wear out and the "bounce" or ride of the car becomes noticeable.

If the car rides fine then ignore what was told you. But to be on the safe side go to a different shop - hopefully an independent shop - and get a 2nd opinion.

Next time ASK to SEE the leak.

Since you stated that all of these were replaced 4 years ago. Shocks and struts come in various grades. The cheap ones don't last as long as the expensive ones as a general rule. Most are made in Mexico now.

Warranties vary from lifetime to one year.

[getatag]

85000 miles on a Subaru outback and one shock began to leak, replaced the two rear shocks, finally sold the car with 100000 on it and never replaced the front ones.

F150 4x4 145000 miles, original shocks still working as designed.

I'd follow wit-nit's advise and clean them then check in a week or so.

[reneeh63]

Hmmm...I drive so few miles and all in town and highway - definitely no off road or harsh driving! I was surprised about the leaking because I haven't seen anything in my garage.

It's a 2005 Mazda RX8 if that makes any difference but I've only put 70k miles on it and like I said, probably only 25k since I replaced them 4 years ago.