Good Auto mechanic/shop to replace shocks and struts on a 2008 Toyota (Houston: neighborhood)

[cassiebrighton]

Hey,

This is a wonderful forum, thank you for maintaining it and providing so much information.

I recently moved to Houston, I live in Champions/Spring neighborhood and work near the Beltway 8 and Westheimer in medical services.

I own a 2008 Toyota Yaris and need its shocks and struts replaced. I went to the nearby Fred Haas Toyota service center and was quoted almost $1300 for just the front shocks and struts and alignment.

I presume there are more competitive options there for regular jobs such as this. My car is in good condition otherwise.

Does anyone have recommendations for a good mechanic either in the Spring/Champions area or near Westheimer/Beltway 8?

Thanks for sharing

Best,
Cassie

[Mandres]

The best thing is to do a little research and go into the shop with a good idea of what the total cost for parts should be. You can look up your model on rockauto.com or any of the national auto parts chain stores and then compare it to actual Toyota brand replacement parts and decide if it's worth the difference in cost. I've never used OEM shocks/struts on any of my vehicles; in most cases you can get higher quality components for less cost in the aftermarket. Any mechanic shop can install shocks/struts once you know what you want.

If you'd rather not think too much about it you could go to Sears or Meineke and get a quote for their house-brand shocks (Monroe or something similar). They're good quality and will definitely be cheaper than the dealership. I think a lightweight commuter car like a Yaris wouldn't have much to gain by spending a lot on top quality suspension.

[lisacas1]

There's a great mechanic off of I10 & Hammerly, so it falls inbetween your work and home. He's an individual and his clientele is mostly referrals. Rich Auto Services. Google the info and reviews. I've had several friends and co-workers go to him and all have been very happy!