Strut replacement on Honda Accord
I just had my car serviced and was told I need new “struts”. It’s a 2014 Honda Accord with 47,000 miles. The man pushed me very strongly saying its a “safety concern” and I should have them done right away. I figured I’d get a second opinion. What do these parts do? Is this something my husband could replace? — Sarah
Oh boy! It may be time for your struts to be renewed but that place doesn’t sound like they deserve your business!
MacPherson Struts are a combined shock absorber/suspension arm, and are widely used because of their lightweight and space saving qualities. Some vehicles employ them in the front only and others have them at all four corners (as does your Accord). Shock absorbers dampen the up and down movement of the vehicle, minimizing bouncing (improves vehicle stability) and help maintain continuous tire/ground contact. Unusual tire wear, such as cupping/scuffing can result from inconsistent road contact.
The companies that make replacement struts recommend replacing them every 50K miles, while many in the service industry say somewhere between 50-100K miles is reasonable. If a strut shows signs of fluid leakage that’s a fail, at any mileage. Worn struts become mushy in function gradually due to internal seal leakage, and bumpy roads will certainly accelerate wear. A road test over a washboard surface might best indicate actual condition. I tended to be complacent about shock/strut condition until one day driving down a curving hill with irregular pavement. I found the car failed to turn as requested (to an alarming but correctable point) due to the tires losing consistent ground contact. That was an eye opening moment!
I’d consider a second opinion, preferably not at a chain retailer. If you drive frequently on bumpy or winding highways or at higher speeds where stability is paramount, it’s worth considering new struts during the coming year. If your driving is mostly city, straight roads and at lower speeds, and there aren’t any wear/failure symptoms, perhaps you can stretch this out for a few more years. Struts typically cost about $100-200 each plus about an hour and a half or more per strut for labor, not an inexpensive job! Wheel alignment (front, and rear as applicable) is recommended also, as the new struts may differ slightly from the originals in dimensions, which can affect wheel alignment. Toe, the exactly parallel tracking of the left/ right tires/wheels, is the most critical alignment angle for optimum tire life, and in many cases its the only alignment angle that’s readily adjustable.
Strut replacement is typically not a home mechanic job as disassembling the strut (harvesting the coil spring and upper mount for reuse) cannot be done without the very careful use of a spring compressing tool. Removing the struts, taking them someplace to have this done, and reinstalling the new ones may be feasible, but only for the experienced! And then there’s alignment...