Automotive Repair

Recently a friend asked about O2 sensor replacement on her Honda Civic. Apparently, her check engine light had been on for some time and she finally went to the service center at her local dealership to inquire about the check engine light.

Service Advisor: “You have a faulty [front] O2 Sensor and it needs to be replaced.”
Friend: “Ok, how much is that?”
Service Advisor: “$89.90 for the sensor and one hour labor brings the total to $200.”
Friend: “Ok, is that all?”
Service Advisor: “Actually, your rear struts need replacement too. Have you noticed the vehicle handling worse lately?”
Friend: “On the highway it does seem to bounce a lot in the back, how much is it to replace those?”
Service Advisor: “$700 total including parts and labor.”
Friend: “Oh gosh, I’m not sure I can afford that right now, can those wait?”
Service Advisor: “They can wait but...”

I don’t think it’s hard to imagine how the advisor went on to scare my friend about waiting. It’s not the best idea to drive around with worn shocks/struts, but what dealerships do not tell you (nor will most shops) is that shock/strut replacement is a very [VERY] straight-forward procedure that can be performed in less than an hour (per axle) on most compact cars or sedans (larger vehicles including trucks can be more time consuming depending on the size of the vehicle).

Replacing shocks/struts is not exactly a DIY project but, please go to a reputable shop that will charge you an honest price for the job. When I was in the business I regularly replaced all four corners in an hour. This is NOT a 4 hour job if they want to tell you that. It DOES require special tools that the home mechanic may not have (and I do not recommend purchasing the tools unless you are in the business- suspension work might be a one-time job for the home mechanic- most shocks and struts will last 100,000 miles easily.

Try calling around to different shops and ask some of your friends if they’ve had suspension work done at a reasonable price. The shop I used to work for would only charge the actual time spent for labor purposes not the ‘book’ time that dealerships use. In other words, I used to charge clients less than two hours labor to change all four struts on the vehicle (as I said earlier, some vehicles may differ depending on suspension type). Another tip- shop around online for the best price on suspension components. There are numerous options now for purchasing automotive parts- don’t settle for dealership prices unless they are willing to compete for your business by charging less than list prices.

Feel free to contact me with questions, I'm happy to help.

UPDATE (Jan. 28): I replaced both rear shocks for $240 (parts and labor) and checked the O2 Sensor (it was fine) and my friend passed emissions inspection with no problem. As I said before, try and find a reputable mechanic who will fix your car at an honest price.