Replace 1 strut or 4 on 2010 Subaru Forester?

sgloon

My 2010 Subaru Forester has a strut leaking. Should I replace just the 1 or all 4? I found a "deal" to replace all 4 for the price of 3 that includes lifetime warranty including parts and labor. Is this really a good deal? Will the Forester handle better with 4 new struts vs 3? It's barely 5 years old, so it seemed premature for a strut to leak, but then will this indicate the others may go soon?

You should always replace struts or shocks in pairs, at the very least.. Especially in the front.

sgloon

@Stever, did you put that comment in my question about 1 vs 4? Didn't know you could do that? Your name doesn't show up as commenting in my view. If so, then ? becomes 2 vs 4? Thoughts?

sgloon

Oops!

stever

Hey @sgloon, since you had two discussions going I zapped one of them, but I don't think the "pairs" comment got added. I don't think you've been here since we changed software earlier in the year so some stuff may seem different. Maybe I cut someone off. btw, there's more "news" over in your floor mat thread.

sgloon

Thanks, Stever. Yes, I was trying to figure out where to post stuff. It is all new! Hard to find the old threads that I loved. I didn't add that as I didn't know that. Ghosts!
Thanks!

stever

Hm, I bet I did click something wrong and probably cut off @xwesx or another Subaru Crew member. Hopefully they'll circle back around soon and fill in the blanks.

kyfdx

stever said:

Hm, I bet I did click something wrong and probably cut off @xwesx or another Subaru Crew member. Hopefully they'll circle back around soon and fill in the blanks.

That was my quote... That advice is applicable to any vehicle.

stever

Another mystery solved.

Makes that 4 for 3 deal sound even better.

sgloon

Turns out the deal is actually 2 for 4 now. One is instant and the other is visa card loaded with value of strut. I better get in line for that one I guess. Monroe a good brand? I do like the new car smileys!

And thanks, kyfdx!

stever

Ah, well that's a whole 'nother can of worms, thanks to an poster here who was known as @idahodoug. Franchise or aftermarket stocks tend to be "one size fits all". OEM shocks were designed for a specific model, and often for a specific style in the model line. His classic post is here.

Hard to beat buy two, get four though.

dcm61

OEM used to be (still are ??) sourced by KYB. Check around for prices on KYB.

sgloon

Checked KYB. They come with lifetime warranty as do the Monroes where Subaru springs only come with 12mo or 12k miles. Prices for all 4 installed, including alignment were:
Subaru: $ 925
KYB: $1090
Monroe: $1061 - $215 visa card = $ 846

The Monroe's are $245 less with same warranty as the KYB.

The good news is the shop is willing to give me the 3 for 4 price on any strut I buy. :-)

Anyone want to chime in on what you would go with given these prices. I know nothing about Monroes, in general. The shop said they are manufactured all over the world, so they have no way of checking what country they come from. My frugal self wants to save money, but I don't want to lose handling on the subie.

kyfdx

sgloon said:

Checked KYB. They come with lifetime warranty as do the Monroes where Subaru springs only come with 12mo or 12k miles. Prices for all 4 installed, including alignment were:
Subaru: $ 925
KYB: $1090
Monroe: $1061 - $215 visa card = $ 846

The Monroe's are $245 less with same warranty as the KYB.

The good news is the shop is willing to give me the 3 for 4 price on any strut I buy. :-)

Anyone want to chime in on what you would go with given these prices. I know nothing about Monroes, in general. The shop said they are manufactured all over the world, so they have no way of checking what country they come from. My frugal self wants to save money, but I don't want to lose handling on the subie.

The Subaru quote is from the dealer? I'd go with that one.. Suspension warranties aren't worth a whole lot. They rarely include labor. It's not worth going aftermarket to save less than $100.

sgloon

No, the Subaru quote is from the same shop buying the Subaru struts with the 4 for 3 price on the parts. The dealer would charge me $1350 for the same work. That didn't seem like a good deal, although the Subaru parts guy did give a little off for buying all 4 and this price includes their coupon. Just the alignment is $50 more at the dealer.

Yes, you're right the warranty only includes parts. But the Subaru parts are totaling almost $700 with no discounts. Interesting that the Subaru parts are the cheapest? Somehow that doesn't make sense, does it?

kyfdx

sgloon said:

No, the Subaru quote is from the same shop buying the Subaru struts with the 4 for 3 price on the parts. The dealer would charge me $1350 for the same work. That didn't seem like a good deal, although the Subaru parts guy did give a little off for buying all 4 and this price includes their coupon. Just the alignment is $50 more at the dealer.

Yes, you're right the warranty only includes parts. But the Subaru parts are totaling almost $700 with no discounts. Interesting that the Subaru parts are the cheapest? Somehow that doesn't make sense, does it?

I haven't priced Subaru parts, so limited knowledge on that subject. But, yes... factory parts are generally more expensive..

At the prices you quoted earlier, I would stick with factory parts. The chances of needing warranty work before you sell the car is pretty slim.