Would you ever replace one strut at a time?
 

Curious. That is what my Toyota dealership wants to do to my 36000 mile Toyota.

I have always viewed struts/shocks and brakes as something you do at least two at a time.:confused:

Should mention it is a warranty issue.

I never would but with only 36K (Km?) and under warranty i wouldn't complain.

Ok, I will bite the bullet and do the second one. I really don't think it safe.
Car is a 2014 and (obviously) I don't drive it much.
Thanks!

Mebbe not unsafe, but I'd replace both also.

no way but its also not a safety issue so i can see why they wouldnt replace a part thats not broken

Shouldn’t be under warranty due to age, so they must be doing under goodwill. You could ask for both, but I doubt they would do that. I’d still get two and be glad I’m not paying for two.

Toyota ECP warranty until next year.
Thanks for the input Gents.
B

Funny.
What goes as “you really need to do both/all four” when they are selling service to you turns into “only this one is bad” when under warranty.
Seems like recommended oil change interval is similar. “Every 3000” when you’re paying, but manufacturer suggests 8,000 10,000 or even more - especially when you bought the service plan.

I complained five times since 2018 about a funny noise. Sounds like a strut. Started when I bought the car. Brand new.
Finally got sick of it - took it to a different dealer (not as big) and they figured it out. Bad strut mount. Been complaining for nearly 20,000 miles.
Ended up with new steering rack, full set of tires (my choice as to make/model) and ONE replaced strut mount. I’m thrilled - car doesn’t clunk going over potholes. Big relief.

Hope rant wasn’t too off topic.

If you have Michigan roads, it will break in rather quickly. ;)

Coincidentally..
I just got a single strut replacement done today.
To be honest I did not notice any difference at all with the OEM Honda replacement while driving around.
It was put on a 9yo car with 180K miles. Most of it excellent shape. Repair history unknown.
OEM replaced by OEM should be fine.

OTOH....
I previously got an all-new aftermarket suspension on all four corners installed to an older Toyota.
That brand was NAPA Proformer.
The shocks were super tight and clunky for about a month or two during the summer, I was at my limits of being pissed, but they finally loosened up.
It drives nice now.

Best way to find out is to drive it around in an empty parking lot after a week or so.
It should slalom predictably. It should brake straight.
Test it, know it, and understand it.

Not off topic at all. That is where we are PPOT!
I had a new Jeep that I had clutch problems with. Finally left the dealer that couldn't fix it and went to a different dealership in town.
Trouble was, one of the service writers from the first place had moved to the second.
There was an interesting exchange in words before the service manager had intervened. He had a quick look at it and had it repaired within an hour.
That service writer didn't last too long there.

I will just buck up and do the second.
I had a look at it when I swapped the summer wheels on this spring and it didn't appear to becoming through the top of the strut but through the body somewhere.
I frickin hate going in but they are doing the one strut, the backup camera and the usb powerport under warranty.
I spent an hour on the phone with Toyota ECP/Platinum coverage. Maddening that they expect you to understand their position but they cannot understand yours because they are "not mechanics". I was polite but the argument was circular on both sides.

95-99% of the time, no, but under certain circumstances, it's probably fine.

I redid my struts at about 150k, and noticed no difference between the ride or compression quality of the old vs new struts. At 36, I bet no one other than you would know.

You would be fine with one-but- it's going to get under your skin.

I think it also depends on how long you plan on owning the car, especially if you plan on owning it enough to wear out the original one. Just do it and be over with it.

Wait a minute, this is a Toyota. Is this a trick question?

Every once in a while, I will get a customer with a broken spring on a BMW , or something expensive . You know the drill, driving a 160,000 mile BMW, and cannot afford the maintenance customer . I have tossed on a used Strut before , just to keep them going .
My local Euro Salvage Yard is the best, I could get a strut for most any import for $35.00 to my door same day if they have it in stock .
I would be hesitant to replace just one with an aftermarket, but if they were both OE, you will probably be fine

So, you pop a new one at 36k. What happens when you reach 72k or more? Eventually, the older part will need to be replaced and you’ll do both ( or just the old one?).

Replace in pairs.

My .0002

My bad math is about 6k mi/yr. are driven on the vehicle.

It's just a grocery driver.

And most of that probably within a 10-100 mi. radius if average is ballpark.
Lots of stop-starts and wear everywhere.

So after 50k miles..and 8 years...will anyone notice the difference?

It’s being replaced under warranty.
Run it till the other fails and then do both.
Pretend the replacement didn’t happen until your cars old enough or got enough miles on it to worry about.

It's going to bug me if I only replace 1. I know it will.
Regardless if I can sense it or not.
The car is our ski car. My commute is obviously short and even shorter these days, working at home. In the winter we are doing 260 km round trip pretty much every weekend to and from Banff.

I seriously doubt you'll notice any difference after replacing the second one.
The only reason to do it is if the second one is suspected to be prone to the same failure mode as the first.

You are replacing the second because it would bug you. It would bug me as well.

Similar to tires. When I learned that most fatal accidents involve cars with badly worn tires, guess who has new tires most of the time?

When you know better, you man up and pay the bill. But, you also feel better about it.

Good call. I would buy in pairs as well.

I would not sleep well if I only replaced one.... nothing to do with safety, etc. .... just because... bugs :D

Manufacturer warranty explains why in this case but you could pay of pocket for the other side depending on the total price.

I had read through the extended warranty and it is clearly stated if the part, regardless if it is part of a pair, is not covered unless defective. It makes sense.
Too bad that Bilstein doesn't make struts for this model. I would probably go to them if they were available.
Funny, I saw another Venza last weekend with a bad bounce at the rear end. Maybe struts are a thing with them.
It hasn't been a bad vehicle so far and very reliable in the cold.

I always buy them in pairs, I want the car to drive properly, but I do not buy the 'safety' argument.

I have driven a LOT of cars where one shock/strut is leaking or totally worn out, and the other one is still functional. I am sure everyone on this board has at some point.

It's not ideal, but it's unlikely to make you crash.

If the opposing strut is good, and at that mileage it should be, I don't think I'd lose any sleep over 'one new, one used'.

Technically I do change one at a time. But I move on to the next one. :)

Just sayin', but I think it is just a rule-of-thumb to replace certain items in pairs. Some items as a complete set. Pay up now or pay more later. And a safety issue comes into play as well.

• front shocks/struts
• rear shocks
• front brakes
• rear brakes
• front wheel bearings/seals
• rear wheel bearings/seals
• front tires
• rear tires
• all spark plugs
• all spark plug wires
• all fuel injectors

My OCD requires at minimum pairs if not all 4 otherwise I always feel that somethings not right.

Two years ago my Lexus dealership told me my front right strut/shock absorber was leaking. I asked for proof and they showed me. I gave the okay to replace it which they did. I do quite a bit of city driving and driving in the far right lanes I tend to hit more potholes. Strut replaced and I did not see the need to replace any others. It's overkill to replace more than one unless it is obvious it needs replacing.

besides emotional reasons, can anyone tell me WHY the second one should be changed? From a mechanical standpoint I mean.
TIA

From a mechanical perspective? I'm gonna really screw something up mechanically if I haven't been able to sleep for three days. Just thinkin' about changing only one side gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Not really with a 30k mile factory strut vs a new factory one.

120k mile factory strut vs brand new, I would say no to only one side new. Would rather get a used one off of a car with 90k miles to have roughly the same dampening rates and spring tension. Mind you, this is for value minded customers. Anybody with money, both changed out, and I would use Monroe loaded (better ones - Quik-Strut) or KYB loaded. Don't do naked ones anymore.

That said, I changed a bad coil pack in a 2002 Tundra and it was then running smooth. Customer said change them all. I push back. "Dude, they're $55 each at my cost. I fixed the problem". He said change them all. Almost $500 plus my work. It was a massive night and day difference in how the engine ran.

I will skin a good side rotor if a frozen caliper ate the other side but it's all subjective based on my perception of what's serviceable. I have micrometers but it's often an eye-ball assessment of the face and how much (Ohio) rust slag is present. Rust slag will rub on new SS inserts you put in the caliper brackets that pads ride in. Is it worth pinging the slag off with a light hammer and sanding to eliminate interference when skinning is $10 (plus driving to drop and pick up) vs $50 for a new rotor?