On Oct 26, 2:09 pm, vik...@gmail.com wrote:
> I purchased a used 2002 Honda Civic which has a leaking front shock on
> the right. I would like to get the full strut replaced. I've looked
> around and found wildly varying prices for both the strut as well as
> labor involved in the replacement.
>
> The OEM parts are liquid struts and are priced at ~ $118

That's a fair price as KYBs are about $110 via The Tire Rack.

a piece at
> the Honda dealer. A Monroe shock is priced at $169 while the part
> offered at a Midas is priced at almost $230 a piece. The Monroe and
> Midas struts are both gas struts and have a lifetime warranty in
> comparison with the OEMs which provdes only a 1 year warranty. Again,
> Sears (Monroe supplier) is charging abour half hour of their labor
> rate, Midas about 3/4th and the dealer more like 1.5hours for doing
> the replacement (per side). Adding up the the price for both parts/
> labour and accounting for both sides, the price differences are on the
> order of $100-$200 and I'm looking for additional information before
> deciding which one to choose.

Is the dealer including the cost of an alignment? How about Sears?
No point in doing this work without getting an alignment.

OEM struts/shocks are fine for most drivers. The "guarantee" on most
aftermarket shocks is that they won't leak. Most shocks wear out long
before they start to leak so a lifetime guarantee isn't worth much.

FWIW I put Tokico shocks in my Honda/Acura cars and have been very
happy with them but in a Civic they would provide ride quality most
would consider overly sporty. I put KYBs into my Toyota vehicle and
they perform just fine.