Symptoms of failing Front Strut or Shock Absorbers

Scheduled maintenance

Let me guess: You don’t really pay attention to your scheduled maintenance and robably have never even opened up your car’s manual. Who needs it, anyway? Guess what? You do. Front struts aren’t really a part of scheduled maintenance, but on some cars, front shock absorbers are. If this is the case with your car, the manufacturer’s maintenance will suggest that you replace the shock absorbers every now and again as a preventative measure.

Leaks

Hopefully, I don’t have to tell you that your car shouldn’t be leaking. Your car uses a lot of different fluids, and as a result, a lot of different things can leak. If you notice a leak coming from your car, it could be a number of different things. Front struts and shock absorbers aren’t the most common elements in your car to cause leaks, but both can be the result of some unwanted fluid accumulation due to leaking hydraulic fluid.

Bumpy ride

Have you been paying any attention? If so, then you know that front struts and shock absorbers play the role of absorbing shock before it makes it to your tailbone. So, if the struts or shock absorbers fail, there’s a good chance that it will feel like driving over a pile road full of marbles. Might sound fun if you’re a child, but you’re hopefully an adult, and that should be less fun.

Weird noises

All right, same deal as with the leaks: I shouldn’t have to tell you that weird noises are a bad sign. And while they’re more likely to be coming from something else in your car, they can be the result of front struts or shock absorbers that aren’t coming in to work today. Usually busted struts or shock absorbers will result in a knocking noise any time you drive over bumps or holes in the road. However, you might also hear a popping noise when you’re turning. Either way, just listen to your car when it starts talking to you.

Tires wear unevenly

If your shock absorbers or struts aren’t doing their jobs then the tires will deal with excess wear and tear, and it will result in uneven or abnormal wear. Always keep an eye out for tires that aren’t wearing normally. You want to get that taken care of before anything worse happens.

Loose steering

Front struts are often part of a car’s steering system, which means that if they begin to fail, the steering will be compromised. If struts start to go, the steering in your car will feel a little bit loose, like you don’t have as much control as you should. Fun in Mario Kart. Not fun in real life.

Poor brake performance

If your brakes aren’t getting the job done, it’s probably a problem with the brakes, not with something else. But it can also be due to busted front struts or shock absorbers. If they’re not doing their job, the car will bounce a bit when it tries to brake, which limits the efficiency of the brakes.