my daughter says she hit a curb, i dont think she's telling the whole story!

[david yeagley]

she says she hit a curb. her brother says she hit a curb and a mailbox! i think she hit something MUCH taller than a curb. i've never seen a strut assembly failure, so i thought the enthusiasts of the forum might like to see this. parts and labor = $370, includes both sides.

[sbaert]

The tower shock mounts crack over time, there are no struts on these cars. I bet that mount had many cracks in it and the curb was the perfect event that made it fail.

If you plan on keeping the car for a while, this would be ideal to replace the shocks and overhaul the suspension (i.e. ball joints) & steering components while everything is out.

You will need a alignment when everything is back together.

[semis1]

With a failing shock mount, a curb only could do that damage. If it was also a mailbox, you would have body damage as well.
To change the shock mounts, is a fairly easy job if you have done suspension work before. If not, take it to an indie.
Both sides a must. For just shock mounts, alignment is not necessary. For the rest of the stuff mentioned above, necessary.

[david yeagley]

yeah, there are white paint scuffs on the fender and the passenger side mirror. she definitely hit something and a curb. i think that she wandered off the side of the road and hit something more significant than a curb. maybe a drainage culvert or something more massive than a curb. you should see the wheel! i'm just glad she didn't drift into oncoming traffic. did i mention she was fiddling with her ipod?
anyway, as stated replacement of both shocks and the mounts, with alignment will be about $400. as sbeart noted the mounts were most likely cracked and brittle with age, and this occasion was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. i will probably replace the shock mounts on mine as well, as they too are showing signs of cracking.

[RHW]

"Daddy, I was driving along and heard a loud noise, the hood popped up, I lost control and hit a curb and brushed a fence"

A faulty mount could cause all of that.

Nonetheless, they do not have a truth mode at that age.

[sbaert]

Originally Posted by RHW

"Daddy, I was driving along and heard a loud noise, the hood popped up, I lost control and hit a curb and brushed a fence"

A faulty mount could cause all of that.

Nonetheless, they do not have a truth mode at that age.

LMFAO, or in the case of Lindsay Lohan: "I was just hanging out with friends and the next thing I knew I was in jail (again)!!! WHY do they keep harassing me???"

Can't wait for her porn debut "I did Herbie fully loaded"

BTW, did you find any Christmas lights hanging off the passenger mirror???

Back on a more serious note, since it looks like the damage is more than reported it think you might be dealing with a bent wheel and you will most likely need a alignment if not more. Definitely have the ball joints, A arms, tie rods and all other suspension & steering components checked for damage (i..e. bent/broken). This is a serious safety issue to whoever will be driving that car until it's been inspected and/or repaired.

Use Bilstein HD shocks for best ride and longevity, and get new bump stops for the shock shaft.

[sharples8]

The truth mode comes back in somewhere between 25 and 30 ;-)

[Disley]

Texting and keeping the car pointed in the right direction can be very hard.

[sbaert]

Originally Posted by sharples8

The truth mode comes back in somewhere between 25 and 30 ;-)

. . . when the inheritance module/relay finally starts to work.

[ps2cho]

Just a worn mount that was given one final "crack" at life and died doing it.

~$30/side in parts. Bilstein HD's. DO NOT BUY URO MOUNTS. DO NOT.....BUY....URO....PARTS If you or the mechanic does it, you better specify this or expect the same problem 10 miles down the road.