Leaking strut on 2001 Acura EL 1.7

I took my 2001 Acura EL 1.7 in for regular service (odometer 109,335 Km) and noted that I was hearing a clunking sound from the left-front when going over small bumps. After the service, I was informed that I had a strut that was leaking badly and that it would need replacing, but that I should really replace both (~ $750 CDN).

Questions:

  1. Should a strut need replacing after just over 100,000 Km?
  2. Is this normal or a known issue with the Acura EL / Honda Civic?
  3. Is this component covered under the 5 year - 100,000 Km warranty?
  4. Should this problem have been discovered during the last maintenance (96,000 Km includes inspecting suspension) while still under warranty?
  5. Should I replace both?
  6. Should I have to pay for this, or ask that the dealer cover it under warranty?

Any other advice would appreciated. Thanks.

Reply to
Henri Fournier
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"Henri Fournier" wrote in news:XxSyf.244710$2k.127595@pd7tw1no:

Not normally, no. Unless it's got damaged in some way. Have you got a second opinion from another garage? If you in fact have one "leaking", you don't necessarily need OEM strut inserts. There are plenty of good aftermarket ones out there.

Not to my knowledge. But did you ask if there are any TSBs outstanding for your VIN?

Read the warranty papers. That's why they were supplied to you by Honda.

If it actually existed at that time, yes.

Get a second opinion.

Yes.

See above.

Be nice, but firm. Losing your temper or making take-it-or-leave-it demands will get you nowhere. Get your facts straight on the warranty first, then dig up the original bill-of-sale so you know the day the car was sold. The countdown starts then.

If you're owed something according to the warranty but the dealer won't help, call Honda Canada at 1-888-922-8729.

Reply to
TeGGeR®

Quite a reasonable service life, perhaps a bit in the short side of the bell curve, but it happens. Look into KYB GR2 or even Koni. And yes, you should be prepared to replace both, as you'll likley notice a difference between the good old and new strut.

Stewart DIBBS

Reply to
Stewart DIBBS

Depends on driving habits and road conditions.

I believe it is a fairly known issue, although not frequent. There might have been a TSB, but that usually does not equate into a free repair.

Since you're over 100,000km, it's a moot point now.

Depending on when the last maintenance was done, it may not have been a problem then.

It is strongly recommended.

Unfortunately, you are out of warranty.

Reply to
High Tech Misfit

No, I haven't gone anywhere else yet. Not sure where to go actually. First to come to mind would be Midas, but I have no idea if they are good or bad. The service guy said he checked for after-market parts, but that they would only be $20 cheaper.

I didn't asked, but tried to check for TSBs online. Problem is that the EL is apparently a "Canada only" model, so the US sites don't list it as a choice.

Struts weren't mentioned, so I'm not sure if they fall under major component or not. If I knew for sure that they were, then I could make a case for covering them under goodwill.

Thanks.

-- Henri

Reply to
Henri Fournier

"Henri Fournier" wrote in news:WpYyf.364871$ki.184803@pd7tw2no:

Hmmm. I wonder. If I were you, I'd start phoning around. NAPA, CarQuest, etc. I've found most aftermarket to be much cheaper than OEM. Then again, if not defective or abused, Honda OEM shocks last pretty much forever, so I would spend the cash for OEM, knowing I'd likely never have to touch them ever again.

The only sure source for TSBs is your local dealer. And the only way they can look up TSBs for you is with these two things:

1) Your symptom (And the keywords you use to describe it are critical! 2) Your VIN.

They cannot narrow down the search any other way. This is why they don't check when you bring your car in, since they need a problem to search for in the first place.

Were suspension components mentioned? Or were strut inserts (shocks) included in a list of exclusions?

You could try calling Honda Canada. The dealer is just a franchise. They are not Honda. If you call Honda, don't tell them anything about the problems, just tell them you've lost your warranty papers and need to know if shocks are included in the factory warranty. They may tell you you have to talk to your dealer anyway, but it's worth a try.

Reply to
TeGGeR®

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