€450 for shock absorbers - a rip off or good price?!

cendant · 09-08-2009 2:43pm #1

The garage guys told me the shocks on my Nissan Micra 99 need to be replaced.

Fair enough - I saw the problem myself.

They quoted 450 euro for replacing the front and rear shock absorbers (plus tracking).

Even though I understand little in cars, the price seems to be "slightly" inflated? Or is it fine (including labour)?

Volvoboy · 09-08-2009 2:46pm

cendant wrote: »

The garage guys told me the shocks on my Nissan Micra 99 need to be replaced.

Fair enough - I saw the problem myself.

They quoted 450 euro for replacing the front and rear shock absorbers (plus tracking).

Even though I understand little in cars, the price seems to be "slightly" inflated? Or is it fine (including labour)?

All four corners for €450? Seems about a hair bit too much, but not by alot.

Hal1 · 09-08-2009 2:52pm

All that for that money including labour, sounds about average. You could possibly get cheaper if you ring around other indi garages. Ask him to knock off €50 and see what he says.

cendant · 09-08-2009 3:16pm

I'll try to knock off €30 and see what he says 8-)

Seth Brundle · 09-08-2009 6:01pm

Firstly, why do you need to replace all four shocks?
Secondly, is the €450 quote from a main dealer or from a back street garage?
Lastly, what type of shocks are they going to use (genuine Nissan or spurious)? (if the answer to #2 is a Nissan dealer then they will use genuine parts)

cendant · 09-08-2009 6:13pm

well, the car was lifted and all four of them seem to leak. The rear ones are in a very poor state.

this quote was from a garage, not a dealer

I have no idea which shocks they are going to use, but I know they are going to order them so they must be new.

cendant · 09-08-2009 6:14pm

thank you for helping me

Stevie Dakota · 09-08-2009 6:43pm

All four leaking, on a 99? Not wishing to doubt your garage but it is very easy to make it look like shocks are leaking. I would seek a second opinion. A simple push down at each corner will reveal if they are dodgy, is the car very bouncy when pushed or not?

rebel.ranter · 09-08-2009 6:56pm

Leaking or not, the shocks are 10 years old & probably past their best.

As others have said it really depends on OEM v spurious as to whether it's good value or not.

cendant · 09-08-2009 7:26pm

oh yes, the car is very bouncy when I push the car at every corner

snowman707 · 09-08-2009 10:31pm

don't know if they are available for a micra, but Monroe Gas Shocks are hard to beat

BostonB · 10-08-2009 12:02am

We''ve a 99 Micra and the shocks are also gone. Local garage guesstimate was €400. But they had to confirm the price of the shocks. Needed doing for ages tbh. Handling is very poor now. I'd like to get something like the original shocks back on it. Not too soft and not too hard. Dunno if they were gas or oil, anyone know?

Ferris · 10-08-2009 6:57am

Try this link, should be able to buy the lot for 200euro.

http://www.buypartsby.co.uk/kyb-shock-absorbers-final.php?year=1999&Submit=Next&make=Nissan&model=Micra&sub=&eng=1.0000

Fitting should take an hour, maybe 90 mins. Nissan shocks are known to fail reasonably early.

Hellrazer · 10-08-2009 8:24am

Ferris wrote: »

Try this link, should be able to buy the lot for 200euro.

Fitting should take an hour, maybe 90 mins. Nissan shocks are known to fail reasonably early.

4 spurious shocks for a Micra would only cost about 50 a piece from and decent factors.

As for fitting---Id say closer to 2-2.5 hours.Cant see any mechanic getting 4 shocks done in an hour.

Ferris · 10-08-2009 8:36am

Hellrazer wrote: »

4 spurious shocks for a Micra would only cost about 50 a piece from and decent factors.

As for fitting---Id say closer to 2-2.5 hours.Cant see any mechanic getting 4 shocks done in an hour.

The shocks I listed are kyb shocks which are in fact OEM, just without the Nissan sticker. But I take your point.

I did my rear shocks in 45mins on my Nissan

I wouldn't say you even need to compress the springs on the rear of a micra.