The Lemon Index$900 middle bill · most between $500 and $1,500
283 owner reports on 77 models
Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna
Owners reported paying a median of $900 for a strut and shock replacement, with the middle half of bills between $500 and $1,500. That's 283 owner reports on 77 models (270 complaints to NHTSA and 13 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50020%
- $500–$1,00034%
- $1,000–$2,50036%
- $2,500–$5,0009%
- $5,000 and up1%
Share of the 283 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Taurus | 49 | $760 | $521–$986 |
| Toyota Camry | 23 | $1,100 | $630–$1,600 |
| Toyota Sienna | 13 | $435 | $360–$500 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 10 | $2,600 | $1,700–$3,000 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 9 | $1,800 | $1,700–$2,000 |
| Ford Explorer | 8 | $840 | $456–$1,100 |
| Toyota Highlander | 8 | $1,100 | $900–$1,600 |
| Ford F-Series | 7 | $1,200 | $788–$1,600 |
| Honda Odyssey | 7 | $200 | $170–$630 |
| Nissan Versa | 7 | $750 | $724–$956 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 6 | $2,300 | $1,700–$3,000 |
| Subaru Forester | 6 | $1,000 | $568–$1,400 |
| Acura MDX | 5 | $1,300 | $1,200–$1,400 |
| Dodge Stratus | 5 | $500 | $500–$1,100 |
| Ford Escape | 5 | $600 | $556–$789 |
| Nissan Maxima | 5 | $1,000 | $200–$3,000 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Focus | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Durango | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Windstar | 3 | too few for a range | |
| GMC Yukon | 3 | too few for a range | |
| GMC Yukon XL | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Palisade | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Wrangler | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota 4Runner | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Corolla | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 45 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
Brake repair $700 · Steering rack replacement $2,000 · ABS module replacement $2,000 · Steering column repair $1,100 · Brake booster replacement $1,000 · Wheel bearing replacement $600 · Control arm replacement $850 · Brake master cylinder replacement $1,000
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11776983, 11774547, 11752557, 11743898, 11738117, 11708092, 11702295, 11695475, 11683810, 11680504, 11678487, 11670793 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $130 ▶ · $150 ▶ · $300 ▶ · $400 ▶ · $500 ▶ · $620 ▶ · $680 ▶ · $900 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a strut and shock replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $900, and the middle half paid $500 to $1,500, from 283 owner reports on 77 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a strut and shock replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do strut and shock replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 270 complaints to NHTSA and 13 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.