Shocks front and rear

[PJ Hogan]

20161.8l  Auris hybrid. 60k kms. City and motorway driving only. In 2020, at 40k kms, car presented for NCT (MOT Ireland.) Car failed. Fromt shocks were way below standard. Toyota main dealership replaced shocks and covered 50% of cost after much argument. Suspected a manufacturing fault. Passed NCT on 2nd visit. Car in for service and pre NCT (MOT) check today. Rear shocks are now below standard. My suspicions re faulty manufacturing are again raised. Garage just said this is normal wear and tear. I strongly disagreed. Quoted 500 euro to replace them. Anyone experienced anything similar with The 2016 1.8l Auris Hybrid Sol? 

[TonyHSD]

25 minutes ago, PJ Hogan said:

20161.8l  Auris hybrid. 60k kms. City and motorway driving only. In 2020, at 40k kms, car presented for NCT (MOT Ireland.) Car failed. Fromt shocks were way below standard. Toyota main dealership replaced shocks and covered 50% of cost after much argument. Suspected a manufacturing fault. Passed NCT on 2nd visit. Car in for service and pre NCT (MOT) check today. Rear shocks are now below standard. My suspicions re faulty manufacturing are again raised. Garage just said this is normal wear and tear. I strongly disagreed. Quoted 500 euro to replace them. Anyone experienced anything similar with The 2016 1.8l Auris Hybrid Sol? 

Lol , 20k km and shocks gone you either have problems with your garage or been very unlucky to have twice faulty oem shocks which is very unlikely. Do you drive loaded or at high speeds and Han going over bumps? Also how do they test the shocks? Here it is something dodgy and smelly imo. Btw my car is 12 years old and had covered 216000 miles  and has its original shocks all around and they work perfectly fine. I had changed a broken spring last week and also bought new shocks which were not necessary to replace and I didn’t, shocks went back to the seller. I think someone has trying to screw your over. 
Here how to test them yourself: 

Test 1:

- open boot and with both hands placed on the hatch shut push the car downward strongly, the car should do minimal movement and if goes down a bit should come up slowly and stop moving again. Make sure the car is parked on level ground and no handbrake is applied.   If the car goes easily up and down and bounce more than once them shocks are weak and may need proper test and replacement. 
 Test 2: 

-you need to swap cars with a friend and go to the motorway. Let him drive you car at 60mph in the middle lane and you go slightly behind from left lane and watch front and rear wheels if bouncing up and down and then go to the right lane and watch the other side for bouncing wheels and moving car up and down while cruising over road imperfections. 
 Test 3: 

- drive slowly around 5mph and slam on the brakes to make the car stop sharply, only one movement down and up , anything more the shocks are weak. 
 

That’s pretty much all. If there is no oil leak or visual external damage shocks can last ages. 

 

[PJ Hogan]

Never loaded and no rough terrain. I explained all this to the garage. The garage is replacing them tomorrow. Otherwise the car will fail the NCT again. The garage is a very  reputable Toyota / Lexus main dealer. Bought the car from them new. It was a showroom model with just 70kms on the clock. I really don’t know where to go from here. I’ll just have to suck it up! Thanks for your feedback 

[TonyHSD]

1 minute ago, PJ Hogan said:

Never loaded and no rough terrain. I explained all this to the garage. The garage is replacing them tomorrow. Otherwise the car will fail the NCT again. The garage is a very  reputable Toyota / Lexus main dealer. Bought the car from them new. It was a showroom model with just 70kms on the clock. I really don’t know where to go from here. I’ll just have to suck it up! Thanks for your feedback 

If the garage test them with machine that is out of spec and shows bad shocks where actually they are  in excellent condition that is something to look for. I am not saying that they had done it purpose but they may just been trusting the machine and machines sometimes are not calibrated properly, best to try my test and see how the cat reacts with the old them with the new shocks. You may also request to have the old shocks and take them home. You can test them yourself by pressing the in with hands and look for leaks. 

[Derek.w]

If its dry outside have a look at top of the shocks where it comes out of the piston may need lift up garter you looking for oil seaping out.

At the same time check condition of coil springs looking for rust.

[Bernard Foy]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

If the garage test them with machine that is out of spec and shows bad shocks where actually they are  in excellent condition that is something to look for. I am not saying that they had done it purpose but they may just been trusting the machine and machines sometimes are not calibrated properly, best to try my test and see how the cat reacts with the old them with the new shocks. You may also request to have the old shocks and take them home. You can test them yourself by pressing the in with hands and look for leaks. 

Tony, FYI, NCT/MOT tests in Rep of Ireland are not performed by designated garages, but by an independent group of test centers which do nothing else only perform tests on cars. If my memory serves me correctly they are a Swedish company. Cars over 4yrs old must be tested every 2 years, cars over 10 years old must be tested every year. The test charge is €55, if a retest is required and done within 28 days the charge is €28. Only the issues it failed on its first test is tested again.

[TonyHSD]

17 hours ago, Bernard Foy said:

Tony, FYI, NCT/MOT tests in Rep of Ireland are not performed by designated garages, but by an independent group of test centers which do nothing else only perform tests on cars. If my memory serves me correctly they are a Swedish company. Cars over 4yrs old must be tested every 2 years, cars over 10 years old must be tested every year. The test charge is €55, if a retest is required and done within 28 days the charge is €28. Only the issues it failed on its first test is tested again.

Thanks Bernard 👍, 

I will wait to see if op updates what happens and the results from the car passes test after the change of the shocks. For me is a surprise that an original shocks failed twice in such a short time/mileage. 

[Bernard Foy]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

Thanks Bernard 👍, 

I will wait to see if op updates what happens and the results from the car passes test after the change of the shocks. For me is a surprise that an original shocks failed twice in such a short time/mileage. 

The fact is that they shouldn’t fail as quickly as that, it’s highly unusual. Because the testing centers are independent of any garages, there is absolutely no danger of them trying to drum up business of repairs. Unlike garages in that they don’t sell cars, they don’t do repairs, so have nothing to gain by failure of NCT/MOT. Some minor failures which only require a two second visual inspection are free if taken back to the test center within a stipulated time frame. For example a light bulb, a wiper blade etc.

[TonyHSD]

48 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

The fact is that they shouldn’t fail as quickly as that, it’s highly unusual. Because the testing centers are independent of any garages, there is absolutely no danger of them trying to drum up business of repairs. Unlike garages in that they don’t sell cars, they don’t do repairs, so have nothing to gain by failure of NCT/MOT. Some minor failures which only require a two second visual inspection are free if taken back to the test center within a stipulated time frame. For example a light bulb, a wiper blade etc.

Agreed 👍 

The only thing that comes to mind is that might be the testing machine not calibrated properly or error done by the technician., everything is possible and therefore performing some well known tests as I mentioned earlier are crucial to get better results and eventually visit to a different testing facilities for confirmation.👌

[Bernard Foy]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

Agreed 👍 

The only thing that comes to mind is that might be the testing machine not calibrated properly or error done by the technician., everything is possible and therefore performing some well known tests as I mentioned earlier are crucial to get better results and eventually visit to a different testing facilities for confirmation.👌

Yes anything is possible and the machine could be calibrated wrong, and it’s more likely operator error. However a wrongly calibrated machine would be quickly spotted and rectified, as a different car is on it every 20 minutes, and cars which may failed shocks would be recalled. As you have pointed out it’s most likely a technicians error. 

[Guest]

There's a "machine" to test dampers on the vehicle? I must keep up! Or have I missed something in a post?

Tony's test is just as good and reliable, i.e. bounce each corner. Of course, a leak is different.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, mrpj1 said:

There's a "machine" to test dampers on the vehicle? I must keep up! Or have I missed something in a post?

Tony's test is just as good and reliable, i.e. bounce each corner. Of course, a leak is different.

In UK or at least where I am there are no machines to test shocks, testers only push each corner, Japanese cars are hard and they even only push slightly, otherwise damage to wings may happen. In other eu countries for example annual tests (mots) include shock absorbers testing with machines where each wheel is shaken up and down and a print out shows a diagram similar to heart cardio, also this displays the percentage of shocks performance. How accurate are these testers is another matter. 👌👍

[Stivino]

33 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

In other eu countries

Definitely doesn't happen in Spain. 

[flash22]

500 euro for rear shocks is a major rip off - oem are KYB

KYB 3448009 45-50 euros each

A competent mechanic with a lift can knock this job out in under 30 minutes, they may bill you an hour as a flat rate

 

suspension test plates are more common across Europe - what are the readings ? And was it the same test centre ?

[TonyHSD]

My dad said in Bulgaria each year they test the shocks for him. Strangely they don’t in the UK, even though here the rules and requirements are way tougher than there.