a newbie here with auto mechanical knowledge in the zilch range. I have a 2010 Prius with about 60K miles, but thinking needs new suspension, especially in the front. I was given an estimate of $1,600 for new struts in the front with Toyota parts, and was told that it's not even worth considering aftermarket parts. Another shop gave me an estimate of about $1,000 ($369 per strut, the links at $40 each and labor cost), which I am deducing is for the price of aftermarket struts. My question is: are aftermarket struts so inferior as to not worth considering using? Any reasoned/knowledgeable feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Good question. You can't really go wrong with OEM parts. Aftermarket parts can be great or horrible. It depends on the manufacturer and what you want to achieve. Do you want to restore the original ride? Do you want a sporty ride? A softer ride? Lots of options. Youtube might help you with that decision. The prices you were quoted all seem high. And FYI, you could buy the OEM parts and have any shop you trust install them. You'll need an alignment, too. But, at 60,000 miles the car should not need new struts unless it has lived a very hard life. I recommend taking it to a few reputable shops that specialize in front end and alignment work. Maybe pay for a full inspection.
Short term/about to sell the car: aftermarket. The real cheap stuff is typically very low quality. Long term: OEM. If you don't like the pricing, keep searching. These are not speciality items that only the dealer should be entrusted to install. GOOD LUCK!
I Try KYB shocks. They are Japanese manufactured and excellent quality. They are probably the best, moderately price shocks on the market.
OEM are good quality, but are way overpriced. I don't know what company makes the Toyota shocks and struts, but I have a suspicion that it's KYB. If I had to replace my suspension I would use aftermarket parts... but there are only two aftermarket brands I'd consider: KYB and Bilstein. It appears Bilstein doesn't make shocks/struts for the Prius, so it would be KYB. Under no circumstances would I put Monroe, Gabriel, Napa or any other aftermarket shocks/struts on a vehicle I own.
I replaced my struts with KYB Quick Struts. I think $500 for the whole set and I replaced them myself. Very straight forward and took me about 2 hours to replace all 4 corners. Not bad at all!
