2001 Ford Taurus SES strut issues

[Exterous]

Hi All,

I have a 2001 Ford Taurus SES that we were going to give my younger sister in law as a graduation present since we bought a 'new' car. I took it to the mechanic to look over and he said the front struts are broken. When I asked how much to replace them he quoted me around $850. I was shocked to see the price so high. He said it was because they were 'loaded struts'. He said about 2-3 hours of labor

I was hoping someone could comment if this was reasonable or not

 

[LTC8K6]

$50 apiece from Rock Auto. Even the Motorcraft ones are only $75 each.

 

[FeuerFrei]

I'm think'n I paid $700-some for installation of 4 struts + springs + stabilizer bar end links.
That was just labor. I had all the new hardware on hand, mounts, spring isolators, struts, springs, bump stops, links.

But I'm not at home so I can't check my receipt.

 

[Exterous]

I'm think'n I paid $700-some for installation of 4 struts + springs + stabilizer bar end links.
That was just labor. I had all the new hardware on hand, mounts, spring isolators, struts, springs, bump stops, links.

But I'm not at home so I can't check my receipt.

I forgot that included the bars as well. I called around and, sadly, it seems this is in line with what everyone is saying. Lowest I heard $750 and the highest was $1200

 

[fbrdphreak]

For just the front, it seems high. You will also need an alignment and of course the rear struts will then be significantly more worn than the front.

You might consider finding a smaller shop or independent mechanic to do the work and you supply the parts.

Be careful how far you dig into this - a nearly 10 year old Taurus will need more than just front struts. As you mentioned, the sway bar end links are due for replacement. I bet the sway bar bushings are too. If the car was driven a lot in Michigan, most of your bushings are probably shot.

Has the rest of the maintenance been kept up on the car? Brakes, fluid changes, etc?

 

[Exterous]

For just the front, it seems high. You will also need an alignment and of course the rear struts will then be significantly more worn than the front.

You might consider finding a smaller shop or independent mechanic to do the work and you supply the parts.

Be careful how far you dig into this - a nearly 10 year old Taurus will need more than just front struts. As you mentioned, the sway bar end links are due for replacement. I bet the sway bar bushings are too. If the car was driven a lot in Michigan, most of your bushings are probably shot.

Has the rest of the maintenance been kept up on the car? Brakes, fluid changes, etc?

The previous owner was meticulous about maintenance and I have done my best to follow suite.

I bargained with the owner for a bit and we worked out a deal. In the end it was $850 after tax for the struts, links, alignment, oil change, labor and general checkup (He said the bushings were in ok condition with the tone of voice that said - they aren't in great shape but will do for a short term)

Maybe it's still a bit high but shes doing pretty badly financially and really needed a car for Monday so I guess it will have to do. If she gets 6-9 months out of the car she should be in much better shape so thats what we are shooting for

Thanks for the help! I probably wouldn't have pushed as hard on price if it wasn't for the advice here

 

[fbrdphreak]

Now that's a pretty decent deal.

And it's not that the car would just suddenly asplode without the struts & general upkeep, but it is a safety and long-term maintenance concern. Blown front struts contribute to poor handling which reduces braking effectiveness and emergency maneuverability. Considering that generation Taurus had pretty bad handling in the first place, that's definitely not a good thing. Also the worn struts will increase wear on other items, like strut mounts, sway bar end links, etc.

The bushings aren't as big of a concern, especially for somebody just trying to get by. They may mean the car makes more creaks & groans driving, but as long as it will hold an alignment they aren't the end of the world.

Really, if the engine & transmission are in good shape, there's no reason the car shouldn't last a good while longer. If she can keep up with the oil changes, do a yearly maintenance including full fluids changes (coolant, brake, maybe transmission)/spark plugs/air filter/etc and do the brakes/tires as needed, it should be cheap transportation for years to come.

 

[Exterous]

Now that's a pretty decent deal.

And it's not that the car would just suddenly asplode without the struts & general upkeep, but it is a safety and long-term maintenance concern. Blown front struts contribute to poor handling which reduces braking effectiveness and emergency maneuverability. Considering that generation Taurus had pretty bad handling in the first place, that's definitely not a good thing. Also the worn struts will increase wear on other items, like strut mounts, sway bar end links, etc.

The bushings aren't as big of a concern, especially for somebody just trying to get by. They may mean the car makes more creaks & groans driving, but as long as it will hold an alignment they aren't the end of the world.

Really, if the engine & transmission are in good shape, there's no reason the car shouldn't last a good while longer. If she can keep up with the oil changes, do a yearly maintenance including full fluids changes (coolant, brake, maybe transmission)/spark plugs/air filter/etc and do the brakes/tires as needed, it should be cheap transportation for years to come.

Thats good to hear. Thanks again to you, LTC8K6 and FeuerFrei!

 

[merovingian2069]

I just replaced my front struts, sway bar links, and outer tie rod ends. Couldn't however get the strut dislodged from the streering knuckle. I then discovered from some research that the physically can't come out (or in for that matter) without lowering the subframe a bit. I ended up loosening the 19mm subframe bushing bolts until they still had just about 5 threads still holding them. Be sure to do this with jacks under the subframe and only do one side of the subframe at a time (left or right). Then raise vehicle with a floor jack and set on jack stand away from the subframe. You should now have the clearance you need. Be sure to tighten everything up snug to the factor torque specs when done.

As far as being "loaded struts", I think that your mechanic may have invented that term. The new struts are the same length. He over quoted you on the time unless he really has trouble with 19mm bolts. The whole job took me about 3 hours in my garage and I don't have air tools or a full size lift.

I hope this helps.

 

[Centauri]

You can get full strut assemblies for the Taurus from RockAuto for $60 a pop, and they'd take 30 mins each to install. The front ones are especially easy, all you need to do is pop open your hood to see how easy it is to unmount them.

If you can get your car on a jack, remove a tire and have a socket set you can do front struts on a Taurus. There are instructional videos on YouTube specifically for the Taurus if you get overwhelmed.

 

[Exterous]

I hope this helps.

snip

Uh...while I appreciate the thought this was is a bit of an older thread. On the positive side the car is still running 3 years later and was passed down to my brother-in-law