I have seen a few instances of aged shocks/struts getting overextended and producing a rock-hard ride thereafter. After 5 years, it is possible that these struts were done in by a chassis lift.
Ooh, that’s a new one! I can only surmise the internal rebound bumpers were ready to disintegrate and putting the car onto a lift smushed (highly technical term) them into little urethane bits that then clogged all the little orifices inside the struts. I can see how that could happen.