last April a large pick up hit the front left of my car. The damage was about $2500 and I had it repaired. I just got new tires and the guys there found the front left strut was leaking. My car is a 2004 with 53000 miles. Could the strut problem be from the accident? How longs do struts usually last? How imperative is it to get new struts?
There’s no way to know if the struts were damaged in the crash or if they just started leaking last week. There is also no “how long do they usually last.” Too many variables.
Struts should always be replaced in pairs. A front pair or a rear pair. Or all four.
If one of the your front struts is leaking you need two new front struts, and you need them ASAP. Driving with a leaking strut will cause excess and abnormal tire wear.
It’s entirely possible the strut could have been damaged from the crash based on leaking at only 53k miles. The problem is that after all of this time you may not be able to do anything about it unless the other party’s insurance company is really understanding.
If it’s leaking it needs to be replaced and mcparadise’s advice is correct.
How Much Is It Leaking ? Did You Have A Look ? Struts Can “Weep” A Little Oil And Be Alright.
A little dampness around the seal area is normal. Oil pooling in the spring seat or running down and dripping is not.
What kind of tire store did you go to for the tires ? Many businesses will try and up-sell you, recommending additional items or just may not know what they’re looking at. If you didn’t see the strut or if you can’t 100% trust the judgment of this shop then a second opinion could be in order.
CSA
Ditto.
It is possible it was damaged from the accident but the problem is the vast majority of insurance companies will say no. Problem being it’s been 11 months and it’s only leaking, struts are wear items. But, if it were bent that would be a different story.