How Much Does It Cost to Replace Shocks and Struts? 2026 Price & Installation Guide

cost to replace shocks and struts

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Car suspension system parts play a critical role in keeping your vehicle stable, safe, and comfortable on the road. When the ride starts to feel rough or unstable, many drivers immediately ask, “How much does it cost to replace shocks and struts?” Whether you’re searching for information about rear shocks for a car or trying to understand the typical truck strut replacement cost, it’s important to know what affects the new shocks price, labor charges, and the overall replacement shocks and struts cost. This guide will help you clearly understand each part of the expense.

Understanding Your Front and Rear Suspension Parts

Front and Rear Suspension Parts
Front. vs Rear. Suspension Parts

Before diving into the cost for new shocks and struts, it’s essential to know what you’re paying for. The front suspension typically uses a strut installation, which combines a shock absorber and a coil spring. The rear suspension often uses standalone rear shocks absorbers.

  • Front Suspension Parts: Includes struts, coil springs, and mounts.
  • Rear Suspension Parts: Primarily rear shocks and bushings.

Factory Insight: At GDST, we manufacture our front suspension parts to 1:1 OE specifications. By using high-strength steel and NOK seals, we ensure our rear shocks for cars outperform generic aftermarket brands in durability.

New Shocks Price: How Much Are the Parts?

The price for new shocks and struts varies significantly by vehicle type.

  • Standard Car Shocks Prices: $40 – $120 per shock.
  • Strut Assembly Prices: $150 – $350 per assembly.
  • Truck Strut Replacement Cost (Parts): Heavy-duty truck struts can range from $200 to $500, depending on the towing capacity.

If you are buying rear shocks for car models like the Nissan Altima or Toyota Sienna, buying them in pairs is the most cost-effective way to manage the new shocks price.

GDST Factory Direct Pricing (B2B Advantage)

Vehicle ModelGDST Part TypeFactory Direct Quote (Est.)
Toyota RAV4Rear Shock Absorber[Get Wholesale Price]
Honda OdysseyFront Strut Assembly[Get Wholesale Price]
Ford ExplorerRear Shock Absorber[Get Wholesale Price]

Labor Cost to Install Shocks and Struts

The labor cost to install shocks and struts is often higher than the parts themselves.

  • Rear Shock Replacement Labor: Typically takes 1–1.5 hours. Labor cost to install shocks and struts near me usually averages $100 – $250.
  • Front Strut Installation Cost: More complex, taking 2–3 hours per side. The average cost of struts replacement in labor is $200 – $400.

Pro Tip: To reduce the labor cost to replace struts and shocks, we recommend purchasing GDST Complete Strut Assemblies. They are pre-assembled and ready to bolt on, cutting installation time by 50%.

Total Cost to Replace Shocks and Struts: 2026 Estimates

How much does it cost for shocks and struts in total? Here is a breakdown of the replace shocks and struts cost for common scenarios:

ServicePartsPriceLabor CostTotal Estimated Cost
Rear Shock Replacement$80 – $200$100 – $250$180 – $450
Front Strut Replacement$250 – $500$300 – $600$550 – $1100
Full Suspension Refresh$400 – $900$500 – $1000$900 – $1900

Model-Specific Replacement Costs

Users frequently search for rear shocks replacement cost near me for specific vehicles. Based on market data, here is the how much to replace rear shocks breakdown:

  • RAV4 Rear Shocks Replacement Cost: $250 – $550 (Total).
  • Honda Odyssey Rear Shock Replacement Cost: $300 – $600 (Total).
  • Ford Explorer Shocks Replacement Cost: $350 – $700 (Total).
  • Toyota Sienna Rear Shock Replacement Cost: $300 – $580 (Total).
  • Nissan Altima Rear Shock Replacement Cost: $220 – $480 (Total).

Why You Shouldn’t Delay Rear Shocks Replacement

Many owners ask how much is strut and shock replacement because they want to delay it. However, ignoring rear shocks replacement leads to:

  1. Increased Tire Wear: Faulty shocks cause “cupping” on tires.
  2. Safety Risks: Increased braking distance and poor cornering.
  3. Back Suspension Damage: Excess stress on the back struts can damage the rear suspension control arms.

Why GDST is the Preferred Manufacturer for Global Distributors

shock absorber factory
shock absorber factory

When you ignore rear shocks replacement, it leads to uneven tire wear and “bottoming out” (the cost to replace a sag in the back suspension can be high if the chassis is damaged).

As a specialized factory, GDST offers:

  1. Strict Quality Control: All rear shock absorbers undergo 1,000,000+ cycle fatigue testing.
  2. Vast Compatibility: Over 5,000+ OE numbers for Japanese, Korean, European, and American vehicles.
  3. Wholesale Support: We offer tiered pricing for distributors looking for the best cost of shocks and struts without compromising quality.
  4. Customization Service: support do your own brand package and develop new shocks by samples

FAQ: Cost of Changing Shocks

How much to install struts vs. shocks?

Struts are more expensive to install because they are part of the structural front suspension parts, requiring more labor than simple rear shocks.

Is there a “rear shocks replacement cost near me” discount?

Most shops offer a lower labor cost to replace struts and shocks if you do all four at once rather than separately.

What is the price of new shocks for a truck?

The truck strut replacement cost is generally 20-30% higher than a standard passenger car due to the heavy-duty nature of the rear shocks absorbers.

Picture of Eric Ding
Eric Ding

Hi, I'm Eric, the founder of GDST Auto Parts, a family-run business, and we are a professional suspension parts manufacturer in China.
With 20 years' experience of production and sales, we have worked with 150+ clients from 80+ countries.
I'm writing this article to share some knowledge about suspension parts with you.

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