rbeermann

the other night i was driving, when a cat jumped in front of my car. i had to swerve to the right to avoid hitting the poor animal, and i ended up curbing my car pretty bad. the front passenger wheel hit the curb and "toed in" the wheel. the car was pulling to the right after this happened.

i brought the car to the mechanic and they said that it wasn't my alignment, but my strut bar. it is supposedly bent, and they are trying to charge me $700 to replace it. does this sound right to you guys? thanks for all your input.

alexulan

Shop around if the car is drivable.

Take it to a trusted body shop. Ask your friends what they recomend for a body shop.

If the damage is more then the strutbar then I hope you got two way insurance.

A replacement (upgrade) strut bar from carson is way less then 700. I think.

http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=1965 $199

By the way if the car is stock there shouldn't be a strut bar, Are you sure they are not talking about GS lower Front Brace?

http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=443 $360

rbeermann

alright, i just called the mechanic again, and he said that it was the strut, aka. the shocks, but since gs's don't have shocks, he called them struts. it was not the lower front brace. thanks for your input alexulan!

chuckb

personally, I'd rather hit a cat, than a curb.
700 for a new shock, yah right. find an honest mechanic.

rbeermann

i'm an animal lover. could've been some little girl's cat that escaped or something

Lexbox

I still would have hit the cat though.

JellyBean

I don't get it. How could, just by hitting a curb, a shock absorber get bent without additional damage to the suspension? I can't think of such a scenario.

GSXLEX

iTrader: (2)

I wont swerve for any animal thats lower than the bumper..Thats how people get killed..I wont aim for them..usually but I aint putting me,my family or my car in peril for a friggin cat..And yes..$700 for a shock is a rippoff!!!

Chpsk8

Go somewhere else. That diagnosis doesn't make sense.

With at diagnosis it sounds like they will find other things wrong as they go along and you'll be stuck with a much much higher bill. Find a different person to diagnose it pronto.

Might even want to check with a Lexus dealership and use you're insurance. Comprehensive should cover it.

GWELEX

$700 for one strut?! Ridiculous. There must be more damage, try another shop if you can drive around.

EyesOnly

Way to go. NOTHING is more valuable than property. NOTHING.

smuv gs3

iTrader: (1)

Hell yea break out the hot sauce and your best silverware cause Garfield would have made for some good roadkill, hell he got nine lives anyway dont cost nothing and youll sleep better at knowing that you didnt crash your whip. Hope you get it fixed soon

LXOGOOD

Guys, keep this thread on topic. Let's leave the cat debate out please. Everyone reacts differently to sudden situations.

smuv gs3

iTrader: (1)

Honestly it should not cost that much I think you should keep searching for another mechanic cause I think theyre sticking you with a markup on the part and outrageous labor, shop wisely

carofchoic

sounds more like a tie rod since your toed in now. i would deff take it some where else and get a second opinion. good luck