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This car have been driven for almost 10 years, over 85,000 miles, with most of the time being driven on snowy roads in the Northeast. In recent months, I've felt like the front shock absorbers bottom out when going over speed bumps. The mechanic inspected it and said the front shocks are leaking. I went to several repair shops, and they all said that the front shocks for 2015 Lexus IS 350 F-Sport AWD are special and can only be replaced at the dealership. So I went to the dealership, and they first charged me $150 for the diagnostic fee. After a few hours, they gave me a quote: over $2,000 to replace the front strut, $230 for a four-wheel alignment, and they also said they found a differential leak and suggested replacing the pinion seal. Over the phone, they provided detailed charges: $900 for parts, $1,000 for labor, I agreed to this repair. However, for the differential, the part cost $40, but the labor was $3,400+!!! Of course, I declined that service. Now I'm starting to doubt the cost they quoted for replacing the front struts, as they kept emphasizing that many rusted parts might not be reinstalled and any replacements would incur additional charges. This is the most outrageous service I've encountered, even more so than the Manhattan Lexus Service
You can buy a set of coilovers that are better quality than OEM struts for the same price. Personally I would find a good independent mechanic to do it and buy the parts required. Will save you some $$$
That labor quote to replace a front strut seems insanely high and wrong. And there’s no reason an independent shop can’t replace suspension on this car.
Ft strut & ft diff pinion seal replacement
