Front shock absorber replacement

What does a front shock absorber do?

Your shock absorbers are part of the suspension system that smoothes out the bumpiness of an uneven road to provide you with a comfortable ride.

A shock absorber is a gas or oil filled tube that is compressed by a piston to dissipate kinetic energy and regulate the rebounding your car will suffer when driving over potholed, bumpy or uneven ground.

What happens when we replace your shock absorbers?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will examine or test-drive your car to establish the cause of the problem.
• Wherever required, a shock absorber will be replaced, and you’ll be advised of any other connected or associated problems arising from its malfunction.
• You will also be advised of any other parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.
• Once the faulty shock absorber has been replaced, our mechanics will test it thoroughly to ensure the correct running of the new part and make any adjustments required for its premium operation.

What causes a shock absorber to stop working correctly?

A shock absorber will fail to operate correctly if the fluid leaks. This can be due to poor or damaged seals.

A shock absorber will also fail to function properly if it becomes damaged, bent or broken due to continual wear, general use or accident damage.

Smaller internal parts are likely to wear out in time and cause the improper operation of the complete component.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning front shock absorber

Excessive bouncing and an uncomfortable ride

If your car is bouncing excessively and providing uncomfortable ride quality, then there’s a good chance your shock absorbers aren’t operating correctly.

The car feels unstable

When driving around corners or over uneven ground and the car feels unstable then your suspension could be damaged.

Driving over humps is difficult

If driving over humps, sleeping policemen or raised road elements causes problems, your shock absorbers could be damaged.

If you spot signs of leaking

If you notice puddles of oil-like fluid on the road around your wheels, your shock absorbers could be leaking.

If your wheels leave the ground

In circumstances when your tyres lose contact with the road going over bumpy surfaces, sharp bridges or raised ground, your suspension isn’t working properly.

How often should shock absorbers need replacing?

You can expect shock absorbers to last at least 50k miles. Your owner’s manual may specify a different mileage or duration, as this figure is only a guideline. You should also have your shock absorbers checked after heavy contact with potholes, curbs or large rocks in the road.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Car suspension is a common reason for MOT failures. Broken or faulty shock absorbers, including oil leaks, will be a definite fail for an MOT.

The cost of replacing your front shock absorber

The typical cost of replacing a condenser varies between £200 and £250.

For example, an Audi A1 S Line would have a dealer price of £255.23, yet Fixter will carry out the same work for only £206—a 19% saving!

Changing the front shock absorber in a Fiat 500l Pop Star will cost you £268.06 with your dealer, but only £216.00 with Fixter—another superb saving of 19%!

When you choose Fixter to find you a great deal and a premium mechanic to carry out your front shock absorber replacement, you can expect to save around £40 from an average dealer price. That’s a typical saving in the region of 15–20%.

Kia

Kia Motors Corporation (widely known as Kia Motors) is South Korea’s second-largest automobile manufacturer, behind their parent company, the Hyundai Motor Company.

They were initially established in December 1944, over 70 years ago, as a steel tubing and bicycle parts manufacturer who started building cars in the 1970s.

Coming from a background of building cars under licence for the likes of Fiat, Mazda and Peugeot, it wasn’t until the 1980s when Kia started to produce vehicles under their own brand name, and only more recently were they to become minority owned by Hyundai, who currently holds a 33.88% stake in the company, in 2015.

How popular is Kia in the United Kingdom?

From the mid-1990s, the amount of Kia cars on UK roads has seen a steady increase to the current number of around 800k today.

Given their reliability, value for money and market-leading 7-year, 100k mile warranty, Kia is a marque that is heading for further popularity, greater sales and added respect.

Superb value for money

With an extensive range of models to choose from, Kia cars offer excellent value. From their city car Picanto starting at under £10k, through to their luxury spec SUV Sorento at £30k, Kia cars compete with more established mainstream brands, offering not only strong price-points but with advanced levels of technology and the extended benefits you’d expect from a car of a higher price.

Kia Sportage: The 10th best selling car in the UK

Given the rise in growth of the Korean car brand, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see its best selling model sneak into the top 10 best selling cars of 2018. This great value and practical SUV is ideal for family motoring; not only is it rugged and good looking, but it’s also backed with Kia’s impressive reliability and extensive warranty.

Kia’s reliability and reputation

Kia ranked joint 4th out of 30 car brands in the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2018. When buying a new car, reliability should be a key consideration, and with such an impressive set of statistics to back this brand, Kia is setting standards that the better-known marques will have to work hard to match.

Recent Kia recalls and reliability issues

Various recalls have been made on Kia models throughout their motoring history. The following are a list of the most recent in the UK and Europe.

25/05/2019 – Kia Niro (2016–2018)

The main relay with the power relay assembly may have inadequate connections between contacts

05/03/2019 – Kia Stinger (2017–2018)

There is a rough edge in the left fender body panel

14/12/2018 – Kia Soul (2013–2014)

The connection between the steering rod and the steering bod may come loose

10/08/2018 – Kia Niro (2017)

Oil might leak on the power electrode inside the hydraulic clutch actuator

11/05/2018 – Kia Rio (2017)

The cable length of the rear door lock assemblies may be incorrect

23/03/2018 – Kia Sorento (2011)

A faulty fuel line may lead to fuel loss in the engine compartment

30/03/2016 – Kia Sorento (2015–2016)

The brake light of a trailer attached to the vehicle is not activated when slowing down through cruise control, due to a software problem

15/04/2016 – Kia Soul (2014–2015)

A fault with the steering gear box could lead to the driver not being able to steer the vehicle properly

All recall information sourced from gov.co.uk data.