Seeping Struts Are OK?

[The Critic]

I took my buddy's 2006 Prius w/85k to the local shop this morning for an alignment. During the pre-alignment inspection, they found that the front struts are starting to seep. According to the Prius forums, this is not uncommon at all.

I would describe the seepage to be moderate and to only cover the area above the spring seat. The "Grade 4" shown in this TSB best describes the condition of the front struts:

http://www.etimago.com/yaris/TSB/TS-SU007-06(Shock Absorber Replacement ).pdf

According to this bulletin, moderate seepage from the struts is normal. The tech personally showed me the seepage, so I know the shop isn't lying to me and is trying to upsell struts. The seepage is not the typical light film of oil that you see on struts-- it is definitely a heavier layer of oil that has escaped.

I was taught that struts should be replaced at the first sign of leakage, but this bulletin is saying otherwise. I am not sure if the purpose of this bulletin was to help Toyota reduce warranty expense by forcing owners to wait until they are dangerously bad (and hopefully by then, they will be out of warranty), or is it actually pointless to replace struts until they have are leaking profusely.

What do you guys think?

 

[Shannow]

Oil on the outside of a damper is instant fail in my state's annual inspection.

Toyota are trying to minimise their exposure for sure...just like 1qt/1,000 miles is "acceptable" on a new vehicle according to some manufacturers.

 

[dparm]

I would replace them. Is this a city car? (potholes and poor road surfaces)

 

[JHZR2]

seepage? Is this a sign of toyota quality? LOL!

On an older car that rode and handled OK, I wouldnt be that concerned, and rather just start saving my pennies to do a replacement. On a MY06 car with 85k, I'd be disappointed at the poor quality. I have original 30 year old shocks on my 81 MB that look like new. No reason a quality car like a toyota should have any sign of any issues.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I would replace them. Is this a city car? (potholes and poor road surfaces)


Yes, and the roads here are bad. Very bad. I should also mention that the ride quality of the car is acceptable and does not display any signs of strut failure. The strut mounts do feel like they are binding a bit, but aside from that, the ride control feels in-line for a car with nearly 85k.

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Toyota are trying to minimise their exposure for sure...just like 1qt/1,000 miles is "acceptable" on a new vehicle according to some manufacturers.


Good one.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Oil on the outside of a damper is instant fail in my state's annual inspection.


Same with our inspections,and a lot of inspectors fail if they see oil - but the wording in our manual says ''excessive oil leakage'' from shocks.I had to pull one of our techs up the other day because he failed an Outlander with a film of oil on a shock.Mitsubishi have a bulletin about it,a slight film is perfectly normal.

 

[mechanicx]

If ride control and quality is good, I'd wait on doing a strut replacement. There could be half the service life or more remaining. A lot of times a strut can fail without exhibiting excessive leakage. The most important thing is ride control rather than on whether or not there is seepage.

 

[mva]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
I should also mention that the ride quality of the car is acceptable and does not display any signs of strut failure.


You've answered your own question - struts are still fine, don't change them.

There are many 2004 to 2009 Prii with over 200,000 miles that have done nothing but routine maintenance.