FYI: KYB GR-2 vs. Monroe Sensa-Trac Warranty

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I have been doing some research on struts for my '96 Saturn SL2. Monroe Sensa-Trac and KYB GR-2 struts were the most frequently recommended replacements for my vehicle. Since both of these brands advertised a lifetime warranty, I decided to read the warranty contract to see what this warranty covered.

After reading the warranties from both companies, I discovered a major difference. Although KYB and Monroe both offer a lifetime warranty against defects, only Monroe's warranty covers normal wear and tear. In other words, Monroe will replace worn-out struts under their lifetime warranty. On the other hand, KYB's warranty states explicitly that it does not cover normal wear and tear. Also, KYB requires that you return to the original place of purchase to make a warranty claim while Monroe does not. Lastly, it's important to remember that neither warranty covers labor for the removal and installation of struts under warranty; the warranty only covers parts.

Here are the quotes from the warranty contracts:

Monroe:

Quote:
Tenneco's obligation under this warranty is limited to replacement of the worn-out or defective product in accordance with this warranty. Cost of removal and installation are not included, and any incidental and consequential damages are excluded under this warranty. This warranty has no cash value. This warranty does not apply to products which have been modified, improperly applied or installed on vehicles used for commercial or racing purposes.

To make a claim under this warranty, return the worn-out or defective product with the dated original receipt to the dealer from whom it was purchased or to a TA dealer for verification and exchange under this warranty.


http://www.monroe.com/support/warranty.asp

KYB:

Quote:
4. Warranty claims will not be honored for products that:

a. are worn, but are not defective. (An example is where only one unit is defective and the consumer requests a pair be replaced. Since the KYB warranty only covers the defective unit, the claim for the worn but not defective unit will not be honored.)


http://www.kyb.com/technical/warranty.php

From KYB's FAQ:

Quote:
The KYB Limited Lifetime warranty covers the product against manufacturing defects. Just like tires, shocks and struts are products that normally wear over time and miles driven. The KYB Limited Lifetime Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear.


http://www.kyb.com/technical/warrantytips.php

Therefore, if you perform your own repair work and are planning to keep your vehicle for a long time, the Monroe struts may be a better choice. Of course, I do not have any experience with the performance of either brand. Either way, the major difference in warranty is something that you should keep in mind if you are deciding between these two brands of struts.
 
Yeah but Monroe tells you to replace your shocks/struts every 50k miles. Also Monroe has done the void warranty dump in the past. I always have an easier time to a warranty exchange on a HYB than on a Monroe. I still mad at them when they did the warranty dump a bout 5 or six years ago.
 
I have taken a pair of KYBs back to the dealer. Told him they wore worn out, he gave me a new pair. No hassle, but this was a while back. Things may have changed.
 
Originally Posted By: RH+G
Yeah but Monroe tells you to replace your shocks/struts every 50k miles. Also Monroe has done the void warranty dump in the past. I always have an easier time to a warranty exchange on a HYB than on a Monroe. I still mad at them when they did the warranty dump a bout 5 or six years ago.

KYB recommends every 50,000 miles now as well.

Originally Posted By: tom slick
Is your saturn going to be around long enough to wear out another set of struts? just another thing to consider.

True, but the pricing is about the same for the KYB and the Monroe Sensa-Trac. I guess one other important consideration is the quality of the Monroe Sensa-Trac strut compared to the KYB. If the KYB is a better product, then the warranty is not as important.
 
Off Topic:

Where have those SHOWA struts of prior decade gone? I'm thinking of the original struts on my 1994 Civic that, at 240k miles, are better than the struts on vehicles many years newer, both OE and aftermarket. No wobbles, no shakes, no sloppiness. Add to that, some months ago I hit a deep, sharp (invisible in the dark) hole and thought that was the end of it, but nothing changed in the front end from that incident.

BTW, I'm only guessing they are SHOWA because I haven't removed them. I see Showa in the Honda OEM parts listing for this car. I don't know if Honda still uses Showa, and if they do whether Showa dampers are of the same quality anymore.
 
That's excellent detective work Critic. When I bought KYB's from Carquest this past summer, the counter guy told me the lifetime warranty was for defect and wear.

I will double check....sometimes places offer warranties above the parent companies.

So, anything after 50,000 is wear, and not warranteed???? A slightly leaking seal? That would suck.

FYI, I was disappointed with the paint finish on my KYB GR2s and exchanged one of them. Not for looks, but as a deterrent to the salt here. The helpful counter guy said he had to go through a dozen to find one with o.k. paint. Maybe it doesn't matter if the shock is designed to fail before the rust eats it up.

How did KYB develop such a following as being better than Monroe? Is it just internet group/sheep mentality?
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
So, anything after 50,000 is wear, and not warranteed???? A slightly leaking seal? That would suck.


The warranty is for as long as you own your vehicle. I think a leaking seal is considered as a defect and not normal wear, but I could be wrong.
 
I feel that your decision should also be on the ride you are looking for. KYB are known to have a stiffer ride than any monroes. On some cars it works out well on other cars it translates into harshness.

Alot of stores stop selling Monroes because they had a hard time with warranties. That is how the kyb following got started IMO
 
If you buy the struts at a parts store, then install them yourself or pay someone else to do this, the vendor who sold them to you has no way of knowing how many miles you put on them when you bring them back with problems.

Or have I missed something?
 
kyb was oem manufacturer in our 1997 subaru and 2001 town and country. "kyb" was pressed into the strut bodies.

the subaru fronts were fine at 70,000 miles but both rears had leaked and gone soft. replacement gr2s were better than stock in that car.

never leaked in the van before selling at 80000 miles.

Opinion: kyb for sporty handling, monroe for smoother civilized ride.

M
 
I just got off the phone with CarQuest. One store's counter guy was incompetent and said KYB GR 2s have a one year warranty. Regarding the warranty and "normal wear", the store I spend my $ at said:

KYB has a limited lifetime warranty. HE said, if it starts leaking at "any" reasonable mileage (I suggested 90K)or it looses it's internal dampening, it is considered a manufacturing defect and would be replaced free. He said it's a customer satisfaction warranty.

My take is that KYB positioned itself (replace every 50K) so that individual dealers have the clout to make a judgement call however they want and/or based on the circumstances. In my case, this CarQuest relies on "customer satisfaction" to encourage store loyalty.
 
Sounds like they are saying....

Lifetime warranty refers to the life of the product. When the product wears out, it's life has expired so it's no longer warrantied.
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself


How did KYB develop such a following as being better than Monroe? Is it just internet group/sheep mentality?


Because the valves on KYB doesn't wear out as fast as Monroe.
 
The local wholesale parts distributor says that both the KYB GR-2 and the Monroe Sensa-Trac have a lifetime warranty against wearout.

I guess it depends on your vendor. Some vendors will go the extra mile to keep their customers happy. So, YMMV.

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: doitmyself


How did KYB develop such a following as being better than Monroe? Is it just internet group/sheep mentality?


Because the valves on KYB doesn't wear out as fast as Monroe.

Have any proof of that?

The only thing that I've heard is that the Monroe struts deliver a slightly softer ride than the KYBs. This may be because the KYB struts add additional dampening to compensate for worn suspension components. Perhaps Monroe does not do this?
 
Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
Off Topic:

Where have those SHOWA struts of prior decade gone? I'm thinking of the original struts on my 1994 Civic that, at 240k miles, are better than the struts on vehicles many years newer, both OE and aftermarket. No wobbles, no shakes, no sloppiness. Add to that, some months ago I hit a deep, sharp (invisible in the dark) hole and thought that was the end of it, but nothing changed in the front end from that incident.

BTW, I'm only guessing they are SHOWA because I haven't removed them. I see Showa in the Honda OEM parts listing for this car. I don't know if Honda still uses Showa, and if they do whether Showa dampers are of the same quality anymore.


It could also be that Honda strut suspensions are built differently from other strut suspensions, POSSIBLY making life easier for the strut when compared to the ordinary MacPherson setup.

The only way to know if it was Showa would be to order some from the dealer and carefully examine them.

Also, many OEMS turn to Bilstein which is a name I don't often see in aftermarket shocks and struts. Last time I saw them for sale, they were built especially for jacked up 4x4 vehicles, or for special factory 4x4 vehicles that.
 
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