When Should Shocks and Struts Be Replaced? In most cases, the life of a strut or shock is around 50,000 miles. In that amount of driving, those components will have cycled millions and millions of times, which causes wear and tear over time. If your shocks and struts have not been replaced in over 50,000 miles, it’s a good idea to consider doing so. You may not even know, as there are often no real visible signs that wearing or damage is occurring.
If you find you have strut problems, it’s best to replace the shocks or struts within a week or two. The quicker you do so, the less damage your vehicle will experience. It’s also a good idea to have your mechanic look at them each time you stop in for a checkup. This allows you to catch a problem earlier, so it can be fixed before there is damage to your car.