Are shocks supposed to leak oil a little?

Front struts & rear shocks are totally doable w/ hand tools and a long cheater bar (for lug nut removal).

A "good" spring compressor is loanable from the big chain auto parts stores (PepBoys, Auto Zone), after leaving a refundable deposit. This is a good one to get b/c of the better design; some DIY spring compressors have a horrible design.
OEM MacPherson Strut Spring Compressor | Tire Details | Pep Boys

2014 Prices

If one feels unsafe/unsure doing the spring compression, $20-$30/compression was the going rate at repair shops; price shop this at chain repair & tire stores. When you find the cheapest price, call the closest shop near you to see if they will beat/match.

When I was price shopping just labor rate, it was PRICEY. Cheapest dealer labor rate was $800, next one was $1k, others were a little North of $1k. I didn't bother inquiring with independent shops or big chain repair shops.

Total part cost for front strut, rear shock replacement was $402.80, of needed items.
KYB front strut, $41 left, $53 right
KYB front strut mount, $48 each
KYB rear shocks, $58 each
KYB rear bellow (didn't need; discovered after the rear shock off the car), $6used (open box return), $10new
KYB rear mount kit, $6used (open box return), $9new
Toy font upper dust seal, $4.56/ea
Toy front upper insulator (big rubber boot; must get as the old one will be trash), $16.15/ea
Toy front lower insulator, $10.57/ea
Toy rear upper insulator, $9.62/ea​

Air/power tools speed-up the process, but not necessary. I happen to have both, so I get to choose what I want to use. Mostly, I favor my Ryobi One+ 1/2" impact wrench; clean-up is easy: remove battery, put tool away. Compressor: need to start-up, un-wind the hose, wind-up the hose, drain compressor, put everything away.
$99 tool only Ryobi ONE+ 18-Volt 1/2 in. Cordless 3-Speed Impact Wrench (Tool-Only)-P261 - The Home Depot
Other major power tool makers (Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, Ryobi) will have their own impact wrenches. If one already has the typical drill & 1/4" impact driver, getting the 1/2" impact driver is a major bonus. Sure makes tire rotations FAST.

 

Thanks a lot for that!

 

W/O tell-tale signs of hopscotch marks on tire, oil leak strut/shock cartridge, physical inspection of the strut/suspension cartridge is required. No sane person will do all that work for an inspection, and reinstall the old part, given the relative low cost of the parts.

You drove your friends Prius (2010, 2011, 2012, etc) and noticed it doesn't have the body roll and bottoming out over driveways that yours has. You didn't realize this was abnormal until you drove your friend's Prius. Your friend told you that he recently had his struts and shocks recently replaced.

Tell the dealer that you want the front struts and rear shocks replaced under the Platinum warranty, b/c of the body roll and bottoming out, yours has, but your friend's Prius does not, due to his recent replacement of struts and shocks.

My money is that the dealer will be more than happy to perform the warranty work. They know if you have to pay, you will likely decline and go elsewhere.

I still find it hard to believe any extended warranty program would cover a wear/consumable part: tires, brake pads, filters, wiper blades, etc. Struts & shocks are definetly consumable parts.

 

I don't think the dealer will be happy to replace parts that's under warranty, the tech doesn't get paid the full amount in time to do the work as if it was a regular replacement parts. It'll probably be half the pay for the tech's and most won't even want to do it lol. But if they do, let me know where

 

Remember, its a zero sum game.

* Full retail is best for dealer, and service tech, bad for consumer.
* Warranty work 2nd best for dealer & service tech, but great for consumer (FREE).
* No work is bad for dealer & service tech. No change for consumer ($ will be spent, possibly somewhere else, and at a lower cost).​

Clearly, something is better than nothing.

Yes, I can see a less senior/skilled tech getting easy warranty work.

Edit.
Recall the stuck accelerator pedal recall and inverter pump recall? I left dealerships pretty much begging to want to do it now, but I didn't want to wait. Remember, its free easy money for them, with lots of free easy work to perform, just bring the cars in folks. Some money is better than no money, and they are still making a profit.

 

Recalls are different from Warranty, but I understand some thing is better than nothing. So its worth a try, just give them a hard time and hopefully they'll budge since its almost over the warranty miles. If it's past the warranty miles, they won't budge, that's for sure. I've seen it before so yeah, good luck.

 

The only difference between recalls and warranty work is VOLUME.

Recalls are magnitudes larger depending on the affected model(s). IE, Toyotas accelerator gas pedal shortening. Dealers all across the country were salivating at this, b/c of the sheer number of vehicles effected.

Warranty work happens on a much smaller scale: whenever a customer brings in a car complaining of a problem that may or may not be under warranty.​

BOTH, recalls and warranty work, the manufacture sets the reimbursement rate per hour for the job, and the hours.

 

Here is an example of a vehicle (black Dodge Neon) with a failed right rear shock. The right rear wheel is pogoing, and looses contact with the road, due to the compression and extension of the rear spring. The shock is unable to smooth the return of the wheel, to maintain contact with the road at ALL times.

DANGEROUS. This vehicle will have poor maneuverability and will have increased braking distances. As you go about driving, you will be able to spot other vehicles on the road with failed shocks/struts, by the wheel pogoing. Don't let your car get to this point.

Pogoing is usually visible on a tire as hopscotch marks (or cupping). Regular gouges on the tire tread, due to the tire bouncing off the road. The longer a vehicle has been driven w/ a failed shock/strut, the greater the gouges/hopscotch marks/cupping. Here is an image of a tire w/ hopscotch marks/cupping; not the greatest example, but something to give you an idea.


Wheel imbalance and other worn suspension components could cause hopscotch marks/cupping. But usu failed shocks/struts are the primary suspect.