Are shocks supposed to leak oil a little?

Is an engine suppose to leak a little oil?

Yes, seals leaking is a sign of wearing out but........ greasy residue can come from other sources. A 2010 is certainly old enough to be wearing out.

I once stepped out of my gen3 with 25k miles immediately into a gen 2 with 115k miles and the difference in ride quality was astounding.

 

Shocks dont have grease in them with the exception of the seal, but you shouldnt see any. Gas or oil but no grease. If you see grease it may have come from the axle or road. You should be replacing your shocks about now anyway.

 

I'm pretty clueless, but just reading here they're talking about thick oil, and seals that can fail:

What Causes Leakage in the Shock Absorbers? | YourMechanic Advice

 

you should post a picture of the leak if you want us to judge, but if your shocks are leaking oil out of the shock absorber, you should get it replaced. There shouldn't be any leaks coming out from it, if its dirt stain then its fine, but no oil.

 

What you are seeing is the oil in the shock -- unless someone put something on them? If they are leaking a little you can get a dirt buildup that will look thicker. If the dealer said they are fine -- I'm sure they are

The shaft should be clean and slip in your fingers -- you should not have ant standing oil on the top of the tower

 

Some leak only enough to attract road dust.
So that would be OK.

They should not have a liquid trail or drips of oil though.
Yes post a picture, yet as others have posted you are probably OK.

And if grease...it is another issue. Yes, shocks only have oil.

 

to me it looks normal for wear and tear. There's no streak of oil coming out of it so you're ok. Over time, shocks will get replaced. If that was me, I would replace it when I feel the vehicle is very bouncy or when the suspension isn't absorbing the road impact anymore.

 

I'd agree with post # 10...looks normal.

 

Yikes! Never ever bring your car to that repair shop again. You just proved they prey on uninformed people.

 

Agree with all of the above; the only thing untowards appears to be a few finger streaks in the dust.

@Preeeus Do you have mild winters, no salt, dry climate? Ours looks a lot rustier, especially that lower shock bolt.

 

Yeah the finger streaks. The only thing untowards in the pics. Thanks.

 

$ is on your rear shocks are gone. You drive this car daily and the struts/shocks have been wearing out. You won't notice the wear b/c younare in it daily and get used to the wear. Only if you had another 2010 that was never driven, would you notice the difference.

Shock/strut manufactures stress replace evey 5yr/50K miles, to maintain optimum suspension and braking characteristics.

Read Post 3. You will see how worn your rears are by removal. Never saw anynhopscotch marks on the tire. Never felt bouncy; probably b/c I was used to it.
Replaced Rear Shocks | PriusChat

 

@Preeeus How many miles on it?

@ex-student Don't you think Shock/strut manufacturers are going to push for earlier replacement than maybe needed? I agree they're going to wear. Personally I'm really easy going, just live with the squeaks and groans.

 

I used to believe that the shock/strut manufactures want more requent replacement, unnecessarily. Until I replaced mine after 7years/124K miles. No hop scotch marks on the tire (tell-tale sign of no shock/strut, slowing the return of the tire). No harsh ride. No bottoming out.

New rears took 7sec to go from compression to full extension.
Old rears took 3:15 (min:sec). This was the ahhh-ha moment for me, b/c I never felt/saw any evidence of wear. Seeing is believing.

Remember, the shock/strut manufactures recommend 5yr/50K mile to maintain OPTIMUM suspension & braking characteristics. Going longer will mean degraded handling and braking characteristics.

Labor is the biggest expense. If one is able to DIY, its cheap maintenance. Even cheaper if you can get a replacement strut/shock under the manufacture "lifetime" warranty.

 

For DIY, optimally you would want good air tools for this? "Spring compressor" pops into my head too. I've neither, just thinking this is another level of complexity and investment. You really should have the repair manual or Techinfo subscription too.

Would you know, f you just roll into a suspension place, what are you looking at, just a round number?