My Stupid Shock Problem & Lock Disaster
Okay, so last Tuesday sucked. Big time. Pulled into my driveway and heard this awful CLUNK CLUNK every bump. Like the car was falling apart. Checked underneath – front left shock? Totally leaking oil like crazy. Just dead.
Then my stupid house key snapped off IN the dang front door lock. Locked out. Perfect storm of expensive crap.
Dealer Quote = Heart Attack
Went straight to the dealership first thing Wednesday. Bad move. Real bad. Guy comes back looking all serious: “$1300 for the shock replacement, parts and labor. Oh, and the lock cylinder? $300. Plus $150 to program the new key.” I just stared. Almost 1800 bucks gone? My vacation fund screamed. Nope nope nOPE.
Scrambling for Cheaper Options
Left the dealer feeling sick. Decided to hunt:
- Called local garages: Asked three places. Garage #1 said $650 for the shock job. Garage #2 quoted $580. Garage #3? $525. Already WAY better than that dealer robbery.
- Lock shops: Found a locksmith downtown. Explained the key snapped. He listened, said “Bring the lock assembly, I can pop a new cylinder in easy.” Quoted me $85 for the cylinder itself and no program fee if I brought it to him. Deal!
My Half-Assed DIY Attempt (Save Even More?)
Felt brave. Thought maybe I could do the shock myself after watching a YouTube video. Looked simple enough, right? Ha!
Bought the shock online ($90). Got the tools. Jacked up the car. Got the old shock off okay. Putting the new one in? Disaster. Couldn’t line it up right for 45 minutes. Muscle screaming. Then snapped one of the bolts cuz I gorilla-tightened it by accident. Cussed loud enough the neighbor peeked over the fence. Threw in the towel. Called Garage #3 back.
The Real Savings Solution
Here’s where the magic happened:
- Took just the broken lock out of the door handle (easy, two screws) to the locksmith shop. Dropped it off. Picked it up 2 hours later. Total? $85 bucks. Locked? Unlocked? Worked perfect. Saved myself $65 instantly.
- Towed the car (had to, thanks broken bolt!) to Garage #3. Showed them the shock I already bought. “Can you install this one and fix my dumb bolt?” Guy just chuckled. “Yeah, seen it before. Labor’s the same either way.” Got charged the $525 quote plus $50 for the bolt extraction. Still. Total shock cost? $90 part + $575 labor = $665. Saved $635 compared to the dealer nightmare.
The Final Damage & Lessons
Total spent for lock AND shock?
- Lock: $85
- Shock Part: $90
- Shock Labor + Bolt Fix: $575
Grand total? $750. Compared to the dealer’s near $1800? More than a thousand bucks stayed in my pocket. Vacation fund breathes again.
The lesson ain’t pretty but it’s real:
- Dealers charge INSANE robbery prices.
- ALWAYS call local shops for labor quotes.
- Buy your own parts if you know what you need.
- Know your limits! DIY saves $$ but costs time (and busted knuckles… and bolts).
- Locksmiths for door locks? Separate = CHEAPER. Forget the garage.
Just saved my own bacon. Hope this dumpster fire of a story saves yours too. Shop around, ya hear?
