There are mechanisms of your car that worthy of your attention. You want to know the car will start, even in the dead of winter. You want the engine to run and operate efficiently and reliably. You want the brakes to stop the car, especially in a panic situation. But, your shocks, struts and suspension – what’s the big deal?

As long as you can drive, who cares if the shocks, struts and suspension are a little spongy? As long as you get where you’re going – that’s what matters. Even if your car’s shocks, struts and suspension are a bit stiff, what’s the worst that can happen – you’ll spill a hot cup of coffee from a fast-food restaurant and hire a lawyer.

The shocks, struts and suspension are what you’ve identified as ‘convenience’ parts, right? Wrong.

The shocks, struts and suspension actually play several crucial roles in your car. They’re far from superfluous.

What’s so important about the shocks, struts and suspension?

• First of all, they soften the ride. Yes, this will help you avoid spilling a hot beverage and make the ride more pleasant for all the occupants of your car, but they do more than that; they also soften the ride for your vehicle. Driving over a bad road with a bad suspension is rough for you and for your car. Imagine if your car had no shocks, struts or suspension – the lifespan of the vehicle would suffer dramatically. Parts will break because there was nothing to dampen the blows from the road.
• Not just avoiding road-induced damage, the shocks, struts and suspension help to protect parts, including your tires, from undue wear. If the shocks, struts or suspension are in bad condition, tires will develop what auto repair technicians call ‘cupped wear,’ as though there are bare splotches on the edge of the tire. Additionally, problems in one area of car’s steering and suspension tend to spread to other areas if the problem isn’t addressed quickly. You may start out needing shocks and wind up replacing far-more-expensive suspension and steering parts.
• Good shocks, struts and suspension are also conducive to safer operation of your vehicle. For instance, if you had no shocks, struts or suspension, and you hit a bad pothole, the jolt could yank the steering wheel right out of your hand. You’d lose control of the car. This can also happen, to greater and lesser degrees, with worn shocks, struts and suspension. They make it more hazardous to ensure that you maintain control at all times while driving.

In the final analysis, bad shocks, struts and suspension are shockingly bad for you, your car and your wallet. The solution is to have your car checked out by a qualified auto repair technician.