# Cost to replace suspension on Honda CRV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413 "2015-01-20T21:10:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/1 "2015-01-20T21:10:16Z")
Hi all, So, say hypothetically yours truly had a run in with a guardrail on a particularly icy stretch of road, and now hypothetically the suspension and rear tie rods have to be replaced on a hypothetical 2003 Honda CRV. What would be the cost of fixing such a thing if this completely hypothetical situation actually took place? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/2 "2015-01-20T21:23:40Z")
Like, all the suspension components? One rear shock absorber? What? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/3 "2015-01-20T22:37:36Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Hi all, > > So, say hypothetically yours truly had a run in with a guardrail on a particularly icy stretch of road, and now hypothetically the suspension and rear tie rods have to be replaced on a hypothetical 2003 Honda CRV. What would be the cost of fixing such a thing if this completely hypothetical situation actually took place? The suspension is a system with many different parts. You’re likely to get a more accurate/helpful answer if you can be more specific about which suspension parts are to be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/4 "2015-01-20T23:20:26Z")
By the time I get that info, I’ll also have an estimate from the mechanic. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/5 "2015-01-21T00:04:33Z")
Not being able to see exactly what got bent/broken makes this an exercise in futility. About as close as any of us can nail it is: More than you want to spend. ---
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/6 "2015-01-21T00:33:11Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Not being able to see exactly what got bent/broken makes this an exercise in futility. > About as close as any of us can nail it is: More than you want to spend. Yeah, I was going to pay for it out of pocket, but the mechanic called me and said “you better call your insurance company.” ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/7 "2015-01-21T00:48:43Z")
I agree with all of the posters above. We do not have enough information to make any kind of a guess. However, if the frame is bent, buy a new-to-you rig! They can be straightened, but will the frame retain its strength? The older cars with their “real steel” frames that were not designed to crumple, had strength to spare. Todays rigs are engineered to fail, IE; crumple. While I am studying to be an engineer, I am not one yet, & the risk, IMHO, is too great to just straighten the frame & hope it both holds up to everyday use, & that it will crumple at the appropriate time. I would not bet my family’s lives on this. Nor should you. IHTH, 48. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/8 "2015-01-21T02:13:39Z")
> [@48Willys](#): > > I agree with all of the posters above. We do not have enough information to make any kind of a guess. However, if the frame is bent, buy a new-to-you rig! once the Panther platform cars (Ford Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car) were phased out, no car on the market has a distinct frame. They’re all unit-body construction. > [@](#): > > They can be straightened, but will the frame retain its strength? The older cars with their “real steel” frames that were not designed to crumple, had strength to spare. this is a myth. having a “rigid” frame like older cars isn’t a benefit at all. first of all, with no means of energy absorption, said frames would readily buckle in a collision. second, the body structure wasn’t designed to protect the car’s occupants, so in cases like an offset frontal collision you were almost assuredly dead. > [@](#): > > Todays rigs are engineered to fail, IE; crumple. They’re not “engineered to fail,” they’re engineered to protect the occupants at all costs. it’s a lot easier and cheaper to replace a $20-30,000 car than it is to fix a broken human body. The car isn’t important. the people inside are. > [@](#): > > While I am studying to be an engineer, I am not one yet, we can tell. keep studying, and stop posting nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/9 "2015-01-21T08:52:22Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > once the Panther platform cars (Ford Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car) were phased out, no car on the market has a distinct frame. They’re all unit-body construction. If that “unit-body construction”, or frame is bent I recommend replacing the car, how about you? do you recommend straightening the “frame/unit-body construction” and putting this rig back on the road? I doubt it. > [@](#): > > this is a myth. having a “rigid” frame like older cars isn’t a benefit at all. first of all, with no means of energy absorption, said frames would readily buckle in a collision. second, the body structure wasn’t designed to protect the car’s occupants, so in cases like an offset frontal collision you were almost assuredly dead. That is close to what I said. I worked in a wrecking yard when the “rigid frames” were being used in new cars. I have been to more wrecks then almost anyone I know. These frames did NOT readily buckle, but when they did, it had been a MAJOR collision. Compared to today’s wrecks, the fatality rate was much higher, but not even close to the 100% you seem to be saying. I did not say that rigid frames are/were better then unit-body construction. I said that they are/were stronger. We agree that this is a good thing and is done by design by the engineers. > [@](#): > > They’re not “engineered to fail,” they’re engineered to protect the occupants at all costs. it’s a lot easier and cheaper to replace a $20-30,000 car than it is to fix a broken human body. The car isn’t important. the people inside are. Again, almost exactly what I said. “At all costs” means that they are designed to fail in a controlled manner. This failure is done sooner then it used to happen so that the car is destroyed and not the folks in it. They are engineered to fail to save the people. I suppose that you did not grasp that idea from what I wrote. The writing of reports and presentation of the data is what I have trouble with. I am working on that, thanks for the critique. > [@](#): > > we can tell. keep studying, and stop posting nonsense. I will keep studying, Thanks for the encouragement! Since you and I said pretty much the same thing, either I did not post nonsense, or you did as well. You get to decide that one. I may not have been able to communicate it in terms that you readily understand, but we do agree on most of your points. Thanks for the reply, 48. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/10 "2015-01-22T00:31:23Z")
> [@48Willys](#): > > I agree with all of the posters above. We do not have enough information to make any kind of a guess. However, if the frame is bent, buy a new-to-you rig! > > They can be straightened, but will the frame retain its strength? The older cars with their “real steel” frames that were not designed to crumple, had strength to spare. Todays rigs are engineered to fail, IE; crumple. While I am studying to be an engineer, I am not one yet, & the risk, IMHO, is too great to just straighten the frame & hope it both holds up to everyday use, & that it will crumple at the appropriate time. I would not bet my family’s lives on this. Nor should you. > > IHTH, 48. It is entirely possible to straighten a unibody car. While I t may not be economically viable to repair a particular vehicle the technology certainly exists to repair almost any damage to a car. When properly repaired yes the vehicle will retain its crashworthiness. Neither Volvo or Mercedes have rules that say throw the car away after an accident, and since they have their business reputation for building safe cars to uphold. It is safe to assume their engineers have looked at the subject damn closely. In all likelihood the OP’s CRV’s body is fine but the suspension is bent. Probably looking at wheel, hub carrier, strut, control arm and possibly a sway bar. Not cheap but not the end of the world either. ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/11 "2015-01-22T01:44:13Z")
I’m reasonably sure ‘tie rods’ go on the front of the car, not the rear. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/12 "2015-01-22T03:16:34Z")
Time to get a new car as the cost of repairs will probably be more than the worth of the CRV. Hypothetically of course. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-to-replace-suspension-on-honda-crv/710413/13 "2015-01-22T06:40:09Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > It is entirely possible to straighten a unibody car. > While I t may not be economically viable to repair a particular vehicle the technology certainly exists to repair almost any damage to a car. > When properly repaired yes the vehicle will retain its crashworthiness. > Neither Volvo or Mercedes have rules that say throw the car away after an accident, and since they have their business reputation for building safe cars to uphold. It is safe to assume their engineers have looked at the subject damn closely. > In all likelihood the OP’s CRV’s body is fine but the suspension is bent. Probably looking at wheel, hub carrier, strut, control arm and possibly a sway bar. > Not cheap but not the end of the world either. Like you, I think that the frame of his Honda is just fine. Also, as I am sure you are very aware, customers have a tendency to downplay the damage to their vehicle. They seem to think that downplaying it will make it a little better than it actually is. Wishful thinking, but they do it. For this reason, I do my own evaluations. I also assume that the wreck was worse then I am being told. For the OPs car, a 2003 Honda CRV, I quickly looked at several online sites to determine its worth. With a rough number in mind, I asked two of my Body & Fender buddies what they would charge to do this repair. Neither of them would do it, so no quote. They both use frame straightening machines at work, but only on high end newer cars. Nothing older then 2010, & no Honda cars. I then asked about a DIYer doing this repair at home. They both rejected the idea as very dangerous. With out the proper knowledge & equipment this should not be attempted. That is why I posted as I did. Some local body shops have been known to use come-alongs, torches, and a wire-feed welder to effect frame straightening on older Honda cars. This is a practice that is, at best, very questionable as far as safety is concerned. IME, Honda CRVs are not driven gently. Thus, I was hoping to dissuade the OP from using this kind of shop. IHTH, 48.