Why Do My Struts Leak

So let’s cut the suspense. When you see oil on your strut, that’s the mechanical equivalent of a leaky faucet you can’t ignore. That oil isn’t there for decoration, it’s the lifeblood of your strut’s damping ability. Once the seal fails, the fluid escapes, and your strut starts acting like a worn-out screen door in a West Texas dust storm.

Here’s what happens next: your car bounces more than a kid on a trampoline after too much soda. You’ll feel every expansion joint on Loop 306. Your tires start wearing unevenly, scalloped edges that hum like a bad cover band. And worst of all, your braking distance creeps up just when you need to stop for that sudden slowdown near the Concho River.

Yes, it’s time to replace them. And we replace struts in pairs. Why? Because if one is leaking its guts out, its partner on the other side is usually counting down its last miles. Mixing a fresh strut with a tired, oily one gives you uneven handling, think left foot on a skateboard, right foot on a pogo stick.

Do the quick test in your driveway: push down hard on each corner of your car and let go. If it bounces more than twice before settling, your struts are waving a white flag.

Now, here’s where we get real with you, San Angelo. You could take that bouncing, oil-slicked ride to any shop with an open bay door. Or you could trust a team that’s been evolving with the industry since before some mechanics were born. We’re talking about Ric Henry’s Auto Service. We don’t guess. We don’t use parts-store specials that leak again in six months.

When we say we offer comprehensive auto repair services, we mean it. Minor fixes? Done. Major overhauls? Bring ‘em. Our experienced technicians use the same tools and equipment that the dealership does, no shortcuts, no “good enough for West Texas.” 

We also offer multiple other system maintenance services, from alignments to brake work to fluid flushes, because a healthy car is a happy car.

And we back our work. Every service we provide carries a 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty. That’s not a handshake and a hope. That’s a promise.

So should you replace oily struts? Yes. Should you trust your car to just anyone? Only if you enjoy driving a bobcat on a washboard road.