I agree, even if someone goes to firestone, they should ask about what parts are being put in. One can also order OEM parts, available readily from dealerships and have them put by these workshops too. This way we can make sure we’re putting in the best parts in the car.
True about the shocks/struts, I just got my front ones changed, one of them was leaking and it cost me $450 for the whole thing, both of them. What makes it impossible for us to do it ourselves, in the case of struts is because we have to use a spring compressor. If we’re not careful, we can kill ourselves with that!
Synthetic oil is def recommended for cars with higher mileage! I am actually thinking of getting that in my next oil change. Speaking of oil changes, does anyone here do their own oil changes? I think if we invest about $150 (50-75 in the ramps, the rest in tools) its a very easy job and I see no reason paying $30-40 to shops for this simple job. The only thing that irks me is the fact that we’d have to drive to a recycling center, or shop with all that dirty oil in the pan to dispose off, since its against the law to dump it.