So as previously posted I thought I had ordered OEM dealer struts for my car. this is to hopefully cure a front end rattle after non success with every other front suspension part.

When I called to order I said I have the sport package, sport supsension. parts guy asked if I had adaptive damping suspension.

I replied that I have never heard of an Xtype with adaptive suspension. I asked how can I tell if I have Adaptive suspension. He told to check if I have any wires going to the top of the strut, under the hood. I said no way. He said ok, he will order the right shocks.
TOday he called to say come and pick them up. after I paid, I asked if I could see the Adaptive damping thing he referred, I was curious since I never have read about this option on an Xtype.
When he scrolled down the page. he showed the part number for the adaptive one, and next to it was the one he ordered . it was clearly identified as COMFORT SUSPENSION. I expressed concern that I dont want to install comfort shocks on my sport suspension car.
He promised me that they were the right ones.
Well then I got a technician to come and look and double check that I dont have adaptive suspension. He looked at my car and confirmed that it si not adaptive. and there were no wires.
I happen to have a copy of the original brochures for my car and the sales literature. It clearly says that the sport package has SPORT springs and shocks.

so back at the parts guyhe asked me to just take the struts and do my research and I will find out that they all have the same shocks. I said that it seemed likely to me that the parts catalog had a typo and the word adaptive should be SPORT>... he said no. we even opened one box and the strut had X-TYPE AWD STD in huge letters on them I said that means STANDARD suspension.. he said NO ... sheesh.

I said NO freaking way... I am not installing comfort shocks on my car, there must be someone he can call to get the right information. begrugingly he agreed and called some help line. first the help line made him double check my VIN and confirm that I have sports suspension. he did that and yes I do have it.
next the help line gave a different part number. he was amazed they had a different part number available to order, for sport struts.

I said why not compare that number to the part number for this mystery adaptive suspension strut. he did and guess what? the numbers were the same. and to make it more of an insult the sport shocks are 25 dollars cheaper each..


I cant imagine how many people who paid for sport suspension have had dealers replace them with the wrong struts.

I now have to wait again for the parts.. gosh I love my rattles.

 

There were only 2 choices for the front suspension
On his latest edition of the system it showed COMFORT or Adaptive Dampening

There was no sport option at all. I tried to tell him that Adaptive was never put on an X-type and it seemed that it was mis-labeled. he just refused to look deeper into it.

The Canadian dealer price for comfort struts was 160 each retail. and the otherones ( called adaptive but probably really the sport one ) are listed at 135 each. It is funny the sport shocks are cheaper.

It is also ridiculous to believe that adaptive electronic controlled shocks are that cheap.

I wont know for sure until the next set gets delivered tomorrow.

I wonder how the after market can compete with this. It is hard for somone who buys shocks to buy aftermarket when the stock ones are 135.
Either way a repair shop is going to mark that way the heck up, I am quite confident of that.
even if you could sell aftermarket shocks at less than 100 dollars, a repair shop would certainly think that OEM stuff would be better for a small premium.

Even I would be hesitant to pay even half price - say 70 dollars for a shock from the aftermarket. when the OEM stuff is there for 135. and the originals lasted 160 000 km....

 

Picked up the shocks today... they say SPORT on them instead of STD...

phew much better and they were cheaper.. first strut is out of the car, but my buddy with the spring compressor is out drinking.. (without me) so Iam car-less.... for a bit.

more later..