Can anyone tell me how to tell when i need to replace my shocks/struts? I have an Old 04' Alero 4 CYL, i just had my two front tires replaced about 2 months ago, and the guy who replced them said i need my front struts replaced. how can i tell? are they expensive?

when you drive at a decent clip (say 35+ mph) over bumps, does the car bounce and wobble up and down a lot? a lot more than it should?

quick and easy method: place both hands on one corner of your vehicle at a time, above the wheel, push down with all your body weight and quickly jump off. The vehicle should rise, go down slightly and then return to its normal height. If the vehicle bounces more than this, then the shock or strut is worn. The trouble with this test is it only checks for severely worn units.

your car is only 2 years old. unless someone's been driving the absolute piss out of it for a few months, the stock shocks are faulty, or they've been damaged by some strange reason, i'd not worry about it.

maybe bounce a llittle, but i think i hear a grinding noise when going over bumps.