Rear Shock Absorber Deterioration
Symptoms
Rear end bounces excessively over bumps, the car wallows through corners, or the rear sits lower than it should. You may see oil weeping down the shock body. On Nivomat-equipped models (850R, AWD), the rear sags noticeably when loaded.
Cause
Standard rear shocks wear out by 150,000-200,000 km. Oil leaks past the seals, the valving loses its damping force, and ride quality deteriorates gradually enough that you don't notice until it's terrible. Nivomats are self-levelling gas-charged units that cannot be rebuilt — once they lose pressure, replacement is the only option.
Fix
Replace rear shocks in pairs.
Standard Sachs or KYB units are $80-120 each.
Bilstein Touring shocks are the popular upgrade at $150-200 each and offer noticeably better handling.
For Nivomat-equipped cars, you can either replace with new Nivomats ($250+ each) or convert to conventional springs and standard shocks, which is cheaper and eliminates a future failure point.
Replace the upper shock mounts at the same time — they're $30-40 each and often perished.
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