BlackK wrote:This thread covers a lot of material and the answer might lie within the 27 pages - I'm wondering if this issue is a problem with most owners or just a few. I've owned my Kizashi since new (2011) and do not have a problem yet. If the problem is a matter of when it will happen and not if it will happen, I'm thinking I should buy the shocks and new stoppers now in case they become impossible to find down the road.
I'd like to hear from others that are not having an issue with their rear shocks (after 3 to 6 years) and if the consensus is that this failure issue is more relevant to those who live in humid/wet conditions or if it's just a matter of time before we all have a problem. Would appreciate hearing your feedback
Well, it's already been factually determined what causes the rear shocks to fail: trapped moisture from the older bump stopper design. However, moisture is very much a factor of environment and climate. In the East Coast or other regions with a lot of rain and snow in the winter, the issue will certainly lead to accelerated rear shock failure. For other regions like the Southwest, rain itself is rare and snow isn't a reality so the rear shocks are unlikely trapping much moisture at all as there is little of it in the ambient surroundings.
Although I live in Maryland, I'm originally from Southern California and can certainly say that the two regions are very different in climate and it has a direct impact on the longevity of vehicles. Cars in California barely have any rust anywhere. This is why there are so many vintage and older cars still on the road there. Some are obviously not cherished in terms of care, but without much rain, snow, or humidity, the cars don't suffer from rust and corrosion so they simply last longer. Even in the California mountains with winter snow (where my hometown is), you don't have corrosion issues because salt isn't used. They use what looks to be fine gravel for a number of reasons. First, they don't want the salt affecting the salinity of the lakes up there which provides drinking water. Also, because it's the mountain, the gravel like substance erodes off the road after the winter and blends with the dirt on the side of the road. It essentially doesn't lead to pollution or clogged sewer systems because the mountain doesn't have an urban sewer infrastructure. However, for the reasons the gravel-like substance is suitable for the mountains, it's not suitable for urban regions like most East Coast cities. This is why they use salt which also actually melts the snow and ice. However, salt is very corrosive to untreated metal and promotes rust. Add in the humidity of the East Coast climate in the summer and you simply have corrosion issues which vehicles and machinery in dry climates don't experience. A car with 20K miles north of North Carolina will have more rust and corrosion than a car with 200K miles in Southern California. That's certainly my personal experience.
Hence, if you live in an arid region like Southern California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, etc. then I think the likelihood of the rear shocks going out due to the rear bump stoppers is significantly lower than regions with snow and/or humidity. I think even in Florida and Georgia (where snow is really not a reality for most people), the humidity may promote the rear shocks to fail. For those in the Northeast and the Midwest, the rear shocks will likely fail due to yearly winter snow and salt use (the worst combo for corrosion). Canadians don't stand a chance, IMO.
Mine failed very quickly and I was well under the 36K mile warranty period when both of my rear shocks were out. I got them replaced under warranty when I took the Technical Service Bulletin print-out to the Service Dealership. A mechanic drove my car as I sat in the passenger seat and he quickly concluded and that my rear shocks were gone and likely due to the reason in the TSB. I then got new OE Sport shocks in addition to the revised "countermeasure" bump stoppers. My rear shocks have been problem-free since and I now have a little over 59K on my Kizashi.
I'd also love to hear how the Kizashi in arid regions are faring with the original rear shocks, but I think the revised rear bump stoppers would be beneficial for any Kizashi. If you ever have to replace the shocks for any reason, it would be wise to install the revised bump stoppers.