GL350 Front Struts Quote
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Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 31
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GL350
GL350 Front Struts Quote
Note to local shop (not a MB dealership):
I have a very slow leak from left front air suspension. Car has 120,000 miles. Can you give me an estimate for replacing the front struts on 2015 GL350 ?
Reply:
Yes, we can do that for you. parts and labor is $3200 plus tax, ETA 8 hours
Me:
Wow – I assume you are quoting OEM MB parts?
Reply:
NO , we use OE parts, but we can give a quote if you want OEM parts if you want
Am I crazy to think this is crazy?
I have a very slow leak from left front air suspension. Car has 120,000 miles. Can you give me an estimate for replacing the front struts on 2015 GL350 ?
Reply:
Yes, we can do that for you. parts and labor is $3200 plus tax, ETA 8 hours
Me:
Wow – I assume you are quoting OEM MB parts?
Reply:
NO , we use OE parts, but we can give a quote if you want OEM parts if you want
Am I crazy to think this is crazy?
Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 89
Likes: 12
2003 E320 4matic wagon
I put in a request to my MB dealer to purchase new, not remanufactured front struts and they came through after 1 return. I’ve had good and bad luck with aftermarket front struts. Arnold quality lacking, maybe others better. My suggestion would be to select brand and buy struts yourself, have indie quote labor only with proper torque reqt’s where appropriate. Don’t do it twice like me 
though I did it myself.
though I did it myself.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,882
Likes: 1,214
From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
Front Pair Air Suspension Air Struts for 2013-2016 Mercedes GL63 AMG w/ ADS X166 | eBay
I've had them on for around 2.5 years and they have been great.
I've had them on for around 2.5 years and they have been great.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 4
2013 GL350 X166.824
I did this last year, it's not terribly hard - and if you do one you want to do both. Mine went out at 10 years/~75k miles (2013 GL350)
Getting the old one out and new one in takes a bit of work/strength, though I'm pretty sure there is some kind of tool you can use to compress the strut to get it over the axle. That's the only part of the job that took any real time, and overall time to do both side for me was < 4 hours.
I got the Arnott struts from RockAuto and they've been fine. I believe that your car is non-ADS. It's possible that your shop quoted you for ADS struts, of which (I believe) there are no aftermarket parts for, so the part itself is more expensive to begin with.
After a shop quoted me (and I paid) $1k for one rear, and then I read about the process, I decided to do the other rear on my own (which is like a 5 minute job), and then the front struts were just calling me..
Getting the old one out and new one in takes a bit of work/strength, though I'm pretty sure there is some kind of tool you can use to compress the strut to get it over the axle. That's the only part of the job that took any real time, and overall time to do both side for me was < 4 hours.
I got the Arnott struts from RockAuto and they've been fine. I believe that your car is non-ADS. It's possible that your shop quoted you for ADS struts, of which (I believe) there are no aftermarket parts for, so the part itself is more expensive to begin with.
After a shop quoted me (and I paid) $1k for one rear, and then I read about the process, I decided to do the other rear on my own (which is like a 5 minute job), and then the front struts were just calling me..
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Newbie
Joined: Jul 2025
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When deciding between OEM and OE parts for your front struts, it’s important to weigh the cost against quality. For those who want a bit of extra insight or a helpful reference tool for making choices, the Letter Box Answer Guide can provide useful clues and strategies to help you navigate similar decisions with confidence.
