My car doesnt feel any different than it did before. But when i went to pass inspection at motor vechicles (in NJ btw) they told me my car failed and that my front driver side damper needed to be replaced. so how can i tell if it is bad

 

easyest way to tell is push down hard on that shock and let go. )push down on the side of the car that has the messed up shock. If the shock is leaking it will take longer for it to stop the car from moving up and down. Just compare it to all the other shocks.

 

]I am assuming they are referring to one of the struts. One of the oil seals may have been blown causing a clunking type noise which results in a very bad ride. You should be able to fix that problem with under 100 dollars that includes install if you dont know how to do it yourself.



the black part the man is holding will need to be replaced

i hope this helps