Freeze-thaw cycles make potholes, and potholes make this work. Struts and shocks wear gradually enough that people stop noticing, right up until the car floats over bumps or the tires start wearing unevenly. Ball joints and tie rod ends are the ones that matter for safety, because they are what keeps the wheel attached to the steering.
Worth knowing: replacing struts or control arms changes the alignment, so an alignment belongs in the same visit. A shop that skips it is selling you a second set of tires.
Describe what the car is doing — the noise, when it happens, what changed. Half the diagnosis is in the description.
What actually failed, what it costs to fix, and what happens if you wait — before any work starts, not after.
The repair gets done and you get told why it failed, so you know whether to expect it again on this car.
★★★★★“Always a good experience here. It's nice having a place you can trust around the corner.”
★★★★★“I've been going here for a couple of years now for various repairs (new brakes, shocks, lower control arms, etc.) and I'm always impressed not only with how fast they diagnosis and the quality of their work, but also the price.”