MAGLIOZZI

Dear Car Talk: I’m 80 years old and purchased my 2004 Toyota Corolla new. Now, I drive mostly around town, so it just has 145,000 miles on it, and I’ve been very diligent with the maintenance over the years.

When I last took my car for a routine lube, oil change, and checkup at a well-regarded auto repair shop, they suggested I get the front and rear struts and shocks replaced, since mine are the original ones.

Their note actually reads “Front struts have torn boots, bump stops are deteriorated. Struts have leaked out. Rear shocks are seeping.”

Although my car seems to drive fine to me, I do wonder if I should have them replaced at this time. It would cost $2,000. What do you think?

Thank you. — Sharon

Well, first of all, it would not be surprising for a car to need struts at 145,000 miles. My rear shocks leak, and I don’t even have that many miles on me. But a visual inspection is not really enough, Sharon. Here’s an age-old, reliable test to see if your shocks or struts are worn out. It’s called the bounce test.

At each corner of the car — one at a time — you push down on the bumper as hard as you can, and as soon as the bumper comes back up, you push again. The idea is to get each corner of the car oscillating up and down.

When you’ve got it going pretty well, you push it down a final time and then let go. If the shocks are good, the car should come back up and stop. If it continues to go up and down, then the struts are worn out, and you can call your shop. If you feel chest pains after all that pushing, call the paramedics instead.

I’m guessing that at 80 years old, this may not be something you want to do yourself, Sharon. In which case, take it for a second opinion, and ask a mechanic to do a “bounce test” on your struts and let you know what he thinks. If you need the name of a good mechanic in your area, search at www.mechanicsfiles.com.

If you do need shocks, it will make the car ride better, handle better, and be safer. The shocks are what keep the tires planted on the road at all times, even when you go over bumps. So, it’s a repair worth doing if you need it.

But get a second opinion. Lots of older shocks “seep” well before they fail. And some fail before they seep.

Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.