Coil Spring Replacement Cost UK
A coil spring replacement at a UK independent garage typically costs £130 to £250 per spring fitted. Front springs on strut-type suspension sit at the top of the range because the strut has to come out and be dismantled, while some rear springs can be swapped in under an hour.
What it costs
| Job | Typical price (independent) |
|---|---|
| Rear coil spring, separate spring design | £130 to £180 |
| Front coil spring, strut design | £160 to £250 |
| Pair of springs, same axle | £250 to £450 |
| Spring plus strut top mount while apart | add £30 to £60 |
Broken springs are one of the most common suspension repairs in Britain, so most garages quote them quickly and competitively.
Symptoms
Often you hear it break, a loud bang or clonk over a pothole, followed by a knocking or clanking from one corner. The car may sit slightly lower on one side, the steering can pull, and tyres start wearing unevenly. Plenty of broken springs are silent though, snapped at the bottom coil and only discovered at MOT time, because the broken piece stays trapped in its seat.
Why it fails
UK roads are close to a worst-case environment for springs. Winter road salt attacks the spring's protective coating, corrosion creates a weak point, and then a pothole strike delivers the shock load that snaps it. That is why springs so often break in late winter, and why the bottom coil, where water and salt sit in the spring seat, is the usual failure point.
Can you drive with it?
Carefully and briefly, at most. A snapped spring changes the ride height and geometry, and the loose broken section can shift and cut into the tyre sidewall, which is genuinely dangerous. A broken spring is also an MOT failure. Drive gently to a garage or have it recovered if the break is high up the coil, but do not carry on for weeks.
How to avoid overpaying
If one front spring has snapped from corrosion, the other side has lived the same life and is often close behind. Replacing both on the same axle costs much less than two separate visits because the labour overlaps, and it keeps the handling balanced. On strut cars, ask the garage to check the strut top mounts while everything is apart, since fitting a £20 mount then costs almost nothing in extra labour but doing it later means paying the strip-down twice.
Common questions
Do coil springs have to be replaced in pairs?
It is not legally required, but on an older car it is usually smart. Both springs have corroded equally, and mismatched old and new springs on one axle can make the car sit and handle unevenly.
Is a broken coil spring an MOT failure?
Yes. A fractured or seriously corroded coil spring is a dangerous defect and a straight fail. Testers check springs specifically because breakage is so common in the UK.
Why do coil springs break so often in Britain?
Road salt corrodes the spring coating over winters, then potholes provide the impact that snaps the weakened coil. The combination of salted roads and poor surfaces makes broken springs far more common here than in drier climates.