Detroit Axle vs KYB struts for 2011 Corolla (197k miles)

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice on struts for my 2011 Toyota Corolla S with about 197k miles.

I’m deciding between Detroit Axle complete strut assemblies and KYB. I’ve seen mixed opinions online, and I also noticed Scotty Kilmer mentioned Detroit Axle in a video some months back, mainly because of the price difference. Detroit Axle is about half the cost of KYB, which is appealing on a high-mileage daily driver. I plan to use my car in the next 1-3 years and possibly sell it as I drive it daily every 15k miles/year. It has been messing up my right tire as the steel wire of my tire has been showing prematurely alot more lately.

For those who have actually used Detroit Axle struts on a Corolla or similar Toyota:

How have they held up over time?
Ride quality compared to KYB?
Any issues with noise, sagging, or early failure?

I’m not building the car or tracking it, just looking for safe, reliable daily driving.
Any real-world experience or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

MountainManJoe · Accepted Answer

I would go with the KYB.

Scotty doesn't know anything about Detroit and neither do I.

https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/detroit-axle-good-or-bad-quality/

Apparently Detroit doesn't actually make anything, they just repackage Chinese stuff.

https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/detroit-axle-suspention/

Justin Shepherd · Answer

I don't have experience with Detroit Axle struts, but I do have experience with KYB shocks. My old '79 Pontiac still had the factory original shocks when I bought it in 2021. I replaced them later that year, Once the shocks were free of the car, I had to push or pull them into various positions. Those shocks were beyond shot. Once I installed the KYB shocks, the difference was night and day. When it comes to shocks and struts, you get what you pay for. If Detroit Axle is selling struts 50% cheaper than KYB, I would steer clear of them. Oftentimes, the cheap new shocks will perform worse than the old OEM ones the car originally came with.

This post was modified 4 months ago by Justin Shepherd

Chuck Tobias · Answer

[quote data-userid="180221104" data-postid="335210"] what is the point of having KYB if I will not hold it over 5 years. [/quote] Safe, stable driving and handling characteristics.