Strut spring issue

[00GrandAMFTW]

I have a 2000 grand am se, as I was about to pull out of work today, I heard a loud noise from under the car. Immediately I stopped, put it in park, and looked underneath to see what the problem was. I looked to my front right tire and there was strings of rubber coming off the tire. We looked at it a bit and decided to pull it to the side a bit so we could get a jack to look at it in better detail. After we got the car under a jack and took the tire off, we realized what happened was the strut spring cracked, leaving the jagged edge to dig into my tire. Now, I had my struts replaced a couple months ago.. KYB struts, lifetime parts... my question is, when the struts are replaced... I'm imagining that you get new springs as well... so, if this is all true, I'm assuming that the shop that put them in would owe me a new tire and the cost of the tow?

Thanks for all your help,

Nate

[rixGAphx]

You assumed quite wrong.

You only get new springs if you ask for and pay for new springs.
Most cars go their entire lives, all the way to the junkyard, on the original factory springs.
Except for my Jeeps (which flatten their springs) and sports cars (for which I've specially ordered 'lowering' springs), I've NEVER had to replace the springs on any car.

So that was undoubably the original, factory spring that rolled-out of the pontiac assembly plant.

Now:
* If the spring broke, it's your problem.
Unless you can PROVE that the shop re-installed it wrong when they installed the strut, and doing so directly caused the subsequent breakage.

* If the spring SEAT, which is a welded component of the strut, broke and CAUSED the spring to jut-out and cut the tire, then it would be a claim against the strut manufacturer (and the shop that installed them).
* * When you go back and read your struts' "Lifetime" warranty, you'll find that your only recourse is to get a replacement strut (or repair of the old one, at the manufacturer's discretion).
* * You are NOT entitled to 'consequential damages,' which means replacement of the tire (which was a 'consequence' of the strut failure).
Nor to time-missed because the car left you stranded, nor to medical/funeral costs 'cuz the tire blew-out and killed your ass.

Lawyers love to file suits to get around that last one.
An $80 tire just isn't worth the bother.

Basically, yer screwed.
Go back to the shop and ask them to fix everything.
If the strut/springseat actually broke, request a new strut at no cost, including the labor to install it and align the tires.

Good luck,
-Rick