Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

When a final decision is reached, if you do have the shocks (and springs remember) changed, please keep the old ones and I may well be interested in buying them from you. 

With all the above, my first action will be to challenge my Vx dealer and try and get them to explain what their quote really covers.

Regardless of what they say, and taking into account what has been stated, where can they, or any other dealer, obtain S/L shocks which even in 2019 comments were being made on line that they were "unavailable" with GM ceasing production?  Even my favoured Autodoc do not have these in stock!!

LZ - as others have confirmed, they ARE indeed SL.

Looking at the one you've pictured, I can see nothing wrong with it, sounds like MOTer arse covering - mine has had an advisory on rear pads for 2 years running, but they are only half worn, but its due to an element of previous disc damage giving a like scratch look to it, following a wheel bearing issue.


Personally, I would seriously consider leaving as-is, or if you're really keen, just cleaning the shocks. I honestly can't see any issue with them.

If you are convinced you must have new shocks, you will need springs to match, as previously stated.  I would speak to your dealer before dropping it off, because they will do one of 2 things - either just slap on non SL shocks due to ignorance/incompetence or present you with a large bill.  Neither are desirable.

Thanks TB   You have just added more doubt in my mind about the true state of the shocks, which as I state, is a part I know nothing about   You have just added to me making the decision to do nothing, but clean them,, when I am doing the brake pipes and callipers, in the Spring / Summer when it is warm and dry!

Apart from all that, DG's comments and advice (thanks DG, I DO NOTE AND APPRECIATE THEM) about possible costs has scared me witless!  I have got the money to pay the £1,000 he is suggesting IF it is necessary to keep my Omega in the best condition possible, given it's age.  But I am not one to spend before I really have to, which in this case I am now doubting, a lot!!   But as a retired professional senior manager, I deal in facts and always try to establish them before making decisions and taking action.   I also have used the police practice of adhering to ABC in any decision making.  That is Assume nothing, believe no-one, and challenge everything.  I caught many thieves and pure criminals in my time in the retail trade by that practice, and it can still apply for me in these days!!

£5690....

And you can't simply write 'tax in post' and pop it in the tax disc holder like I used to with numerous two-wheeled beasties.

Guinness label

I didn't like to discriminate so no tax ran along side no insurance, no MOT, and no licence, when they caught me.

Ah....those were the days.

Used AI instead

 59 cars facing £5,690 car tax in April 2026
(Most are high-performance or large-engined petrol/diesel models)


Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo
Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10
Audi RS6 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi RS7 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi RSQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi S8 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi SQ7 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi SQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
Aston Martin DBX 4.0 V8
Aston Martin DB12 4.0 V8
Aston Martin Vantage 4.0 V8
Bentley Bentayga 4.0 V8
Bentley Continental 4.0 V8
Bentley Continental 6.0 W12
Bentley Flying Spur 4.0 V8
BMW Alpina XB7 4.4 V8
BMW M8 4.4 V8
BMW X5 M 4.4 V8
BMW X6 M 4.4 V8
BMW X7 M 4.4 V8
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2 V8
Ferrari Purosangue 6.5 V12
Ferrari Roma 3.8T V8
Ford Mustang 5.0 V8
Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue
Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue
Ford Ranger 3.0 V6
INEOS Grenadier 3.0P
Jaguar F-Pace 5.0 P575 V8
Jeep Wrangler 2.0 GME
Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 V10
Lamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 BiTurbo
Lamborghini Revuelto 6.5 V12
Land Rover Defender 90 5.0 P425 V8
Land Rover Defender 110 5.0 P425 V8
Lotus Emira 3.5 V6
Maserati Levante 3.0 V6
Maserati Levante 3.8 V8
Maserati MC20 3.0 V6
McLaren GT 4.0T V8
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4.0 V8
Mercedes-Benz G400D
Mercedes-Benz G63
Mercedes-Benz GLC63
Mercedes-Benz GLE63
Mercedes-Benz GLS63h
Mercedes-Benz SL55
Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GT4
Porsche 911 3.7T 992 Turbo
Porsche Cayenne 4.0T V8
Porsche Macan 2.9T V6
Range Rover 4.4 P530 V8
Range Rover 4.4 P615 V8
Range Rover Sport 4.4P V8
Rolls-Royce Ghost 6.75 V12
Rolls-Royce Cullinan 6.75 V12
Toyota Hilux 2.8D
Toyota Land Cruiser 2.8D
Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI

📌 These models typically emit over 255 g/km CO₂, placing them in the top Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) band with first-year tax jumping to £5,690 for vehicles newly registered on or after 1 April 2026.

📊 Why the huge tax jump?

New VED rules: The UK government has changed first-year Vehicle Excise Duty calculations so that very high-emission petrol and diesel cars now attract significantly higher tax to discourage their purchase and use.

Threshold effect: Cars emitting over 255 g/km of CO₂ now fall into the highest first-year tax band — previously up to £5,490 under the 2025 rules — but rising to £5,690 for 2026/27.

These figures apply only to first-year tax; subsequent years will revert to the standard rate of car tax with any applicable expensive car supplement added depending on list price.

If you want, I can also break down the VED costs by CO₂ band so you can see how much different cars will pay from April 2026 (e.g., low, medium and high emissions). Just let me know!

With one or two exceptions most of the above are six figure cars when new, so I suppose some can afford to pay without too much thought.

Not many though.

£5690....

And you can't simply write 'tax in post' and pop it in the tax disc holder like I used to with numerous two-wheeled beasties.

Guinness label 

wipe them clean ,examine them and look again in a couple of months !
(unless the dealer will honour their quote !!)

Now that is something I can do Cam in head!!  Thanks

Is there anything special I should use to clean them please?  I have plenty of anti rust spray, so is that any good.

I certainly will go along with this advice from you and others asap as it is POSSIBLE that there is nothing wrong with the shocks apart from being covered in dirt and grease.  Certainly I have not noticed any handling problems when driving.

Its been a long time since we had an Omega thread which produces four pages of posts in the space of a few days. 

That is because it is me posting, and I am female!!

putting all the above to one side for the moment
i cannot underdtand how 2 rubber booted shocks can have a light misting of oil anyway ?  i would have thought the only way oil could leak out of those would be a holed body in ehich case they surrly should be a definate fail so i suspect theres nothing actually wtong with your shocks at all

Very good point. 
Imo, it isnt possible to get a misting of oil on S/L shocks like you would with normal shocks.
If the bladder bursts there is oil everywhere. I know this because it happened to one of mine.
LZ - if they remove them, please keep them and I may be interested in buying them from you . 

Thanks for your great observations and advice Migv6, much appreciated.  It is obvious, as I say in my last post prior to this one, that all I can do is question my Vx dealer with the new information I am getting.  The shocks certainly look very old, and are the original I am sure with me having the car now for 13 years, and it being 23 years old, with no work ever being done on them.  As a novice on this subject, I am in the dark about what is true or not when it comes to these parts, as I have NEVER had to replace shocks before on any of my numerous cars, even when their milage zoomed to 100,000 in just over a year with driving all over the UK.

So any further advice is welcome, PLEASE  

£5690....

And you can't simply write 'tax in post' and pop it in the tax disc holder like I used to with numerous two-wheeled beasties.