a1gio2 wrote

How did they determine the pump is bad? What happens if you just replace the front two leaking struts?

4bar wrote

Have you looked at aftermarket struts?
From a quick search, this is what I find on ebay. And they have used compressors for about 500.
You should definitely find an independent shop, and not bmw dealer.

yzhou2004 wrote

Yup, give those aftermarket ones a try. Not much to loose. A forum member had good experience with a $250 aftermarket air strut. My rear left has made puff noise for a year, no air leak through. I will go for an aftermarket one once it leaks. I will try DIY or indy to replace strut and compressor if I were you. Replace strut on 5 seater is easier than 7 seater. Last time I checked replacing compressor should not too hard either. Where to source a decent part is a question though. I'll look up on ebay first.

FYI, the best price for OEM strut is $1500 each at least. Compressor pirce I don't know. Hope I never need to know. Leaking air struts do put more stress on compressor. I don't know how long it will burn out. If you want to keep car for a while, may just replace it.

Regardless, you should not go dealer because their labor is $300/hr in my area.