Suspension · 2026
Ford Ka / Ka+ coil spring cost
A coil spring on a Ford Ka / Ka+ typically costs £59–£180 per side fitted at a UK independent garage, or £109–£332 as an axle pair. Simple supermini suspension on every Ka — strut front, torsion-beam rear — with spring breakage featuring among the model's likelier faults in aggregated data, and one documented car failing its first MOT on a broken front spring. Small springs, small bills.
What suspension does the Ford Ka / Ka+ have?
The design decides the job: a spring on a strut means a strut-off, spring-compressor job, while separately-mounted springs can be quicker to swap. Here's the Ka / Ka+'s setup:
| Axle | Design |
|---|---|
Front | MacPherson struts with the spring on the strut across all versions — a compressor job. |
Rear | Torsion-beam rear on all versions, with coil springs sold separately from the dampers — the simple end of the job. |
Ford Ka / Ka+ coil spring replacement cost
One spring fitted typically costs £59–£180 at a UK independent garage, an axle pair £109–£332, and a full strut assembly (spring + shock together) £118–£359 per side. Springs are replaced in axle pairs as standard practice — uneven ride height fails the MOT.
Key things to know
- Coil spring breakage features among the Ka's higher-likelihood faults in aggregated common-problem data, and owner reports include a car failing its first MOT at low mileage on a broken front spring.
- Suspension arm bush wear and tired shock absorbers are the model's other common MOT advisories.
- On the rust-prone original Ka, corroded fixings can add labour to any suspension job — budget contingency on older cars.
- The Ka's small, light springs sit at the cheap end of spring pricing — done in axle pairs as standard.
Good question
Questions Okay gets asked a lot
How much does a coil spring cost for a Ford Ka / Ka+?
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Expect £59–£180 per side fitted at a UK independent garage in 2026, or £109–£332 for both sides of an axle — the usual recommendation, since uneven ride height fails the MOT and the second spring rarely lasts long after the first. If the shock absorber is worn or leaking, a full strut assembly runs £118–£359 per side. The spring itself is cheap; most of the bill is labour. Use our cost calculator to adjust for your region.
Is a broken spring on an old Ford Ka worth fixing?
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Usually yes — the spring job itself is one of the cheapest going, with small light springs and simple suspension at both ends. The honest question on an original (1996–2008) Ka is everything around it: the model's famous corrosion means the MOT tester may find rusty sills, mounts or brake pipes in the same breath as the spring, and repair-versus-scrap threads are a staple of Ka ownership forums. Practical approach: get the spring quoted in a pair, ask the garage for a quick underbody assessment at the same time, and make the keep-or-let-go decision on the whole picture rather than the spring alone.
How do I know a spring has broken on a Ford Ka / Ka+?
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Often a loud bang or crack over a pothole or speed bump, then a knocking or clunking from that corner, a car sitting slightly lower or lopsided, and sometimes a tyre catching on full lock. Some breaks are silent — the first sign is the MOT tester finding the snapped coil. A broken spring is a Major MOT defect, and UK potholes plus salted winter roads are the main culprits. Get it checked promptly: a snapped coil can drop and cut the tyre.
Get a price for your Ford Ka / Ka+
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