my mechanic told me that it has shocks in the front and struts in back, I am not sure what to believe.
That model has shocks in the front and struts in the back unless it's a wagon then it's struts on all four wheels. Strut Assembly (Strut and Cartridge) Most front wheel drive cars have some kind of Strut Suspension. The strut is a special type of shock absorber that helps to minimize the motion of the suspension. The coil spring surrounds the strut assembly. Struts and shock absorbers work in very similar ways. However, struts function as a structural part of the Suspension System, and therefore also affect things like wheel alignment, vehicle control and suspension wear. Strut Suspension System Most front wheel drive cars have some sort of Strut Suspension System. In the Strut Suspension System, a coil spring with a bearing plate at each end supports the car. The spring assembly rests on a seat. The Strut Suspension System helps to cushion the movement of the coil spring when a car hits a bump or a pothole and works to hold the tires to the road and provide better vehicle control. Conventional (Shock Absorber) Suspension System In conventional (Shock Absorber) Suspension Systems, two control arms are attached to the frame of the car and a coil spring and shock absorber are attached to the frame and one of the control arms. The spring and shock absorber work together to smooth the ride of the car over the roughness of the road. This suspension system works to hold the tires to the road and provide better vehicle control.
