If one is bad, there's a very good chance the other is on its last legs as well. You may not notice any problems but where you really need your suspension working at its best is during an emergency maneuver. You could find a large open parking lot and do some emergency braking/turning and see how the rear end behaves... and then decide whether or not to replace the rear shocks.

In my opinion, good quality suspension components are the cheapest upgrade you can make with the greatest bang for your buck. The rear shocks on the Echo are super easy to replace at home if you're interested in trying it yourself.

 

If one is bad, there's a very good chance the other is on its last legs as well. You may not notice any problems but where you really need your suspension working at its best is during an emergency maneuver. You could find a large open parking lot and do some emergency braking/turning and see how the rear end behaves... and then decide whether or not to replace the rear shocks.

In my opinion, good quality suspension components are the cheapest upgrade you can make with the greatest bang for your buck. The rear shocks on the Echo are super easy to replace at home if you're interested in trying it yourself.

If one is bad, there's a very good chance the other is on its last legs as well. You may not notice any problems but where you really need your suspension working at its best is during an emergency maneuver. You could find a large open parking lot and do some emergency braking/turning and see how the rear end behaves... and then decide whether or not to replace the rear shocks.

In my opinion, good quality suspension components are the cheapest upgrade you can make with the greatest bang for your buck. The rear shocks on the Echo are super easy to replace at home if you're interested in trying it yourself.

Thanks Ron, you sold me on getting it done. Do it myself you say? I thought that might be above my pay grade but I'll watch some videos and see if I could do it! Thanks for the advice!

 

I would change shocks in pairs, unless they are fairly new and something just happened to one. If they have mileage on them, I'd just change them both so they perform the same.

 

If OP can DIY then might as well replace all four on a 2000. Then take it in for an alignment.

Here's a recent discussion on Yaris/Echo strut brands and such, might be of interest:

Comfortable struts/shocks

Several years ago I bought a '10 Yaris as my oldest kids first car. The OE struts/shocks were shot. So I replaced them with some KYB Excel G series. Terrible decision. The ride was horrible. But she lived with it. She has long since moved on to a Corolla and the Yaris has mostly sat around for...

www.toyotanation.com

 

Parts that are located in symetrical positions opposite each other on a vehicle should be replaced in pairs or at very least w/i a short time-frame. Tires, Brakes,Rotors, Shocks, Wheel Bearings, Control Arms, Ball Joints, Bushings, Car Batteries (Diesel Trucks that have 2), Air Filters, etc.

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