i dont think you need to rush it. dealers lie because htey like to make as much money as soon as possible. never trust them.

i dont think it will hurt any other suspension too much, it may put a little more strain on the springs but that should be ok for a while.

 

Just got the same problem on my 02 civic. Left front shock leaking, $500 to repair. It seems it's a common problem with 02s, many TSBs on the issue. I have a case open with Honda.

 

Take your money NOW and buy a Factory Service Manual from a Honda dealer or from an online source or something. It will cost a bit more than Chiltons, Haynes, or others...but it will be way more complete and detailed. Then get a basic mechanic toolset from like Sears or something.They will pay for themselves the first time you use them to do work that is listed as taking more than an hour of labor. While you're saving the money for whatever suspension you want, read through the manual and familiarize yourself with whatever components on the car you're unfamiliar with. Not only will you save yourself the cost of labor on most repairs/maintenance/upgrades, you'll also be able to better field-repair your car if it should have any kind of trouble and AAA can't get there quickly.

 

That's not a bad idea, although I'm not sure I have enough abilities to do special works, like brakes or steering fixes...
Anyway, the good news is that Honda will fix my car for free out of good will... :-)
Kudos for Honda Customer Service...