2003 envoy sways{rocks back and forth} going down the road. only 18000 miles on it . are the shocks already worn out? too soft a suspension? would performance shocks help?

Struts,Shocks,Suspension Parts Worn

Pretty much have to expect that

Did you not test drive it 30 miles or so
to check it out?

If it were mine, I would lay it up in the driveway
for a 3 weeks or more & go thru the entire vehicle,
replacing alot,all fluids,spark plugs,O2 sensors,
check ball joints,replace shocks etc,remove &
check,replace or at least grease the drive shafts joints,
got transfer case & differential fluids to do,the entire
vehicle

I would do that if it had 30,000 miles on it

You got no history & are on the edge of possible
break down, when you have 8" of snow on the ground
& a doctors appointment

worn suspension shocks sway bar broke bring to local mechanic and have inspected

All cars have shocks and/or struts. Grand am has front struts and either rear struts or shocks. When these are worn, the ride would be rough. If a motor mount was bad, you may feel rocking or visually see the motor wiggle back and forth when you press and release the accelerator pedal. Motor mounts won't affect handling. Either shocks/struts, sway bar, stabalizer bar or links are the common cause

HONDA Pilot struts do not require replace at specific mileage intervals or maintenance. Your vehicle’s struts should be checked annually. Struts wear out slowly and you may not notice gradual losses in ride comfort, handling and control. Excessive bouncing, rocking back and forth, drifting or nose- diving while braking, swaying, or cupping wear on the tires are some signs that your vehicle may have worn Struts. If you are purchasing new Struts for your HONDA Pilot consider premium Struts. Upgrading your struts usually improves overall ride quality, control and handling. Warn struts can increase the wear of tires, ball joints, steering linkage, springs and C.V. joints. Some original struts may be getting weak after 40,000 or 50,000 miles.

Failure symptoms: Vehicle continues to bounce after hitting bumps in roadway. Front suspension dives severely during hard braking. Swaying or rolling when at higher speeds. Signs of oil leaking from the shock rod seal. Clunking and banging noises coming from the strut may be signs of internal shock failure or strut mounts.

Have the shocks/struts ever been replaced? The rocking is normally caused by worn out shocks and/or sway bar bushings. When the shocks go, you normally will experience a rollercoaster type up and down motion when you hit bumps (the springs are bouncing and the shocks are not dampening/rebounding properly). If you do not have this up and down rocking, but just sideways, check your front and rear sway bar bushings for wear or damage to where they connect to the frame. If the mount has broken or come loose, it will not prevent the sideways sway. You should also see a sideways lean going around corners.

usually the shock absorb make the ride rough or soft if they bad need to be replace also make sure your tire pressure is no more than 35psi

i would check the bushings in the sway bar or the sway bar itself, either way, have fun buddy

If you cab is rocking and/or swaying from slightly rough terrain, then it is time to service your shocks and springs. Over time both shocks and springs weaken, causing the vehicles own weight to compress them.

It sounds like your springs and or struts are well worn out from probably about 12 years of holding up the weight of the car and its passengers. The added weight of the second person is pulling the car down that much more now that the suspension has worn out. I'm not familiar with a Punto but I bet its a small car, the smaller the car the smaller the suspension (unless its a Porshe) and they usually last about 50,000 to 70,000 miles before you start to notice a "soft" suspension, swaying in turns and bit of role as you take turns hard. Hope it helps.