2003 CR-V front strut blowout

The front right strut blew out and splattered oil all over the wheel well. I
have no idea how this happened, but it did.
The car has 46k miles, out of warranty.

Shall I replace with OEM part or with some other brand? What would be a good
ride, quiet replacement part (not interested in extreme or sports driving) ?

Also, shall I go to the Honda dealer or a trustworthy independent Honda
mechanic? I prefer the mechanic, but if there is any chance Honda will
warrant the repair, I'd rather take it the dealership.

Would like to hear your opinion.

Regards,
Stanjo

 

That strut is a wearable part and shouldn't be covered under warranty.
Go to a place that offers a lifetime warranty on the part. If it is a
matter of price then call around to everyone in the phone book and get
the best price.

 

If you only plan to replace the one, then you probably should get another
OEM strut from Honda to better match the behavior of the original one still
on the other side. It doesn't really matter who puts it on. You should get
the alignment checked afterwards.

Aftermarket, I have had good luck with KYB struts from tirerack.com.
Reasonably priced and they do a good job as OEM replacements.