A hydraulic shock absorber configured to be disposed between relatively displaceable members, the hydraulic shock absorber comprising: a cylinder sealingly containing hydraulic fluid; a piston slidably fitted in the cylinder, and dividing an interior of the cylinder into two chambers (2A, 2B); a piston rod having one end coupled to the piston and an opposite end extending out of the cylinder; an extension-side damping force generation mechanism configured to adjust an extension-side damping force by controlling a flow of the hydraulic fluid, and configured to be driven by a solenoid; a compression-side damping force generation mechanism configured to adjust a compression-side damping force by controlling a flow of the hydraulic fluid, and configured to be driven by a solenoid; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes a vibration detection unit configured to detect a vibration transmitted to one of the members, and a damping force adjustment unit configured to adjust control current values of the solenoids according to a detection value of the vibration detection unit to adjust damping forces generated by the extension-side damping force generation mechanism and the compression-side damping force generation mechanism between a hard side and a soft side, wherein, upon determining that the detection value of the vibration detection unit remains larger than a predetermined value for a certain time period with the extension-side damping force generation mechanism and the compression-side damping force generation mechanism set to the hard side, the control unit determines that the extension-side damping force generation mechanism or the compression-side damping force generation mechanism is stuck at the soft side. a cylinder sealingly containing hydraulic fluid; a piston slidably fitted in the cylinder, and dividing an interior of the cylinder into two chambers (2A, 2B); a piston rod having one end coupled to the piston and an opposite end extending out of the cylinder; an extension-side damping force generation mechanism configured to adjust an extension-side damping force by controlling a flow of the hydraulic fluid, and configured to be driven by a solenoid; a compression-side damping force generation mechanism configured to adjust a compression-side damping force by controlling a flow of the hydraulic fluid, and configured to be driven by a solenoid; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes a vibration detection unit configured to detect a vibration transmitted to one of the members, and a damping force adjustment unit configured to adjust control current values of the solenoids according to a detection value of the vibration detection unit to adjust damping forces generated by the extension-side damping force generation mechanism and the compression-side damping force generation mechanism between a hard side and a soft side, wherein, upon determining that the detection value of the vibration detection unit remains larger than a predetermined value for a certain time period with the extension-side damping force generation mechanism and the compression-side damping force generation mechanism set to the hard side, the control unit determines that the extension-side damping force generation mechanism or the compression-side damping force generation mechanism is stuck at the soft side.