My sister has a 2006 HHR which she bought maybe like 4-5 months back. She has had some issues with it, took it back to the dealership she bought it from and they kept saying they fixed the problem. Well they were bought out by another dealership here in town. She took her car over to a local guy who has done work on my dad’s car and been real up front with him on cost and such. He said she needed new front brakes which he replaced the pads for $90 total. He said (according to my sister) that some “arms” that turn the wheels needed to be replaced and would run about $500 to replace (labor and parts) I asked her what he ment, she didn’t know. Today she took it to the dealership that bought out the place she bought it to see what they saw and to see if the warrenty covered it. They are telling her she needs new rotors and tires but nothing else they can see is a problem.
So why would our local guy say she needs brakes but not rotors? I mean had he said it she would have had it done? Any idea what these “arms” things that make the wheels turn are he is talking about? She and I both are confused, as we have two different places giving her different things wrong.
I think I can help define the “arms” that turn the wheels. Those would be the axles, often also called half-shafts. They contain Constant Velocity joints protected by rubber “boots”. They do wear out, but without knowing exactly why the “local guy” said they needed to be replaced it’s impossible to offer an opinion whether that’s true. Some guys will say they need replacing when they really don’t. Were there any symptoms?
When he said it needed “brakes”, he probably omitted mentioning the rotors. New (or resurfaced, also called “turning”) rotors are a normal part of a brake job. Some guys will say “pads & rotors”, some will just say “it needs brakes” and both mean exactly the same thing.
He did the brakes a week ago just adding pads, nothing said or done about the rotors. Car has maybe 40.000 miles on it. I told my sister to ask him about the rotors but don’t think she did. The car “shutters” a bit when she brakes. She took it to the dealership and they said it was the rotors and would smooth them and the shutter would go away and then come back after a few weeks. They never said anything about needing new pads. Now new dealership that is overseeing those cars from the dealership she brought it from is saying new tires and rotors. I am thinking about having her take it for a 3rd opinion at another independent place to see what they say.
I think going to a reputable independant is the way to go. Just suggest that she (1) tell him the story and then (2) ask him to look into the cause of the shuddering.
And before he suggests rotors, he should (1) check for “lateral runout” (side-to-side movement), (2) check for thinkness, and (3) check for a loose hub, which would point to other causes. I’'ve attached a typical diagnostic procedure to give you an idea. http://tijil.org/Scion_Docs/05_tC_Shop_Manuals/Repair%20Info/Repair%20Manual/Brake/Front%20Brake/w040001.pdf
DO NOT use the specs in the attached procedure. It’s only to illustrate that rotors should be checked before replacing.
Oh, I almost forgot, they should check for consistant friction as the wheel turns. If the rotor had any residue on it when installed, (new ones come with a protective coating) it an bind to the rotor and create an inconsistant friction.
If you two are up to it, you could also try jacking up the car’s corners one by one and spinning the wheels by hand while the other slightly paplies the brakes. If there’s uneven friction on one rotor, the one turning the wheel by hand will feel it.
I think the dealership is right, the rotors sound warped. That is what is causing the shutter when she brakes. We call what the mechanic did “Pad Slapping”, basically slapping on new pads without touching the rotors. Its a bad practice, and I would never do it to anyone planning on keeping the car. Even if the rotors were OK, the new pads would wear out faster than if the rotors were cut (they put it on a machine that lightly shaves the rotor). MOST dealerships don’t bother cutting any more, as the labor time involved in cutting them, make new rotors not much more $$ and a whole lot more of a safe bet against returns (a thin rotor is very likely to warp again).
The Arms the mechanic is talking about I believe are the tie rods, but that should not be a $500 job to replace them, and they should not need to be replaced at only 40,000.
Well plan on advising sis on getting a 3rd opinion and see what they say about the rotors and such. Will see what happens, have told her what 2 new tires would run and figure that if rotors need to be replaced looking maybe at $150-200 to have that done, but not sure.
Just installing rotors should be one hour if they go in one hour increments. Someone that does it frequently could have the wheels off, rotors changed, and wheels back on in a half hour.