I took my car in yesterday to have the brakes replaced and front left tire replaced.I have a 2005 Kia Spectra, with 90 plus thousand miles.
With the tire and the brake inspection the first total was for $110. After 45 minutes the representative came into the waiting room to inform me that my rotors needed to be replaced.Now when I brought my brakes and there was a lot of squeaking sometimes without me even applying pressure to my brakes.
The total then jumped to 459.00, they claimed that they could not replace the brake pads without replacing the rotors.Due to the fact that if they get the mechanic shaved down the rotors anymore it would not be regulation.
After approving the rotors to be replaced,I then waited another 30 minutes when representative came back into the waiting room. He informed me that when the the brake pads were being removed the calipers got locked on the rotor.
Because this was the Fourth of July there weren’t any parts places open. so I had no car for the day, and I miss the days worth of work.
They offered to not charge me for the calipers or the labor and putting them on, but should I pay anything? Was this 100% their fault? Did they do something wrong? Did I?
this happened at national tire and battery NTB in Maryland.
You said, “was a lot of squeaking sometimes without me even applying pressure to my brakes.” That makes me thing you had a brake caliper dragging before you brought the car into the shop. It sounds like you need a pair of calipers, rotors and pads.
yes, they ‘could have’, but in all likely hood, your car brakes were worn out and needed new parts.
sometimes until the mechanic ‘opens’ up the parts and actually sees what is in there, it is unknown just how bad they are.
it sounds like maybe (just maybe) they screwed up the calipers. (although this is unlikely) and they are trying to ‘make it up to you’ by giving you the calipers for free. but yes, you probably DID need new pads and rotors anyway.
Everything they told you sounds honest and plausible. I find nothing in your report to question the shop’s honesty or their competence. I hope you accept their work as all necessary repairs.
It’s hard to understand this, from a distance. At first, they were just going to change the brake pads? The mechanic, then, looked at the brakes and saw excessive rotor wear? Then, the mechanic noted that the brake calipers(s) was/were locked up? Ok, I can understand that; but, why free caliper(s) and their labor? The free part, I don’t understand. Anyway, take it (the free stuff)! I guess this free hoss, we won’t look in the mouth [old adage].
90k miles in four years sounds like a lot of pure highway driving, but it is reasonable that front rotors may well have been shot at this distance.
So the original $110 was to replace the tire and just inspect the brakes right? Pads for the front of this car are about $130 for parts, so just a tire and pad replacement would have put you at close to $300. Rotors for this car cost $80 each, so $459 for a tire, pads and rotors installed sounds very reasonable.
I do suspect that they let the pistons float out of the calipers while the pads were out, (I have done that) which is why they are willing to ‘eat’ the cost of the calipers. They are loosing big money on this job and you are getting complete new front brakes and a tire for only $459. You should be grinning ear-to-ear.
Why did you replace only one front tire? Is the other nearly new? If not, this car is not going to drive or stop evenly.
This all sounds plausible to me except for one thing. That is the part about coming back and informing you of the caliper situation.
If they performed a brake inspection (leading to the original 110 dollars) then it would seem to me a frozen caliper should have been noticeable right then.
Whenever the brake pads are replaced the cost of replacing or machining the rotors should automatically be figured in. This is a given. Generally the rotors needs to be replaced due to the fact that many rotors are thin anyway and machining them may place them under the safe minimum thickness spec.
I could see installing the new calipers for free as PR but I don’t understand why they’re giving you the calipers themselves for free.
nope just a shop full of kids,they know nothing,damn shame all the good techs are quitting,so get used to the screw ups,its everywhere.
cant wait till it comes to a head ,and greedy corperate understands the concept,instead of the dollar.
ooppps!
thats an easy diag,just imagine a check engine light,or an OCC,code,and the list goes on.
A shop that is continusly changing its position on what is required on a job as simple as a brake job is not earning my trust.To answer your question if you did something wrong I say no it was the shop. Never heard the phrase “caliper got locked on the rotor” have heard “caliper piston frozen or siezed frequently”.Are they saying they had to break it into pieces to get it off? Odd terminology