Another $99.00 Brake Job Deal.
Posted: Sunday, February 08, 2009
by straight talk
A few years ago I wrote an article about a major company that sells tires and does mechanical work. I went to them for tires and a front end brake job. They were advertising a special and said they would treat me right. That $99.00 brake job wound up costing me $700.00. So I decided to investigate if these practices still exist. What do you think?
What did I get for $99.00, well the usual, inspect, clean,new pads and turn rotors if required. I already knew the rotor issue might be questionable so I priced out a set of pads and rotors before going. Now there I was with another person there for the same reason. So upon arrival the usual "sure we will take the car in and check it out an let you know just what is needed." [No mention of the coupon yet.]
We both proceed to the waiting room to discuss just what they will find and how much it will cost. Sure enough about 20 minutes or so later the proverbial "can I see you a moment." Off we go. The front brakes show that you need new pads, also rotors and I seriously recommend new calipers. The calipers work do they not? Yes but it is just good practice to change everything. Do I have a safety issue, well not really I just recommend you change them. Ok, I accept that but you are not concerned with them, right? No I'm not they should be ok. Can't you turn the rotors? No they don't make them that way any longer. It doesn't say tthat on your coupon. Oh ther manger stops and looks at the coupon. "Oh, this is only if you need just pads. Really, pads are a nothing to put on for a mechanic, the rotors a little longer but not much and you need to do something with the rotors if you put new pads on. Can't do he reiterates., not enough room to turn them down. Really, the brakes have never been done before and they are the original rotors and no mjor groving? Are they damaged? Well no, just not enough room left and we can't by law do that. Ok, so what else do I need, a little sarcastic in the question. Ok, your back brakes are still good. I would not change them, you have about 45% wear but they are ok for now. You do need a new battery though, it is testing low and your tires are worn.
Now that all from a simple brake inspection. Yes they go over the car from a to z. Ok the tires I purchased from you about 17,000 miles ago. They are 40,000 miles tires. Well you have a balance alignment issue. You really have to have them rotated regulary. I have, you did the job and the last oil change 500 miles ago. Really, can it be the tires [nade in China] are crap, can it? Oh and by the way the battery has corrosion on the terminals from the winter. Did you clean them, check the fluid and then check again? No, the answer.
So how much for the brake job, a new battery, and two tires for the front? Well lets see, the brake job with new pads, new rotors, bleed them, install and test $279.00. They even charge to bleed the brakes . The two new tires, 40,000 mile rated, store brand, out the door $159.00 tax, tag mounting and balanced but we won't sell you two new tires because the car needs and alignment and we really can't send you out the door without it. The alignment is $79.95. It just wouldn't be right. Ok, what about the battery? The battery is $139.00, their brand, installed.
A total of $656.00 for the lot. So I and by the way the other person who got a similar estimate said, see ya and we left. So I went up the block to a local garage. If I buy the parts they will install them. They checked and said I need pads and rotors. Calipers ok. Hey I new that. A quick stop at the auto parts store I came back with tupgraded and better rotors and pads [this is the same store the big chain were getting the rotors from] The total bill for parts $130.00 TTT. $70.00 to install at the local garage. Does he gaurentee his work, certainly. They can't send a car out fo the shop wrong. They could lose their license. This came out to be an overall cost of $200.00 and an overall savings of $79.00 on just the brakes. Now a trip to Ford showed I could get a battery for under $100.00 out the door price $109.00 installed on a better battery to boot. This was an additional savings of $39.00. Bottom line I saved $118.00 on two items.
Now a quick check with another local tire dealer showed I could get a similar rated tire for about $20.00 less on the pair and their alignment also less. What am I getting at. Well that $99.00 brake job isn't cracked up to what they advertise it as. Yes and instead of two sales they lost them both. Now that sounds like good business doesn't it?
Now if you have it to throw away go to them. Yet if your trying to make ends meet, be patient, be prepared and check before you leap. There are enough fools out there who think that friendly smile is really a friend. When it comes to money remember, trust no man, check before you leap.
Robert T. Melaccio Sr. 2009 Copyright 2009 Robert Melaccio Sr.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Robert, this is an excellent article, and so very true. I am (or was) a Senior buyer at IBM, and we had fleet cars that we would lease from Ford, and the maintenence on this automobiles and trucks, was inclusive in the lease, (I negotiated that). But the advice you give about shopping around is sound in content, you know the old addage "You usually get what you pay for"? Not in this case, You usually get screwed on these 99 dollar deals....they are not the deal they appear to be....your article proves it, and look at the money you saved by saying no......I shop around for everything, and I mean everything. Great article and very true....thanks for the good read, and great tips....Your friend in pen.....Gary.....Please log in to respond to this comment.Thanks Gary, all the very best. RobertPlease log in to respond to this comment.
To me a person that has been in the retail enviroment for 25 years and in the automotive enviroment for 16 it seems as if Robert is simply being cheap and does not understand the importance of warranty and accountibility.Robert, what did you expect when you went into the first repair facility for which you had a coupon? Being in the industry I've written and seen my fair share of coupons, most with disclaimers at the bottom. We all know the "small print". Most people would call to see the details of the coupon. Most people. Anyway, the first shop did you a favor and told you everything you needed and was apparently accurate because you were told at "a place down the road" the same thing when you took the vehicle to the second shop. It appears that the first shop did not charge you anything and if they did not you simply wasted the service writers and the technicans time. Did I mention that almost all technicans regardless of being a small chain or big dealer are paid on commission. That tech took his time to check the vehicle over and was accurate in what he recommended and you repaid him by simply leaving. I hope they charged you at least for a brake inspection, otherwise the tech did not get paid anything for his time.Yes you can pick up "cheaper, better quality parts?" and put them on yourself or have another shop do it. What do you loose? Well, if shop #1 installed their brake parts there would be a warranty on parts and labor. Did you know that 99% of the time the pads or the rotors are the cause of any warranty issues not the labor. So if there is a problem with the pads or rotors you picked up from the parts store and took them to shop # 2 do you think that shop #2 is going to replace them for no charge if they did not supply them? I can tell you, NO. You are going to have to pay shop #2 to take the parts off, then you will have to run them back to the parts store where your bought them ( hard to do with the car up in the air), hopefully they will exchange them, and then take the parts back to shop #2 to have the new parts installed. Get the picture? See what you are paying for. I will stop with the brake issue and leave the other recommended items alone for time and space reasons. My question to Robert and anyone else out there reading this is simple. Do you really want to be cheap with the vehicle that you drive at 55 mph with your family or yourself in it. NO! I recommend that if you are not an ASE Factory Trained Technican find a repair facility that you trust, ask if you can speak to the tech that is going to work on your car and let him know your concerns. These guys are not the shadetree, grease monkey types that they are made out to be, these techs can spend as much time as a doctor learning their trade and they are people too. They will tell you what you need to do and what can wait. QUIT BEING CHEAP AND DRIVE SAFE :) !Please log in to respond to this comment.Really, enough said in the Anonymous reply. Its not about cheap as this person says it is about integrity and get this "real need". Once the car is up and dismantled you have little to no choice. Please no argument with having a safe car, but lets just end with a $99.00 brake really or is it really about selling work and parts?Please log in to respond to this comment.
This article caught my attention again after a mechanic shop put up a sign at the edge of our neighborhood saying, "We'll fix that $99 brake job!" This just boggles my mind as it appears that the mechanic shop is implying that no one can do a reliable brake job for $99. If it takes me less than 2 hours to replace a set of pads and have the rotors turned (including the trip to the auto parts store!) and it costs me $45 for everything, then I guess I'm in the wrong business because $54 for 2 hours work seems like a really good profit for an amateur like me, and this mechanic shop is saying that this price is way too low. How much money do they have to make on a brake job after all???Please log in to respond to this comment.
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