Don't Get Taken on a Brake Job

Only a psychic can tell you a four-wheel brake job will be $99.99 without physically inspecting all four wheels. Check the small print and the quick disclaimer saying other worn out parts will increase the bill. Of course it will! The $99.99 price was a way to suck you in so the huge bill could follow. ABC 15 Investigations in Phoenix did a report last November on brake shops. They found that even within the same company different locations came up with different diagnoses. See the link included.

http:/www.abc15.com/content/news/investigators/consumeralerts/story/getting-a-fair-deal-valley-brake-shops-put-to-the/fGwpkCynGUu82JKaDFrv7g.cspx

The key is to make sure the technician physically removes the tires from your vehicle and inspects each wheel. He should remove the drums from the rear wheels if they are not disks. Unscrupulous shops will attempt to sell you parts you do not need. Depending on your driving habits, eventually you will need rotors, calipers and cylinders, but those are not parts needed every time you have a brake job. Your front brakes should be done twice for every rear brake job.

The necessary steps to a routine brake job are:

1. Turn rotors and drums
2. Replace pads and brake shoes with quality parts
3. Ask for the old parts

If a shop wants to replace the pads and shoes without turning the rotors and drums, they will last half as long. If a repair facility gives you a huge estimate for the brake job, wanting to replace rotors, drums, calipers, cylinders and perhaps parts you've never heard of, go to another shop you trust and without telling them about the estimate you just got, get a second opinion.