questions regarding a sleazy brake mechanic

I took my 99 Nissan Frontier in for the four whell brake 'special' at $99. I was then quoted over $400 for the front brakes alone.

Rotors:
I was told that the rotors were "thin" but I found out later that they measure 960 thousandths and the minimum is 945. The guy then told me that "at least 20 thousandths is recommended for turning". But, the rotors have no problems - they are not warped or grooved or scratched. My questions are A) was there really any need to turn them and B) how many thousandths do you need to turn them - couldn't they have been turned from 960 down to 945??

Brake Fluid:
The guy said that the calipers were "sticky" and so the fluid needed to be flushed. But the brakes weren't sticking or anything. The only problem was that the pads were worn down (squeaking). Is it possible that the calipers could have really had a problem that required flushing, and yet there were no symptoms while I was driving it?? Oh, BTW, I forgot to mention... I *know* this guy is a sleaze, because the special was supposed to include a oil and filter change, which he didn't do. When we picked up the truck my girlfriend specifically asked him whether they did the oil change and he said yes. So he lied to our face. When I checked the oil and found it black, I came back to complain about this. I was told that "only corporate can issue a refund" and that they would contact me within 24 hours. They never did. I called them and they took my number and said they would call back in 5 minutes. They never called back. Also, they spilled brake fluid in the engine compartment and I doubt they flushed the fluid at all... Welcome to the club.
Brake fluid is hydroscopic. That is a fancy word meaning that it will absorb and mix with water easily. Whenever a brake job is done,,the better shops always drain out the old brake fluid and replace it with new. No special charges for it.
Brake rotors and drums do not always have to be "turned'. Its only when they need it. However the better shops always do a light sanding of that shiney surface to clean it up a bit after all those miles.
That $400 price tag would have easily covered all four wheels.
Dics brake systems don't stand up to the wear and tear and weather as well as drum brakes, and sometimes it is necessary to replace some of the major parts ,,but they would tell you about it beforehand and that would be extra.
All in all,,you got screwed. I hope you have your states AG office on your list to contact along with your state DMV dept.
I wouldn't let it slide. Better Business Bureau is a good source. www.BBB.org

Alot of shops offer a brake special which just covers a set of pads. Many businesses use gimmicks. Get you in there, then find what else is wrong. Though this guy seems shady as he didn't do the oil change.

A 100% brake job would include a rotor turning to ensure a smooth surface and glaze removal. A honed surfaced provides the best stopping distance.
Your brakes were squeaking which is a good sign that your pads were wore to the point that the rivets were possibly digging into your rotors (metal against metal) 0.020 would not be enough to cut the grooves out in a turning. Rotor replacement seems normal as this is a 1999 and probably had prior turnings making it near minimum.

There are still many places thet will turn rotors for less than $10 each for the home mechanic. You would notice a shimmy in the steering wheel when braking, is a good clue they need turned.
Many older American vehicles, it's almost as cheap to buy new rotors as turn the old ones.

$400 is about right for replacing new rotors and pads all the way around as rotors are close to $75 each for a Nissan depending on the model.

You always hear people say "My mechanic....blah blah blah...."

Find you a good one and stick with him. Don't explore new ones just because of a special. Running your vehicle into his shop and through his office is effective too. All you have to do is blame it on his brake job. A good sign you are at a sleazy mechanic is naked woman calenders all over the walls, lol. My mother in law's boyfriend got taken worse than that, they told him he needed 'brakes' and he was hit with a bill for $1300! It was an older Ford Escort, and the whole car probably isn't worth that much! He really got taken.

I've had some very bad experiences with people lying over brake jobs, so when I found one honest guy, I always gave him my business. I moved from his city, so I can't go there anymore.

Here's a crooked story: I was getting my oil changed and the guy voluteered a free brake inspection so I said okay. He told me my entire rear assemblies were falling apart and my cylinders were busting. He quoted me a price of $238. I couldn't afford that, but was getting ready to go to the mountains and visit my uncle so I couldn't go with bad brakes. I went shopping for a second opinon, and found the honest guy. He told me there was NOTHING wrong with the brakes, and he didn't charge me a thing! I told him I was worried because I was going up into the mountains, and he said go ahead, there's nothing wrong with your brakes. That guy got my business, and my recommendations from that day forward. Hey! I got a poster of a half naked woman in our shop. I don't pay attention to her though, just the calendar part (snickers)...I don't think I am that sleezy...lol. discretesignals wrote:Hey! I got a poster of a half naked woman in our shop. I don't pay attention to her though, just the calendar part (snickers)...I don't think I am that sleezy...lol.


Snap-On calenders are acceptable. I meant to say hanging in the bathroom, lol. I have written to the BBB and now I need to write to the DA also. I'm hoping to find a shop that can test the brake fluid for me and then I can prove that they didn't flush the system either. I guess there are a lot more dishonest mechanics out there than I realized. But if people didn't let them get away with it so often, there wouldn't be so many. Most shops are honest and legit. Of course like any trade, there are some bad apples out there.

If your car is operative when you need repairs, get 3 estimates to give yourself an idea what it really needs. Flags should go up when one tells you it needs this, this, this and that on top of what you know it needs.

Come in here and post before the repair and we can give advice.Car Repair Talk's forum.