sarabitsy2008

I was wondering if anyone could give me any information about this issue I am having with my dealership...

At about 80,000 km I had my rear brakes, calipers and rotors replaced. The dealership told me that they were putting lifetime warranty brakes on so I wouldn't have to pay for them next time they needed to be replaced.

At 120,000 I was getting my winter tires put on. The tire guys did an inspection and told me that I needed to replace my rear brakes.

I took the car back to the dealership because of the warranty. I was told the brakes are fine but you have to have a pin replaced on your calipers. However they didn't have one they would call when it came in. I never received a call. I waited until my oil change to ask about the pin. They said yes it's in we can change it when we do the oil change.

Then they tell me that they can't change the pin the brakes have to be changed. I also find out that they didn't put the lifetime warranty brakes on the last time. They didn't have any so they put the factory brakes on and the calipers that I put on were under warranty so I would be getting a refund for them. At this point I'm frustrated. So I bring the car back in and they go to do the brake change then they realize I need new calipers as well. Of course this happens the week before easter so noone is in on Friday so they need my car for 2 weeks to make this happen. I called twice the second week they had the car to make sure the work was done and I could pick it up on Saturday. They told me the work was taking a little bit longer because one of the calipers was wrong and they had to get the right one in. (I don't know about anyone else but this happens a lot with this dealership. They order parts for a LT for some reason) Saturday morning I get the call that my car is ready to be picked up anytime.

When I get to the dealership the Service Dept was closed so I couldn't talk to anyone about the $1100 bill I ended up paying. I was pretty shocked to hear this because I was expecting to pay for front brakes only because the calipers are under warranty still. Upon closer inspection I find out they also had to replace my rotors. I was a little ticked because I wasn't told this work was being done and I had already replaced my rotors on the rear and they only had 40,000 km on them!

So today I finally heard back from the service dept. I explained that I wasn't happy about the surpise bill. I was told we're sorry we didn't tell you about that. Then I asked why the rotors had to be changed on the rear again. I was told that because of the wear the rotors had to be replaced and that the new rotors can't be machined. I was also told that everytime I have my brakes changed I have to have my rotors changed.

So my question is...
Has anyone had this issue where you have to change the rotors everytime you change your brakes? This seems really excessive to me and a bit of a money grab considering my brakes and calipers are under warranty. Did they do the work just to make money?

emiller

I'd start by reading the terms of the warranty.

Cobalt_Daddy

you should be able to turn your rotors at least once unless there was a serious issue with the brakes

i had mine replaced under warranty around 36,000km both rotors and pads on the back. brakes should not be lifetime warranty since they are a wearable item. but if a dealership agrees then get it in writing. without that you're screwed :/ sorry

sarabitsy2008

That's just it there was no issue with the brakes. They were still braking with no problems. No squeeling or vibration even. They may have needed to be changed but I'm really doubtful the rotors were ready to be changed. The only comments from the service tech was that the rotors were rusty. Would that cause issues? I'm not 100% car savy so I rely on my dealership to service my car at the proper milestones and it seems like they have no idea what they are doing either. The manual says the cabin air filter should be changed every 30,000 km the first time they changed it was at 100,000 km.

Sox-Fan

iTrader: (7)

Pm Sarah. Maybe she can help you.

Cobalt SS Network - View Profile: Chevrolet Cust Svc

Cobalt_Daddy

ya filter is at 50,000km for me on my maintenance schedule... rusty brakes? they get rust from sitting they clean themselves when you brake...

emiller

I think he was talking about around the outside where they don't contact the pads. If it got really bad you could probably rust away enough to need replacing but it would take years and a very salt happy area.

Cobalt_Daddy

you're probably right but ya it would take severe weather to make it rust that bad.. nothing a block of wood and a hammer wouldn't fix..

G Speed

Just an fyi: always get your rotors replaced... machine = $40 new = $60 example...

they aren't expensive anyways

I also think you should open up your manual, and do some things your self.. not trying to be a jerk. If you can read in the manual that it should be changed every 30k, do it your self.. takes 2 minutes max... go to canadian tire ask the peeps at the counter they will grab it for you it cost like $25 too compared to GM's $60

air filter 30 seconds

It's not the dealers job to keep on top of your maintenance, and do not rely on GM dealerships lol.. don't be afraid to ask the mechanic for alternate ways to repair something.. don't ask service advisor.. they will always tell you to buy something new even if all it needs its a bit of wd-40 lol

By the sounds of your brakes, I would if you have not already go in for I guess it's called " spring brake service".. lubricate pins etc.. then you shouldn't have the problem with your rear brakes anymore

also if pins get siezed pad won't move "inside pad most likley" rotors = rust since no contact patch is being made with inner side of rotor

I bet you drive your car in the winter :P

Coblasts

I am taking a guess here that you are female by your fourm name and you know little about cars due to your post.
And this is why your being taking advantage of by any garage you go to for repairs.
Next time you need work done take someone that knows about cars so they realize your not an easy mark.

You donot have to pay for any work that was not on the signed work order ,unless you signed a blank one or were told ahead of time ,but generally they have to phone you and get the verbal okay from you to proceed with the work.
Out right refuse to pay and ask to see the service manager.also bring a guy with you that knows something about cars.

Please don't take this the wrong way I'm just stating the facts that I've noticed over the years.
This also applies to car sales ,as I have proved this to my own sisters the last time one of them went to purchase a car.

Chevrolet Cust Svc

sarabitsy2008,

I wish I could offer to look into this further through Customer Service myself; if you would like to speak with GM of Canada (Customer Assistance for Canada), you can reach them at 800-263-3777 (Hours: M-F 7:30am - 11:30pm, Sat 7:30am - 6:00 EST).

Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

sarabitsy2008

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I think I will follow up with GM customer service. Like I said before I am not car savy that's why I rely on my dealership to help steer me in the right direction when it comes to regular maintenance. Also I have a pretty busy life so it's a lot easier for me to take my car to people who should know what they are doing. Yes I am a woman and I think that has a lot to do with how I'm treated when it comes to suff like this. I also am thinking about getting a new car for the winter and really thinking about avoiding GM all together if this treatment continues.

emiller

Don't base a decision like that on a dealership. Every vehicle brand has good and bad dealers. Dealers aren't even run by the car companies. A lot of dealerships sell multiple car brands too.

sarabitsy2008

This may be true but my car is still under warranty and I'm having a lot of issues already. Kinda losing my trust in the brand.

Tomtwtwtw

Maybe I missed it, but did the dealer tell you why your calipers needed to be replaced?

emiller

Did you read the warranty to see what is and isn't covered and for how long? You've got 120k km which is what 75kish miles? That's well outside the normal warranty. Extended warranties might not cover the same stuff as the original one.