Brake Pads & Dealer Issues

pghRX8 · 10-25-2005, 04:25 PM

Hey guys, I think I may have just gotten the run around from my dealer. My 8 is in to get inspected, oil change, and the two latest recalls (fuel tank and lower ball joint). I currently have ~ 27k miles on the car.

The dealer calls me up today, and recommends replacing the air filter and the brake pads. Air filter - no problem I know I should have a new one in there at this point. Brake Pads - he tells me it’s going to pass inspection the way that it is, but that they are very close to wear limit. He says it’s going to be roughly 240.00 to get fixed....I tell him to go ahead and do it...

20 minutes later he calls me back and asks where I keep the wheel lock??? So naturally I think, how does he know I need new brakes if the wheels haven’t even been off yet??

I get a bit pissed...tell him to hold off on the brakes, just do the oil, air filter, inspection and recalls...

I know that the pads wear at different rates due to driving/braking style, but what is the average lifespan of the pads?

Would you all have been as skeptical as me if this happened to you?

-D

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expo1 · 10-25-2005, 04:36 PM

I have put over 40,000 miles (plus track time) on an early set of pads and still have them on. By early I mean I have a 5/03 build. These are supposed to be the pads that squeal but I have not had any problems with them. The only way I know of the dealer could have checked your pads without removing the wheels is with one of the mini cameras on a flexible stick, I doubt they did that. Ask to see the pads yourself before you pay for new ones @ 27,000 miles. FYI it's not hard to change them yourself.

legokcen · 10-25-2005, 04:42 PM

Yes, he's trying to put on over on you. He should have removed your wheels to check the brakes.

Fanman · 10-25-2005, 04:57 PM

27K miles on a set of brake pads is not bad. It could be that they do indeed need to be replaced, but usually you need to take the tires off first, so I agree he is just giving you a standard schpiel. For that price get a nice set of Hawk HPS brake pads, & Goodridge SS brakelines.

knight7 · 10-25-2005, 09:04 PM

wasnt it a thread about the brake pads and getting them replaced free anyways??? i think i saw it before i just cant find it, i got to change my brakes they makin noises but i only got 9,000 miles had the car over a year.

pghRX8 · 10-25-2005, 10:27 PM

thanks for the reply guys, i thought i might have been experiencing something a bit shady....

oh and if you can find any info on a recall that replaces the pads i'd love to hear it and take that to the dealer. i dont remember getting that one in the mail...

Think i should report something like this to north america sales ops??

-D

ECHO1 · 10-25-2005, 11:15 PM

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ins_index.html

info on all recalls and tsb's.....

RX8CaliGirl · 10-26-2005, 01:26 AM

Definitely shady, pgh. Nice catch. I would think the pads last at least 35k (depending on how you drive, though). In L.A. traffice, mine is pretty worn out and I'm around 30k.

Go48 · 10-26-2005, 04:51 AM

There is an inspection port on the brake calipers that allow you to more-or-less see the thickness of the pads--not measure, just inspect visually. So theoretically, they could have done a visual inspection without removing the wheel to determine that you needed new pads. In my opinion, you should not need new pads at that mileage unless you are very hard on the brakes.

My guess is that they were just upselling you something you really don't need. Many dealers do that on a regular basis. That is an unethical practice!

They particularly prey on women and people who are not knowledgable about cars. They only do it once with me. Find another dealer for future work.

Roaddemon · 10-26-2005, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knight7

wasnt it a thread about the brake pads and getting them replaced free anyways??? i think i saw it before i just cant find it, i got to change my brakes they makin noises but i only got 9,000 miles had the car over a year.

Yes, there is a TBS out on squeaky brakes http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ins_index.html. I had mine replaced under warranty both front and back at 8k.

pghRX8 · 10-26-2005, 08:51 AM

Thanks for the link to the brake pad repair service bulletin. It does apply to my VIN number.

I called the dealer up, told them my brakes squeak, that this applies to me and i would like the replaced for free.

Initially they refused, told me that they are worn and they wont fix them. I said, they brake pads are still legal and pass inspection, so they are not worn to the point of needing replaced, this is a service bulletin issued from Mazda, that applies to my vehicle, which is under warranty and i would like them replaced.

He said someone else would need to call me back. It looks like this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

Thanks again for all the replies and the links to the service bulletin

-D

MI_FamilyMan · 10-26-2005, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pghRX8

Thanks for the link to the brake pad repair service bulletin. It does apply to my VIN number.

I called the dealer up, told them my brakes squeak, that this applies to me and i would like the replaced for free.

Initially they refused, told me that they are worn and they wont fix them. I said, they brake pads are still legal and pass inspection, so they are not worn to the point of needing replaced, this is a service bulletin issued from Mazda, that applies to my vehicle, which is under warranty and i would like them replaced.

He said someone else would need to call me back. It looks like this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

Thanks again for all the replies and the links to the service bulletin

-D

Just tell the dealer that you will take your business elsewhere if they do not want to service your vehicle. I had zero resistance from my dealer to replace my front brake pads (the TSB only applies to fronts) and not only do these pads no longer squeak, but they have maybe 10% of the dust the original pads. Nice improvement. Good luck in your pursuit of new pads...

L8APEX · 10-27-2005, 07:17 AM

go to a different dealership. they may show on your service record that they recommended replacing the pads, which could make it harder to get them to replace them under the TSB.

I had mine replaced under that TSB, and now have about 25K on them, and they are basically done. But I am pretty rough on them, so that may not be a good gauge of lifespan.

Jaguar_MBA · 10-27-2005, 07:51 AM

My car has ~21k miles on it and the brakes pad are maybe half worn.