Brake rotors as a disposable item?

frenchyd said:

In reply to kazoospec :

It is almost standard practice that any issue regarding brakes is a major profit center to service shops. 

Hey!  they have to make their boat payments ( big smirk )  I did a brake job on my wife’s CRV ( new calipers, rotors, pads and fluid ) and she just wanted an “expert” to check it out so she took it into the dealer. $783 was their recommendation and my wife almost spent it.  It’s now been two years without a single issue.  

I put pads, rotors and flushed the fluid on my wifes 2015 Ford Edge around 30k miles. She took it to the dealer for an oil change at 33,000 miles since i was out of town at the time. She expected to wait the 45min and be done with the oil change. Guy calls her to the desk and drops a bombshell of something like $1000 for a brake service all around and that her brakes are at an unsafe level. Wife calls me on the phone crying saying that the car is undriveable and its $1000 to fix.

I went off the deep end of the pool when i got on the phone with the service advisor. I asked the service writer to facetime me on the phone and to show me these low pads and shot rotors. We facetime, tech pulls wheels off and you could hear him say "oh E36 M3". Come to find out the "service tech" and service writer just looked at the history(which we RARELY go to the dealer) so they just assumed that the truck has enough mileage to warrant new front and rear pads, front and rear rotors and a $300+ brake flush. I told them to put it back together and send my wife on her way. I complained to the BBB and left a nasty Yelp review.

I got a formal apology from the service writer, service manager and a personal call from one of the dealer heads a few days later explaining that this is the first time this has happened and they would like to offer more service on their behalf. I assured them it was the first and last time we will ever step foot in that dealer.

In reply to kevinatfms :

That is one thing I, and many of my customers, like about where I work now.  Digital inspections, with photos and videos attached.

I had someone pull that with me, had to get a brake inspection done on my truck, "your rear drums are below min. Spec. 150 to change shoes."  I had just changed them 6 months before. I had my toyota factory service manual with min spec open when talking to service advisor.  He called back, 5min later apologizing so sorry for trying to bone me.  Nowadays I would have them put it into writing then had a little chat with the ASE about fraud.

When I was running PFC97 pads, I'd usually go through two sets of rotors for every set of pads. They'd stop you every time regardless of pad temperature, so they were great rally brakes. Just a little hard on the metal.

Never been lucky enough to have a dealership try to screw me on anything. When my wife brings in her 2000 Grand Cherokee - owned since new and pristine - for service at the dealer they don't even try to sell her a new car anymore.