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Uggg...I am so upset. I got my rear brakes on my car replaced because brake lights came on the dash. It turns out my brake pads were just fine but someone had damaged wear indicator sensor intentionally.
To start from the beginning, last October when I took the car in for inspection, mechanic told me that my car would not pass inspection without changing front brake pads and he quoted $500. When I protested, he said BMW parts were not cheap and that dealers would charge a lot more and it's just cost I should expect to pay for driving such car. I reluctantly agreed. Then with cold weather coming, I garaged the car and did not take it out of garage until past week. My car is rear wheel drive so in the winters, it's not very fun or safe to drive.
I noticed that rear brake light service on when I started up the car last weekend (for first time since I garaged the car in October) so I purchased needed parts and found another local mechanic who agreed to replace the pad for a flat $50 fee if I brought in my parts. Upon removing old pads, he told me there was practially no wear on the pads and he could not understand why the light had come on. He changed the drivers side pads and when he went to change passenger side, he called me over to show me broken wear indicator. He explained that he had never seen wear indicator break off from the brake like that and that it looked like someone had intentionally broke it so that lights would come on. He said sometimes repairs shops will bend such indicators and with time and heat of brakes, sensitive parts like that will break apart.
The mechanic then asked if light had come on for the front brakes before job was done previously, and if the other mechanic had shown me bad brake pads. Boy, did I feel dumb when he asked these questions.
Since he had already installed the other side, I had him replace passenger side and complete the job but it cost me $50 for the pad and new wear indicator plus possibly scammed $500 for a job that may have never been done or not needed. I am however, not sorry I spent $50 on a new mechanic and I even tipped him $10 for showing me what crooked shop I was dealing with. Two lessons I am walking away from this is that 1) I will make sure repairs are needed by asking more questions and demand to see parts taken out of my car, and 2) get state inspections done at shops that only do inspections and not general repair shop.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
To start from the beginning, last October when I took the car in for inspection, mechanic told me that my car would not pass inspection without changing front brake pads and he quoted $500. When I protested, he said BMW parts were not cheap and that dealers would charge a lot more and it's just cost I should expect to pay for driving such car. I reluctantly agreed. Then with cold weather coming, I garaged the car and did not take it out of garage until past week. My car is rear wheel drive so in the winters, it's not very fun or safe to drive.
I noticed that rear brake light service on when I started up the car last weekend (for first time since I garaged the car in October) so I purchased needed parts and found another local mechanic who agreed to replace the pad for a flat $50 fee if I brought in my parts. Upon removing old pads, he told me there was practially no wear on the pads and he could not understand why the light had come on. He changed the drivers side pads and when he went to change passenger side, he called me over to show me broken wear indicator. He explained that he had never seen wear indicator break off from the brake like that and that it looked like someone had intentionally broke it so that lights would come on. He said sometimes repairs shops will bend such indicators and with time and heat of brakes, sensitive parts like that will break apart.
The mechanic then asked if light had come on for the front brakes before job was done previously, and if the other mechanic had shown me bad brake pads. Boy, did I feel dumb when he asked these questions.
Since he had already installed the other side, I had him replace passenger side and complete the job but it cost me $50 for the pad and new wear indicator plus possibly scammed $500 for a job that may have never been done or not needed. I am however, not sorry I spent $50 on a new mechanic and I even tipped him $10 for showing me what crooked shop I was dealing with. Two lessons I am walking away from this is that 1) I will make sure repairs are needed by asking more questions and demand to see parts taken out of my car, and 2) get state inspections done at shops that only do inspections and not general repair shop.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
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