Should I be done with this shop?

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I have used a Toyota-specific shop for the past couple oil changes (I'm away at school). It's super well-reviewed, nearly perfect 5-stars.
I took them the Camry for an inspection after hitting a pothole (for a chirping noise) and the master tech suggested 3/4 new calipers (this, because three of the four wheels were tougher to turn; they didn't take the wheels off). The bill for this was, using aftermarket parts, $900. I, of course, was skeptical and took it to another shop, which showed me that it was simply a sticking brake pad. They cleaned up all four sides, lubed the slide pins and checked the rest for sticking. Less than 2 hours and $180 for a rear brake job (lifetime pad replacement and free labor to boot) and I was on my way. This shop is well-reviewed (4.8 stars as well) but less-polished and less nice. They are a brake specialist but also do oil changes and other work. I'm thinking I should perhaps be done with shop #1, though they seem to be good otherwise... (to be fair, I did ask them to inspect (charging $30 for this), they didn't fish for this during a free inspection)... thoughts?
 
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This gives me thought about whether the ballot box is being stuffed for customer ratings. Grew up in a tiny town in SD. Local bar had numerous ratings about how good it was. The owner's niece (who I went to school with) did numerous glowing ratings: her first name, her middle name, her nickname, etc.
 
It's the kind of thing where if it were well documented, there would be a fraud case possible.

Granted there could be details missing, but the $900 price even if their diagnosis was correct, is borderline robbery... and using aftermarket parts, there is no borderline about it, just plain robbery with criminal intent.

However even a sticking brake pad makes no sense. Hitting a pothole does not suddenly cause a brake pad to stick. "Sticking brake pad" isn't even a real thing!!

I mean it could arguably be a thing if the caliper didn't retract due to corrosion or a soft line collapse, but neither of these are related to hitting a pothole, are just severe age/wear issues.

How deep was the pothole? Odds are higher it was very deep and just bent the brake rotor dust shield and combined with the rotor and/or wheel bearing being a bit worn, cause it to rub on each rotation. Since they did the repair for a brake job without the added cost of a wheel bearing too, I'd guess they milked you for the brake job and just bent the shield back further away from the rotor.

It gets a bit comical that everyone lies but you just want to pay for the cheapest lie that gets them motivated enough to fix the real problem, lol. You know they aren't going to bill you only $20 to pop a wheel off and bend the shield back taking all of 5 minutes to do.
 
I'd stay away from that first shop for sure, they were somewhere between lazy and con artists. Simply put, some shops like to pray on college students, woman and old people, not much honor in it but a fair amount of $$$. Polished and nice mechanics overrated, go to the shop that diagnosed the problem correctly and resolved it for reasonable money. After all you drive a Camry, that's practicality with four wheels and an engine.
 
2nd opinions are often a huge wallet saver ... good on you for asking someone else.

Originally Posted by Dave9

... You know they aren't going to bill you only $20 to pop a wheel off and bend the shield back taking all of 5 minutes to do.



Some shops wouldn't even charge you ... I had a fantastic indy Japanese repair shop who would do super small stuff for free, knowing that you would probably keep coming back for bigger stuff (Which I did, many times ... ). Alas, the owner retired and sold, and the new owner is a " That will be $ 40.00 for us to look at it ... " kind of guy.
 
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The best advise I can give...

Did you like the shop prior to this incident?
Is this the first incident or have things like this been happening with your frequent visits?

If you like the shop and found it convenient to visit due to its location & accommodating for appoints/walk-ins and final results of your vehicle repairs etc. and you'd like to keep the relationship then, call the manager/dist mgr and let them know of your concerns.

And be honest with things such as how often you've visited & how long you've been a customer because the Mgr can look up your records on file and see this information. If you've only visited a few time if several years then they may be inclined to let you go to the competition as compared to keeping you as a complaining customer.

I have complained to several establishments that I have frequented over the years and have gotten good results. But, you have to complain! BE NICE ABOUT IT BUT DON'T SUGAR COAT ANYTHING EITHER. Keep notes/dates and explain the incident in some detail.

I did my complaining on their website and received some very, very rapid phone calls from the Mgr's of those establishments. In all cases, those phone calls were to a great extent. Meaning I was on the phone for 45min-hour.

These managers were very interested in what I had to say, how long I was a customer and my dislikes with how I was treated or what I was told by their employees or shop floor supervisor. Be kind and don't swear or raise your tone but firmly make your point.
 
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There are companies that businesses can hire to write fraudulent 5 star reviews for them. If you see a business with an unusually high number of reviews and all are 5 star, that's usually the case.

Most people aren't going to review a repair facility unless it's to complain.
 
Well... 3/4 new calipers could be $150 times 3 would be $450... I know on my car a caliper is $200 per one. Plus pads... 3.5 hours of labor 350 labor and 450 makes for $800... Plus tx.. IF that was truly needed... Then the quote makes some sense...

That being said... Yeah that is a rip off attempt. .. Obvious it was unnecessary that you needed calipers on 3/4 wheels.
 
I agree with the other poster that I cant see how hitting a pot hole could damage calipers, brake pads or rotors. Was the pot hole full of water? warped the rotor or something?

Wheel bearing, CV joint, tie rod, sway bar bushings year I could see that but not brakes. especially on three wheels. Then you said they did only the back brakes are the second shop. Were the drum brakes or dosc brakes, if drum brakes, the shoes might have needed some adjustment. There are no pads or rotors.

Remember that sound in your head and what direction it came from so you can later in life when you learn more about car suspension around the wheels where you think it came from. I've gotten angry about some car repairs when I was a pup that later in life I realized they completely snowed me. It was maybe 25-30 years ago. I'm just like that.
smile.gif
 
Take your invoice from shop #2 to shop #1 and show it to them,laugh in their face at their attempted thievery,and tell them have a nice life. Then be sure to leave them a negative review.
 
I wouldn't dump them yet. However; I would let them know how the competition charged and fixed the solution. Maybe the guy you had was new and the shop owner will correct things quickly. You did say you were pleased with them previous times. Ed
 
So shop #1 quoted you for new calipers and never even pulled the wheels off? I would have told them where to go and made sure every customer around heard it.
Leave your own review on every site possible. I sure hope your question on if you should be done with that shop is not serious.
 
I wonder if shop 1 was busy and didn't want / need the business? Seems wrong--a 2012 with low miles shouldn't need calipers this soon. But at the same time I could see that as a diagnosis, low miles but life in a salt region. Dunno.
 
They probably bought those reviews and are looking for some ROI.

I've never heard of a Toyota specialist shop, but a Toyota focused indie with a lot of positive reviews would be a magnet for a Toyota driving normie. The type who wouldn't bat an eye at that diagnoses and just pay them because they don't know any better.
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
I've never heard of a Toyota specialist shop, but a Toyota focused indie....
Seems unnecessary nowadays with how common Toyotas are (a shop I used to go to reminded me that my Honda Accord is just as common a Chevys and Fords) but there is an independent shop here that only works on Hondas and Acuras. He apparently stays busy enough doing it too.
 
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