Rear brakes - go from good to terrible in 5k miles?

[BigOleFordFan]

Well, assuming everything else is as it should be, brakes do NOT just wear out in 5K miles, period ! I have over 30K on my current set (which admittedly are top of the line ceramic pads & drilled/slotted/coated rotors), and they still stop my Expy on a dime, even from 65MPH to zero....so something else is suspect in this case...

And over the past 3 years, I've dealt with 3 different stealerships, and 2 of them were so-so, but the last one was pretty good. They explained the issues & the solutions to me and told me what it was gonna cost upfront....which turned out to be about $50 less than they originally quoted, due to some of the parts going down in price recently (wow, what a shocker there !)

When I went to pick it up, they had ran it thru the wash & vacummed the interior, and gave me a huge 66 page printout showing all of the extensive diagnostics they had ran & the results of same...and pulled my vehicle up to the main service dept entrance... neither the 1st or 2nd one did any of this, but merely handed me a short invoice & my keys, and walked me up to the cashier's desk...

Guess which one I will go back to if needed

On a side note, for my 2x GM vehicles, I have a well-known, certified GM specialist shop that I have been going to for almost 20 years, and they are always faster & way, way less expensive than any stealership could ever hope to be, so there's that !

 

[hokie98]

As a follow up, I sent an email the address on the form letter saying "we hope your service was great" attached to my invoice. I explained that my vehicle was in there literally 5010 miles ago, and I went from "green" on brakes to needing rotors. I would have preferred to change the brakes 5k miles ago saving me for almost $400 for rotors. The service dept manager called me. He apologized and acknowledged clearly they dropped the ball - my brakes should have been identified as needing replacement soon. He's refunding me the cost of the rotors, which was unexpected, I didn't ask for anything. It was a decent gesture. I told him if anything, I was expecting at a dealership to be upsold on service, but quite the opposite was happening - I wasn't being made aware of essential maintenance. I still think they suck. ;-)

 

[hokie98]

Well, assuming everything else is as it should be, brakes do NOT just wear out in 5K miles, period ! I have over 30K on my current set (which admittedly are top of the line ceramic pads & drilled/slotted/coated rotors), and they still stop my Expy on a dime, even from 65MPH to zero....so something else is suspect in this case...

And over the past 3 years, I've dealt with 3 different stealerships, and 2 of them were so-so, but the last one was pretty good. They explained the issues & the solutions to me and told me what it was gonna cost upfront....which turned out to be about $50 less than they originally quoted, due to some of the parts going down in price recently (wow, what a shocker there !)

When I went to pick it up, they had ran it thru the wash & vacummed the interior, and gave me a huge 66 page printout showing all of the extensive diagnostics they had ran & the results of same...and pulled my vehicle up to the main service dept entrance... neither the 1st or 2nd one did any of this, but merely handed me a short invoice & my keys, and walked me up to the cashier's desk...

Guess which one I will go back to if needed

On a side note, for my 2x GM vehicles, I have a well-known, certified GM specialist shop that I have been going to for almost 20 years, and they are always faster & way, way less expensive than any stealership could ever hope to be, so there's that !

THIS, right here!! That last dealership is providing a relationship and a customer service experience. And to your point, you'll return. You feel valued when you leave. How much does running a car through the wash and maybe a quick vacuum add to their overhead? Probably not much, but adds a nice value to the customer experience.

 

[Ugh_J]

As a follow up, I sent an email the address on the form letter saying "we hope your service was great" attached to my invoice. I explained that my vehicle was in there literally 5010 miles ago, and I went from "green" on brakes to needing rotors. I would have preferred to change the brakes 5k miles ago saving me for almost $400 for rotors. The service dept manager called me. He apologized and acknowledged clearly they dropped the ball - my brakes should have been identified as needing replacement soon. He's refunding me the cost of the rotors, which was unexpected, I didn't ask for anything. It was a decent gesture. I told him if anything, I was expecting at a dealership to be upsold on service, but quite the opposite was happening - I wasn't being made aware of essential maintenance. I still think they suck. ;-)

I've had Ford dealers do this a few times for various things, always after I left a bad review on the service rep or the dealer. It's WEIRD they care so much AFTER you catch them doing something stupid, incompetent, or inconvenient. I can't decide if it's general incompetence (I have a fair bit of evidence that their service reps don't know their ass from their elbow) or that they just have too much going on to be able to pay enough attention to what the customer is telling them. The last time I went in to have the cam phasers and new transmission done on mine, they had a line of cars several deep trying to get into the service line, and the reps all had that harassed Walmart Returns cashier look about them. The odd thing is I had one service manager give me his card with his personal cell phone on it and said to just call him instead of the regular number to get service work done. I never had this kind of trouble getting service done on my 2007 Dodge Charger R/T I had for 8 years, but then it never NEEDED major engine or transmission service, either. SO DAMN FRUSTRATING.

 

[Fastcar]

Most should be aware that the real money is not in selling cars but at the back repairing them.

 

[JayB66]

My local dealer's service dept is terrible.

Unless you have a maintenance/warranty service plan or you run across one of those "Dealer only" service issues, Don't use a dealer service dept. Find a local shop with good word of mouth reviews. I had been using my local Pep Boys, but they got a new manager, and the customer service went to ****.

 

[Knut]

My personal experience with brakes.
2019 XLT Max with HD tow package.
I have my tires rotated at a tire store twice a year, and they never mentioned anything about my brakes. (not that it is their job to do it either). I was checking the brake rotors from the outside, reaching in and feeling the rotors to see if I could feel any groves or other indications of brake/rotor wear. Thinking if they are good on the outside they are good on the inside. Nothing.

Then all of a sudden one day I see a lot of brake dust on my rear wheel. First look from the outside and rotors are fine. Worried I have something really bad going on, I pulled the wheel and lifted the caliper.
WOW......
Both rear wheels. Outside brake pads about 1/2 life left and outside of rotor is fine.
Inside on both sides, break pads completely gone and inside of both rotors are grooved to point of no reuse.

I ordered new break pads and rotors off Amazone for about $300 and changed it myself.
Not a overly difficult job, BUT you have to make sure you put the car into service mode. Otherwise, you will not be able to push the piston back into the caliper and you'll most likely be calling a tow truck to bring it to a car repair.

 

[sjwhiteley]

I just replaced the front pads and rotors (vibration) and they were at around 1/2 depth after 53k miles. Replaced the rears at 50k. The rears were almost all gone on the inside pads. Outsides looked like there’s a few thousand miles left, but I’d flag them as ‘attention required’.

A visual inspect is required on the pads both inside and outside, which requires the wheel to be off to get a clear view.

 

[3rd Expyowner123]

Have to second Honkie98’s comments regarding Honda. Have a 2019 Accord and my experience with maintenance has been outstanding. Can make appointment for oil change, they rotate tires complementary and check brake pads. They even check wheel alignment on a complimentary basis. My car is always on washed and completed in typically one hour. Maintenance cost significantly lower than my 2018 Expedition. Sure wish Honda made a big tow machine like the Expy.