Dealership Scam?

Liberator · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:42 am **Posts:** 397

I just had my basic oil lube filter done at the 'stealership' on my 02 Sport. They try to upsell me on a visual inspection for $20 more but I said just do the OLF and when the work was completed, the tech advises me that my front brakes are at 15% and need to be replaced immediately and presses me to approve brake work.

I am very suspicious as I have no issues braking, squeeking or mushy peddle and I just got new rubber last week from a tire shop and no word of excessive brake wear etc. This is further compounded because I know the stealership did not take my wheels off to inspect since I have them locked w/ keyed lugnuts which I did not give them.

Rotors look fine.

So I said I will pass and leave.

My questions are:

does the OEM brake pads have some wear indicator which squeeks when pads are too thin to alert of replacement?

how can a tech doing a oil drain properly see my front caliper pads from under the vehicle enough to make such a recommendation? I have 245/70 on Rubi wheels.

Opinions?

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:30 am

This is why I don't get any work done at the dealer unless I suspect it can be covered under warranty. I change my own oil, rotate my own tires and inspect my own vehicle. That way no one has the opportunity to rip me off.

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Liberator wrote:

I just had my basic oil lube filter done at the 'stealership' on my 02 Sport. They try to upsell me on a visual inspection for $20 more but I said just do the OLF and when the work was completed, the tech advises me that my front brakes are at 15% and need to be replaced immediately and presses me to approve brake work.

I am very suspicious as I have no issues braking, squeeking or mushy peddle and I just got new rubber last week from a tire shop and no word of excessive brake wear etc. This is further compounded because I know the stealership did not take my wheels off to inspect since I have them locked w/ keyed lugnuts which I did not give them.

Rotors look fine.

So I said I will pass and leave.

My questions are:

does the OEM brake pads have some wear indicator which squeeks when pads are too thin to alert of replacement?

how can a tech doing a oil drain properly see my front caliper pads from under the vehicle enough to make such a recommendation? I have 245/70 on Rubi wheels.

Opinions?

They did the same to me when I was getting by LBJ recall done. The way they phrased made it should like they would do it free or super cheap. "While we have it up on the rack sir we can just replace them now and it will only take a couple extra minutes." Having only like 15k miles on her I was suspicion. Got her home took off the wheels and probably 75% of the pad left. Go figure.

They told me I only had 10% left and while it is not dangerous yet, it will be very soon. BS.

Pull off a wheel take a look for yourself

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:14 am

What is an average mileage to need to have the brakes done? I would think 15k is really soon to need new pads, but at some point, when they mention that I should probably listen to them, no?

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:25 am

I go to the dealership for warranty work only and work that I can't get done anywhere else.

For brakes I wouldn't use the OEM stuff anyway. The pads that Mopar install have a very soft pad on them (which caused a lot of dust and early wear.) Go to Midas, etc. for a second opinion on your brakes. I put in cermaic pads and new rotors and my wheels stay so much cleaner.

All pads have some sort of wear strip on them to alert the driver when it's time to replace worn out brake parts. Another indication is when your wheels are always covered with brake dust (near the end of pad life, the friction material just comes apart)

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:43 am

Just check the pad thickness through the caliper window yourself. I recently changed my own front pads-my rotors still looked new but the pad were worn ptretty low. There were no wear indicators on the stock pads I removed.

Cards81fan · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:56 am

Fortunately, I have a very good dealer nearby as far as the service department goes. They only do what I ask, and when the recall PCM flash took 2 hours to get right (the flashing machine didn't cooperate), they comp'ed my OLF and sent me a coupon for the next on free as well.

The best part? With every OLF, I get a coupon for a 9.95 OLF.

On the other hand, my coworker bought his wife a 2005 Mazda6 in Dallas, brand new. He took it to a dealer here, and they installed the electronic mirror for him. He got a card in the mail saying when his car was in it had low brake pads and he could get a deal on the service.

The car has 350 miles on it

He called them up asking about a recall or TSB on the pads, and after about 15 minutes of dicking with them and them asking what was wrong with the brakes, he then told them he didn't know but apparently they did because they sent him the farkin' card in the mail :lol:

Moral of the story? It all depends on the dealer and fortunately I found a decent CryDoJp in my area. FWIW I'd check your pads yourself.

Joe Jeep Owner · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:41 am

I have one good and one bad by me. The good one keeps giving me free lug nuts to replace the ones that the cap fell off which saves cash because they charge $6.50 per nut. The other one does much of the same listed above, always telling me I need all kinds of service work done that has either already been done or doesnt need to be done at that moment.

Unfortunatley I bough the Jeep from the bad place, not that I'm complaining because I havent had any problems but when there were a lot of hidden charges. The previous owner added every bell and whistle imaginable including having the the VIN # etched on to every window (by the dealer). This is back in 2002 when it was new, 8 months ago when I bought it, they tried to charge me $800+ dollars for that service. I said "are you crazy, I didnt request that so why am I being charged"?

I hate that and dont trust dealerships for anything major, I either try it myself or go to my own mechanic.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:17 pm

Everytime I go in for my "Free" oil and filter (got a coupon book with purchase that said I was due a free OLF every other one, they never ask for the coupon so I always tell them that THIS change is the "Other One" :twisted:

), they try to hit me up for all kinds of services. Granted I now have 3yrs & 40K on it but some of the services seem excessive. And VERY expensive. I usually come on here and ask for recomendations! This year I did all the T-case and other fluids based on what was said here.

The other thing I figured out is that they always "Look it up in the recommended services part of the owner's manual". Well, I see that there are 2 service schedules in the manual, one for "Towing, use as a taxi, constant stop and go, etc" (In other words very agressive, lots of wear and tear driving) and the other schedule is more for normal commuter driving. Guess which schedule they ALWAYS refer too?

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:19 pm

Brake pads have a metal stip placed on them by the factory when the pad gets low that is what causeds the squeeking. i cant think of any way to check brake pads with out removing the wheel cept on an 18 wheelers and aircraft we had a depth gauge we could measure the puck to see how far it had sunk in and that would tell us how much brake was left but i dont know of a car having these. I think the stealership is just F.O.S.!

Ed · **Posted:** Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:04 pm

Eddo wrote:

They did the same to me when I was getting by LBJ recall done.

This scam seems to be international, here's a post I made on our Australian Jeep Forum about this very issue;

Me wrote:

I had my front discs replaced at 22,000km whilst the KJ was in for the ball-joint heat-shield recall work. I suspected at the time (and still do) that they were taking the pi$$ and just wanted to make some money out of me since they were having to do the ball-joint work for free. I pretty much had to have it done since they wouldn't let me take the vehicle away without signing a disclaimer because it was "a safety issue". I asked to see the parts they taken off but they said they'd thrown them away. I can verify that they did put new pads and discs on, I'm just not sure it needed them. Surprisingly enough I didn't go to that dealership again and they've subsequently closed down.

The dealership told me that they've replaced KJ front discs at 16,000km, but I know of people who have managed to get 60,000km plus from theirs.

My advice is to get them to tell you the exact measurements they've taken and the minimum requirements. And then to get these verified by an independent brake specialist. Or find a Jeep service department that you trust!

valoflyby · **Posted:** Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:45 am

I had a Honda Prelude that would go through brake pads every 25k. After putting OEM pads on @ 25k, 50k, and 75k, I decided to get "lifetime" pads when I replaced the pads and rotors @ 75k.

Oh, they lasted... but @ 110k I was putting on new rotors again as the pads ate the rotos, not the pads wearing down against them. Pads still looked "new" after 35k of "wear".

Now... is this relevant? Prolly not as it wasn't a Jeep, nor were the replacment rotors Honda OEM.

- Jeff

warblade666 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:46 am

When I took my '04 sport in to the dealer for its first oil change at 3,000miles they changed the filter and added 5qts of oil..... they did NOT drain the pan!!!! I drained just over 9qts out when I found out "the hard way". Now have over 12,000miles and only go to the dealer for warrantys.

I should have let the motor blow and got a new one. who knows how much damage if any that did to the motor.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:26 am

RULE #1: Always check the work after someone else does it. I always check my oil and engine before I leave the dealers lot.

Wahoo650 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:51 am

I must be in the minority here. The dealer I bought my '02 sport KJ at new has an excellent service department. I get the coupons for $19.99 OLF, and they wash it everytime. Never more than 30 minute wait. They have done all of the servicing as well as recalls with no attempt to add or pad the bill. I just had them re-align it after Cosco mounted my new Revo's. Excellent job, resonably priced and even reviewed the results with me. Not sure if it's proper to state here, but I highly recommend Ed Tomko Chry-Jp in Avonlake, Ohio. I can honestly (sadly) say this is the first dealership I would recommend, and I've dealt with many.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:41 am

I took my 96 tracker in for a lighting problem i had, Kept blowing headlights couldnt figure out why it was under warrenty so i said what the heck let the dealership check it out. Took it in and i think they let the lot porter work on it i poped the hood to see what was done and i took a look at my headlight connectors and the guy had stripped the plastic coating off all the wires and left them bare. I was upset. When i got my KJ i took it in because the radio was messed up. they told me to bring it back in two weeks. Little did i know that during the two weeks my warrenty expired...Took a little cane raising on the show room floor but i got the radio fixed. I hate going to the dealership for anything....

jeeplikens · **Posted:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:05 pm

CarNutCertifies wrote:

Brake pads have a metal stip placed on them by the factory when the pad gets low that is what causeds the squeeking. i cant think of any way to check brake pads with out removing the wheel cept on an 18 wheelers and aircraft we had a depth gauge we could measure the puck to see how far it had sunk in and that would tell us how much brake was left but i dont know of a car having these. I think the stealership is just F.O.S.!

This sounds like printer manufactures. You buy the printer at a good price but by the time you replace all the ink tanks, it's just a cheap to buy a new printer. CONSUMABLES. IT's how they make money. My salesman sent me a nice pre-form letter and signed it (with real ink). It was pretty much a pitch that NO ONE KNOWS YOUR JEEP like the dealer and I should give them a chance to do my service. Well, I take mine to the local Sears for one reason. Well 2 reasons. 1. They use castrol oil and fram filters. 2. It's cheaper. Dealer uses vavoline which I do not like. Not sure why, its sorta like a "I don't like peas" kinda thing. Warrenty? Goes to dealer (which I've never had to go in for after 2 years of ownership, only recall visit).

Dealership Scam?

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