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Brake pad guarantee


stan
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5 months ago I had to replace all 4 brake pads on my 4x4, which I did at a known garage chain here in France. Today I had all 4 tyres replaced at another garage following an advisory during a recent CT.

The tyre fitter today has issued another advisory saying that the rear brake pads are worn down and need replaced. He did not seems to believe that the pads were only 5 months old.

I take it brake pads, as with most new car parts are subject to some guarantee? Or due to the high wear and tear, brake pads are not so guaranteed?

I am just picking readers brains on this before I go back to the outlet to complain.

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Now that brake pads are not made using asbestos they wear differently, they're harder, and the discs wear more as a result. It is usual now to have to replace the discs at the same time as the pads. If the discs were not replaced then the pads would have had a high rate of wear as they bedded-in to the part-worn discs. 

I assume that you meant all 4 sets of pads, and not just 4 single pads? There are 2 pads to each wheel brake caliper, so that's 4 pairs. 

It would be worth jacking up the car and removing each wheel in turn so that you can check the thickness of the remaining pad friction material yourself.

I doubt that any guarantee will cover abnormal wear, it's more likely to cover manufacturing defects.

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[quote user="sid"]

Now that brake pads are not made using asbestos they wear differently, they're harder, and the discs wear more as a result. It is usual now to have to replace the discs at the same time as the pads. If the discs were not replaced then the pads would have had a high rate of wear as they bedded-in to the part-worn discs. 

[/quote]

All depends on make! A Renault went through two complete sets necessitating disc changes, with the "environment" being the so called cause of the premature wear.[:-))]

Another make of vehicle used in the same "environment" did not suffer the same extent of wear, nor require disc changes.

4x4 used daily in an off-road capacity recently had a change of pads for the first time. Discs measured as a matter of course by the garage, and no noticeable wear recorded.

Are the replacement pads a manufacturer's part or an off-the-shelf 'budget' buy?

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Time is not the important factor but mileage is - I drive my car about 25,000 miles per year so in 5 months cover 11k to 12k miles whereas my wife drives about 2,500 miles so in 5 months 1,100 to 1,200 miles.

I very much doubt though that in 5 months you have driven far enough to have gone through a set of pads.

One question is did they actually change the old ones or were you just charged for them - this certainly goes on in Uk garages, the mechanic can then use the parts on a 'private job'.

In my experience discs do not always require changing often - changed the fronts on a LR Discovery for the first time at 150k and a Rover 75 that I sold at 220,000 was on the original discs.

Paul

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Get into the habit of checking them yourself, never take the word of a garagiste as gospel, one of them is not being truthfull with you.

Many many garages especially of the fast fit franchised type routinely advise brake pads 75% worn or shock absorbers dangerously innefective just to boost their profits, in fact its a standard invoice line that can be called up in one click.

A friend who is a chauffeur had the following experience with the Skoda that I now own, he does a lot of miles and had to have the main dealer servicing in the first years for the warranty, he had changed all the brake pads his-self the night before leaving the car for service. The invoice said front brake pads 75% worn, he told them he had recently changed them and they said ah but you do a big mileage, how many miles have they done, 3 miles was his reply and he dragged the foreman out to show him, he gave a knowing resigned expression.

My friend lost it and started demanding that the mechanic be sacked, I told him that he was angry with the wrong person, its the guys in these garages that never get their hands dirty that do the dirty work.

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[quote user="sid"]

I assume that you meant all 4 sets of pads, and not just 4 single pads? There are 2 pads to each wheel brake caliper, so that's 4 pairs. 

[/quote]

It was 4 pairs, pads for all 4 wheels. I don`t think they were budget ones either as it was just over 200€ to have all 4 pairs replaced. I did`nt see them do the work either as I left and collected the car when finished. I have checked for the receipt/guarantee and seems to have misplaced it, so stuffed anyway, however I will go back to the outlet that changed the pads and ask them to check, possibly asking for a duplicate "facture" as I know the exact date they were changed. Thanks to all who replied, much obliged.

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You should also be aware of Fake Brake Pads, made in Çhina and sold in identical boxes to large reputable companies. Some garages do buy this crap to save a few Euros.

They are everywhere along with fake Spark Plugs, Injectors, Water Pumps, Gasket Sets, etc, etc.
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[quote user="Chancer"]

My friend lost it and started demanding that the mechanic be sacked, I told him that he was angry with the wrong person, its the guys in these garages that never get their hands dirty that do the dirty work.

[/quote]

Not so, and I have told this story in another post.....

I was in a Ford garage parts department and a mechanic came to the parts guy with a new set of plugs 'I did not need these on that car, can I change these for a set for a (cannot remember the model).

I can only take this as being that the owner of the car that was being serviced would be charged for a set of plugs that the mechanic fitted to either his own car or a 'private'.

Also just because you paid 200 euros does not mean that good quality components were fitted.

Paul

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[quote user="Bugsy"]You should also be aware of Fake Brake Pads, made in Çhina and sold in identical boxes to large reputable companies. Some garages do buy this crap to save a few Euros.

They are everywhere along with fake Spark Plugs, Injectors, Water Pumps, Gasket Sets, etc, etc.[/quote]

Even the dealerships and main agents have been fooled in the past.

These were appearing in VW garages a couple of years ago http://www.thetradepartsspecialists.co.uk/pdf/Counterfeit_Brake_Pads.pdf

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[quote user="PaulT"][quote user="Chancer"]

My friend lost it and started demanding that the mechanic be sacked, I told him that he was angry with the wrong person, its the guys in these garages that never get their hands dirty that do the dirty work.

[/quote]

Not so, and I have told this story in another post.....

I was in a Ford garage parts department and a mechanic came to the parts guy with a new set of plugs 'I did not need these on that car, can I change these for a set for a (cannot remember the model).

I can only take this as being that the owner of the car that was being serviced would be charged for a set of plugs that the mechanic fitted to either his own car or a 'private'.

Also just because you paid 200 euros does not mean that good quality components were fitted.

Paul

[/quote]

Could there not be a simple explanation not involving diddling.

Perhaps said mechanic had several jobs on at the same time ,one of which required the spark plugs he was asking for.
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