Q: Were my rotors really replaced?
About three months ago, I was having an issue where my steering wheel would shake while braking. I took my car in and I was told that my rotors were warped and that they needed to be replaced. I agreed to the service, and all was well for the next couple months, but now my wheel has begun to shake in the exact same way. A friend of mine who used to be a mechanic suspects that the old rotors may have just been ground down. When looking at the rotors, I can see quite a bit of rust, which seems strange for three month old rotors. Do you think it is possible that they did not actually replace my rotors? I am a young female, and I had gone in alone, so it seems that I may have been an easy target for something dishonest. I am wondering how I should precede. Should I go back to the same place and see what they have to say? Or should I get a second opinion before letting them do anything else to it?
My car has 90000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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The vibration you are talking about can indeed be caused by bad brake rotors and solved by replacing them. However, there are a few parts of the job that, if done incorrectly, can cause the problem to return very soon. The mounting surfaces on the hub have to be thoroughly cleaned before installing the new rotors. The wheel nuts have to be carefully tightened using a torque wrench or similar device to ensure that the nuts are tightened evenly and not overtightened. Finally, the new brakes have to be properly "bedded in" by the technician driving the car and working the brakes hard until they are nearly overheated then allowed to cool down. Any of these steps may have been skipped by a technician who is trying to finish quickly so he can make more money. I think that is far more likely than the idea that they charged you for rotors they didn’t install.You should absolutely return to the dealer where you had the work done. Most dealer service departments will warranty their work for six months or six thousand miles some will go as long as a year. You are entitled to satisfaction with their work. In the future, if you don’t want to work with the dealer. Contact YourMechanic to have a technician come out to your home or office to service your car right there on the spot.
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