CAR HAS 19K MILES: NEED REAR BRAKES?

Ask to see the components that are "worn", 19K sounds a reasonable distance on a set of pads to me.

Steve

I think that I'd be somewhat dis-chuffed, too but ...

My experience with RRC rear brakes is that they die from corrosion etc. of the discs due to lack of use, and that does wear pads. That is possible within four years.

On the other hand my current RRC is just running out of front pads after 52000 miles over 5 years on an auto.. Even I won't complain about that.

Is this another downside of "extended" service intervals? The garage has no way of knowing how you'll use your brakes, so if there's any doubt whether the pads will last till the next scheduled service, they've really got to replace them. Ask for the old pads, and if there's still plenty of meat on them, keep them to re-fit once it's out of warranty and they next need changing, then monitor their wear rate yourself.

Cue: sanctimonious tripe about brakes, value of life, and so on. And if the OP doesn't want to, or is incapable of, monitoring pad wear, then yes, he should pay, probably through the nose, for someone to put top-price pads on for him at almost every service.

They are saying that my brakes are 100% worn in the rear and 70% worn in the front. They also came back and told me that my Goodyear tires are 40% worn. I am really at odds with this information from the Land Rover dealer. I feel as though I am being had. I told them not to do any work on my car and just do the Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance, since my car is under warranty. They told me that the rear brake job would cost $600.00.

For a car that they say has no brakes >>I have a 2003 Land Rover Discovery with 19,000 miles on it. My car is >>still

Surely they mean just the pads ? What else can be worn out ? I'd want to see the parts they think need changing if I were you. Steve

They actually said that the rear brakes would need to be replaced and it would be $600.00 to fix. They boldly printed this on my invoice, that the front brakes were 70% worn and the rear brakes were 100% worn. I reconfirmed what they stated to me and they said the rear brakes would need to be replaced, not just the pads.

I think I am going to get a second opinion. I am hoping that it is just the pads. This is getting rediculous. I am in the process of getting this car in shape to sell it and now all of my dealer paperwork shows the brakes and tire wear incorrectly.

Steve Taylor wrote:

It's a heavy car and the brakes are worked hard but it should only need the pads replacing at that mileage. The non-asbestos pads seem to be very abrasive and I reckon to replace one set of discs for every two sets of pads whereas the discs used to last for ages. I can't see the discs being worn to the limit after such a low mileage but it could depend on the conditions in which you use the car. Did they say *why* the calipers needed replacing? Not only that but it only takes ten minutes a side to replace the pads, 600 dollars ???? I think you are being ripped off, I would definitely go for a second opinion.

Martin

Wouldn't be too surprised at the "charge like a wounded buffalo " attitude Martin. A friend in the US has just coughed up $1000 to have a radiator replaced on a RRC 3.9, on reflection it would have been cheaper for me to fly out with one and do the job on her driveway . I looked up the US prices assuming the the discs are scored that and a set of pads $224 fitting kit kit and a tin of brake fluid surely can't be above $26 so thats $350 labour and tax - so thats official we are in the wrong business or maybe wrong country.

Look at the ruddy weather barely got the Mig warmed up and had to put the kit away the Rangie may never get done at this rate!Hang on to the lights for me mate I'll be up as soon as the boat floats off the drive.

Derek

"> Wouldn't be too surprised at the "charge like a wounded buffalo " attitude

So $350 is about £180, at a Landrover Main Dealer the hourly rate is over £75/hour so that equates to less than 2.5hrs labour which is not unreasonable to change both rear disks.

Jeff

Agreed, if they are worn no argument. The dealer could be playing "they'll be worn out before the next service" card but that is different kettle of fish.

Sounds rather low to me (2001 DII), last service at 60k I had the backs done (discs and pads) for the first time. They took ages (1000 miles) to bed in, so they don't take a lot of wear. The front discs and pads where done as I got the car with 30k on the clock, they've just been done again at 72k, could probably have squeezed another few thousand miles out of 'em but the working area was several mm below the edge of the disc, sort of the "they'll need doing soon" stage.

Tyres just replaced after 30k (Scorpian S/T's, rotated each service, down to 1.6 to 2mm of tread) so 40% worn after 19k is about right to good.

In message , Oily writes

Seems odd that the rears are more worn than the fronts. Usually the other way round. Maybe there's something wrong with the fronts which is causing the rears to do most of the work. 19k over 4 years is not much usage and the calliper pistons may have seized up. I bought a set of front pads for my Defender the other day from an independent - just over 20 pounds UK, that's about 40 dollars US currently. And I was just in time, the pistons took quite a lot of freeing up. Copious amounts of brake cleaning fluid required and moving them in and out a few times and I do about 10k miles per annum.

Absolutely normal with LR's earlier(at least) rear disc-braked products in my experience. Unless you are a very hard braker and/or carry/tow heavy loads the rear brakes do not do enough work to keep the discs in good condition. See my earlier post.

Grotty discs = worn pads, pistons that move very little tend to seize. The rear brakes also seem to suffer from splash far more than the fronts.

I wanted to give everyone an update and also to thank you all for the great information I have received. I brought my car today to another mechanic who deals with Land Rovers. He is a NON-Land Rover dealership mechanic. He checked over the entire car for me today and told me that my front and rear brakes are only 1/2 worn. He did not find anything out of the ordinary about the wear on my brakes and was very displeased to hear what my Land Rover dealership was trying to make me pay and do to my car.

The Land Rover dealership had originally stated that my rear brakes were 100% worn in the rear and 70% worn in the front. They also said my tires were 40% worn and my non-Land Rover mechanic stated my tires were only 30% worn.

When I dropped the car off with him, I did not tell him what went on with Land Rover. I wanted to get his expertise and not have what they said to me in the back of his mind when he was checking it over.

I am going to put a call through to the dealership service manager and ask him why his dealership is making up fake service requirements. If I don't get a straight answer from him then I am going to corporate.

Thanks aga>>> They actually said that the rear brakes would need to be replaced and it

If that was the case you'd notice it, like not being able to stop! Braking on rear wheels only is far less effective than front. Just ask a cyclist.

I agree Dave. I have had no issues and can stop on a dime. I think they thought I would have no clue about wear on brakes and thought I would allow them to change out the brakes.

At least I get to keep my $600.00 and not pay for unnecessary work.

Take care, Nancy

Dave Liquorice wrote:

One of the big advantages of LR ownership is the network of independent experts. I had a similar problem with my VW campervan. Took it to the dealer for service/MOT and got ripped off in exactly the same way as the OP. Made them climb into the skip to retrieve the old discs and then advised them I would never darken their doors again. T

My neighbour who used to be in the trade told me they had mechanics on bonus paid to check over every vehicle in for service to look for marginal things to "advise" the customer to have done.

Hugh

In message , discoveryse7 via CarKB.com writes

In message , discoveryse7 via CarKB.com writes

Which is why the wear on the rear is generally less IME. DO Disco's adjust rear pressure according to load?