Pahoa
Avoid this location at all cost if you care about your vehicle. Oct 3rd my girlfriend and I call in to get quoted on new brake pads and rotors. The manager Cliff quoted us at $360 for all parts and labor which he went into detail saying that'll cover everything including pins, clips, cleaners, etc. Oct 4th we go in to have this work done, and here's where it got interesting. Right out of the gate the young lady at the front desk tells us we need to have a brake inspection for $18 to figure out what parts we need. I informed her that in the past I was a state vehicle inspector, and that I am comfortable with my level of inspection so the brake inspection would be unnecassary. She argued that there's no way for them to be able to determine what service would need to be provided without the inspection. She stated it would take about 1 hour, so I aloud them to go ahead with the inspection to see what results they produce. 2 hours later as I'm watching the mechanic put my tire back on he uses and impact wrench with a standard socket to hammer my lugs tight. I walk inside and make note of this to the front desk girl who goes to tell the "master technician". He meets me promply outside with a box of torque sticks and explains this is what the other mechanic used. I was standing 15ft away and he's gona tell me what I didn't see with my own eyes. Proceed inside and the estimate is $928 for pads, rotors, calipers, and a flushing. I asked her why are the calipers listed, and she stated that due to my pads being worn down so far that they wouldn't be able to open the caliper to remove the pads being that they are and I quote her words exactly "Famatic brakes"..... Ok at this point I realize I'm not at a mechanic shop, but rather standing in front of professional scammers. She tells me that I should be familiar with "Famatic brakes" and how they can't be opened like standard "spring brakes". Dear god this was terrifying to hear knowing these people just touched my vehicle, and that a brake caliper compression tool which is custom designed for this specific task is only $6 at any parts store. Pneumatic is what I think she meant however these are hydraulic brakes in the first place. We promply left from here and called the auto parts store down the road not even 5 minutes later. $170 bought me brand new pads, rotors, gloves, grease, catalyst, and cleaner. 1hour and 45minutes later I was finished installing it myself with borrowed sockets and a scissor jack, and what do you know the calipers were just fine. I'm around 180lbs and it took me at least two jumps on the end of a 24" breaker bar to bust those "properly replaced" lug nuts off that were put on not even an hour before. Do the math and we are looking at well over 120ft-lbs of torque to tighten them down...thanks for the damage. Although they have ASE certified posted on the wall it does not apply here. As stated above avoid this shop at all cost, push your car home, or abandon it before you pull into here to avoid the headache. Amazing what can happen when you cluster a group of incompetent people into one place.
Hello there, Thank you for your feedback and for the opportunity to help you. We apologize for the longer than expected wait for your brake inspection. The first place we failed you was when we gave you a quote over the phone. We should have told you then that an inspection (no matter what type of repair) would be needed to be done before we can give you any price. This is a common practice among all dealerships. Too often customers say what they "think" they need repaired and wonder why their vehicle is still making "that" noise after the specified repair was done. Better to have a Professional look at it to verify. Secondly, I'm taking your word for it about putting your tires back on with a socket wrench, but our policy is that all tires are put back on the vehicle using the Torque sticks. They were spoken to and reminded about the proper procedures and torque specs. Sorry that you had to work at taking the tires off. Third concern you had about the "Famatic brakes"...... The saleswoman was explaining to you that your piston on your brake caliper were PHENOLIC -which is made of a plastic polymer. As a precautionary measure, they were recommending that they be replaced since the tech would be replacing other braking components. The labor for this would be the same and would have made all of the parts of the same age and usage. Often times customers prefer we do all the work at the same time. You preferred not to, which is fine. Lastly, our prices are set as a trade standard. It covers for parts & labor and all work is backed by a written warranty for 12,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Glad you got your brakes done and know enough on how to get the repair done on your own. Be safe on the roads and again, we apologize for any misunderstandings and Welcome to Hawaii! Aloha.... Anita =)
- Pahoa