Help - Brakes rotor need replacing?

[imaz]

Hi

Car was at the dealer getting brake pads replaced and the dealer wants me to replace all 4 rotor's as well, = $1300...

They say its thin and not meeting the minimum requirement of 9mm. The car has done 40k only, is this a bug? or a recall???

They say if I dont change it and the car is involved in an accident then the dealer is not liable for it... blah blah blah.... The rotors appear fine to me and I've never heard anyone changing rotors in a 2year old car!!!!

BTW - its an LS 2006

[FOCUSonTHIS]

On my LR Zetec I changed the front pads and rotors. If the rotors are lipped I suggest you changed them

[imaz]

I asked the dealer if I can have the rotors back and they gave them to me. All four appear fine to me, to my naked eye though...

[melbzetec]

Naked eye won't be much use....you need to measure them.

In future I'd recommend RDA rotors

[atec77]

Originally Posted by imaz

Hi

Car was at the dealer getting brake pads replaced and the dealer wants me to replace all 4 rotor's as well, = $1300...

They say its thin and not meeting the minimum requirement of 9mm. The car has done 40k only, is this a bug? or a recall???

They say if I dont change it and the car is involved in an accident then the dealer is not liable for it... blah blah blah.... The rotors appear fine to me and I've never heard anyone changing rotors in a 2year old car!!!!

BTW - its an LS 2006

Disks will be less than 1/2 the quote with pads.. shop the parts then ask some friends for a BBQ , I replaced a couple of disks on the ef recently , measured some at the wreckers at $10.00 each and its legal , newdisksshould be 130 to 160 each ? new and pads 40 to 50 an axle for street pads and performance pads a little more

[imaz]

Originally Posted by atec77

Disks will be less than 1/2 the quote with pads.. shop the parts then ask some friends for a BBQ , I replaced a couple of disks on the ef recently , measured some at the wreckers at $10.00 each and its legal , newdisksshould be 130 to 160 each ? new and pads 40 to 50 an axle for street pads and performance pads a little more

yes i guess the ford dealer were a rip off with the motocraft genuine parts.... they quoted $662 for rear rotors inc pads, and the same for the fronts....

I asked them if they had revised parts or after market but they did not entertain me.... i guess once the car is out off warranty, i will change them to something else when they need changing.... like in 30k clicks away...

So the dealer had me at $1300 last friday..... ouch... cleaned my car too i guess....

was in the same situation as this :- http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/up...ay.asp?aid=628

[rand0mn00b]

Originally Posted by imaz

was in the same situation as this :- http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/up...ay.asp?aid=628

fixed the URL for you

[imaz]

thanks

[DZFord]

Originally Posted by imaz

They say its thin and not meeting the minimum requirement of 9mm. The car has done 40k only, is this a bug? or a recall???

Let me assure you, it's not a bug! My 2006 LS needed it's front discs / pads replaced at 35,000km. I've heard exactly the same from other Focus owners too. I also got a ridiculous quote from Ford (something like your quote).

Anyway, I went all out and replaced the rear pads / discs as well (figuring they would need replacing soon too). I went for DBA slotted discs and EBC Greenstuff pads, which came to about $750 all up, which has given me some really good stopping power for much less than the original Ford Parts.

As Steve mentioned, next time check out RDA or DBA and Bendix or EBC pads.

[BrisVegas]

DZFord - was that fitted or parts only?

My Focus has got 70k on it now and I want to put fresh tyres and brakes on it before the end of it's lease @ 75k. I was planning to take it to Ultra Tune and get them to do the brakes at the next service, unless someone can tell me of a cheaper place to go... I'm in Brisbane, westside.

[BrisVegas]

update - I'm getting Bridgestone Adrenalin Potenza's (205/50R17 93W) on Thursday from Bridgestone Milton for $260 each. Current promotion is a free return flight Bne -> Syd/Mel/Ade/Darwin which is pretty nice. I rang these guys a few weeks ago and the price hasn't changed, so it seems like something for nothing.

They're gonna take a look at and measure my brakes to see if they need replacing while it's on the hoist.

[DZFord]

Originally Posted by BrisVegas

DZFord - was that fitted or parts only?

Parts only. The cost of brake fitting was bundled with the spring installation, and putting the new wheels / tyres on, so I'm not sure how much it worked out to really.

[BrisVegas]

Originally Posted by BrisVegas

update - I'm getting Bridgestone Adrenalin Potenza's (205/50R17 93W) on Thursday from Bridgestone Milton for $260 each. Current promotion is a free return flight Bne -> Syd/Mel/Ade/Darwin which is pretty nice. I rang these guys a few weeks ago and the price hasn't changed, so it seems like something for nothing.

They're gonna take a look at and measure my brakes to see if they need replacing while it's on the hoist.

Got the Potenzas today and the difference between them and my tired old Goodyears is night and day! At 70,000km the Goodyears still looked ok, but were bumpy and harsh. I had an awful harmonic style vibration at around 35-40kmh. I was starting to think it was something more serious when it didn't go away after rotating the tyres at 60k. It's now gone altogether, so was obviously just a lump or something in one of the tyres.

The mechanics checked out my brakes and said they have heaps of life left in em. That surprised me a bit, especially after hearing of others saying they only got 30-40k out of theirs... I'll hold off on upgrading to the Slotted Rotors and Greenstuff pads until it's actually needed.

[20focus05]

go to after market pads
i put DBA slotted rotors allround at 40k
rear pads at the same time
I finally changed front pads at 98k
got me buggered why the rears wear faster, they are due again at 123k now.
looks like the rears have eaten into the rotors (ford pads) the fronts have shown no real wear into the rotors (bendix from 98k)
We have a manual so I use the gears for braking also.

[melbzetec]

Does the handbrake need adjustment?

I can't think why the rear would wear faster, given the fronts do most of the work. Wondering if the handbrake is partially on????

[20focus05]

that was my thought but all checks out ok
could be they dont release properly??
if so its been like it from new

[old-ocker]

Wish I had found this forum before I had a Ford dealer replace front & rear discs & pads on my 3 year old Focus with only 43,000 Km on clock at a cost of $1399.
Ford Customer Relationship Centre said this is just normal wear and tear.
I am a pensioner not a boy racer and the Focus has always been driven carefully.
I don't understand how both front & rear discs & pads would wear out at the same time.
Next time I wont go to a Ford dealer.

:togo:

[melbzetec]

Who was the dealer? Should be named and shamed

[ivorya]

Originally Posted by old-ocker

Wish I had found this forum before I had a Ford dealer replace front & rear discs & pads on my 3 year old Focus with only 43,000 Km on clock at a cost of $1399.
Ford Customer Relationship Centre said this is just normal wear and tear.
I am a pensioner not a boy racer and the Focus has always been driven carefully.
I don't understand how both front & rear discs & pads would wear out at the same time.
Next time I wont go to a Ford dealer.

:togo:

It also helps if you know someone in the trade. I went to a local Brake place here in Newcastle. While i was talking to the guy about how expensive the brakes were if i'd gone thru the dealer, he let me in with a secret, at the time, they were surplying the brakes to 'The local Ford' as they were having trouble sourcing the proper ones. It still didn't stop 'The Local Ford' from inflating the price.
If i remember correctly, it was around $500 mark for both front and rear discs and pads on our 2002 Focus. My bro and I installed them.