This morning, 05/03 I took my Ford F-150 to Just Brakes for brakes. I got there at 7:30am. Two days earlier I had been to the Ford dealer for my oil change and they noted I needed rear brakes.
When I checked in, the young lady at the counter ask me the usual questions plus why did I think I needed brakes. I told her what the dealer said. She said ok, it will be $99.88 for all four wheels and would take between 30 minutes and 1 hours. I said I would wait. I went across the street for breakfast. I could see my truck the whole time, it never moved. I walked back about 45 minutes later and sat down. About 15 minutes later they moved my truck. There was an open bay in the front but they took it around to the back. Should have been my first clue. After about another 20 minutes this guy comes thru and says he is going to Analyze my brakes... Hmmmm clue two.
About 20 minutes later he says he was ready to go over what was needed on my truck. It has now been about two full hours since I got there. He starts off with "Your front rotors are just within limits", please keep this in mind as it is very import to the rest of this story. Have you ever been to Firehouse Subs and when you walk in the door they all yell "Welcome to Firehouse!"? Well that is what Just Brakes should do, except their mantra will be "Your rotors are just within limits", as soon as you walk in. Anyway, he then goes on to tell me how my rotors are not really safe and the bad news is that Ford has made the brake system on this truck as to where you can not turn the rotors! Plus when they remove them, this nut is not reuseable and must be replaced at $40.00 a nut. He kept going on about how Ford made the system on the F-150 so as to have to replace it, not the normal turning of the rotors. Finally he said that they could just replace the shoes and it would be safe, for now! So here comes the young lady with the price brake down. We went from a $99.88 just brakes to $890.00 major project. I really expected them to tell me they couldn't let me drive out as how this was unsafe and they could be held responsible. I was prepared for that and already the Sheriffs number in my phone to call and report a kidnapping.
I told they to replace the shoes and flush the brake lines and fluid and get me out of here. As soon as I was done I went over to Cherokee Ford to see if there was any truth to the story of having to replace rotors and not being able to turn them. When I ask the parts guy this he looked at me like I had lost my mind. I then told him the Just Brakes story. He said let's check with the service manager just in case there was something he was not aware of. The service manager confirmed that as long as the rotors are within safe limits they can be turned. The only truth part was the non-reuseable nuts, they would have to be replaced.
Bottom line, buyer beware! Just Brakes will try to rip you off. What really gets me is how they tell a lie, that is so easily checked out.
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