Just Brakes #24
NE Corner Coit and Campbell
Dallas, TX 75248
My Experience with Just Brakes:
During the week of Feb 24, we (my wife and I) stopped by Just Brakes to see what they would charge for repairing the front brakes on our car with 82,000 miles. Three days before the front left brake had started to squeal when braking. The manager said he would do a complete job (including pads and resurfacing the rotors) on the front disc brakes for $90 and they would do the back disc brakes for $10.
Although it sounded like a deal that was too good to be true, we said OK. He said for us to stay while they first inspected the brake system to determine if anything else needed to be repaired. (Note: brake pads from the dealer would cost $120. To resurface the rotors would be about $15 each at a rotor shop. So just to buy pads and to have the rotors turned would cost nearly $180 without labor. The dealer would do a complete brake job for $400).
After they inspected our car, they asked me to come look at the brake system and told me the master cylinder was leaking and all four brakes were shot. They said I needed all the rotors and calipers replaced. They told me how dangerous the car was to drive and that we could crash into the car in front of us at any time now. They estimated that it would cost $1388.00 to do the repairs.
I told them that the master cylinder had not been losing any fluid. They said it was a slow leak and it could give out any time. It was just ready to gush out. They had me touch my finger to a wet spot under the cylinder. I have personally replaced master cylinders on previous cars I have owned and I did not believe their statement that my master cylinder was leaking.
They reported to me that all four of my disc rotors had been ground down too far to be resurfaced (beyond specs) and were extremely dangerous now. They said the calipers were ground down by metal on metal.
I told them that I would have to delay the repair for now. They put the wheels back on and I drove away. The manager told me to be very careful since I could have a complete brake failure at any moment. The manager and the two other repairmen we spoke to were very friendly and nice. They all had horror stories about what would happen if I did not repair the brakes immediately.
I took the car the next day to our regular mechanic. The only reason we had not gone to him was we were in a hurry to get the brakes done prior to a road trip (I had thought it was a minor pad replacement job, and maybe I needed the rotors re-surfaced) and he was very busy and could not work on the car for a few days. I did not say anything to him about Just Brakes. I told the mechanic that I thought I needed all four brakes repaired and to check the master cylinder.
He said the front disk cylinders needed to be replaced (could not resurface and remain under specs): $40 each. The rear disks were rotated (not replaced they were within specs after resurfacing) and the brake pads were replaced in the front and rear. He said he replaced the pads with the best pads available. He could not find any leak in the master cylinder and the calipers were in good shape. Total cost: $296.
It is my opinion the Just Brakes shop we visited plays the Bait and Switch game. We observed this strategy and feel this is one big con shop. We will never go to another Just Brakes shop because of our experience with this one. Doing a complete brake job for $99 with high quality parts would be a great deal, but I doubt if this happens very often at Just Brakes. Also, if you venture into a Just Brakes shop, I would not leave the repairmen alone with your car. Keep an eye on what they do while inspecting the brake system. Better yet, find a reliable and honest mechanic if possible and steer clear of Just Brakes.
Since the braking system is so critical to safety, they will use this as a good scare tactic to try and have you replace as many brake parts as they can get you to agree upon. For example, any car with some miles on it, we may wonder if the master cylinder needs to be replaced. They may tell you it has a slow leak and you better replace it now before you dont have any fluid in the system and you crash. The question is, does the cylinder really have a leak or are they just pushing to charge the near $300 they estimate it would cost to replace this part (in my case). Of course, we must be careful of any repair shop because many may conduct business in this manner. Be wary of the Bait and Switch scheme disguised as an advertised $99 brake job.
This was my experience and my opinion of this particular Just Brakes shop. You may have a different experience and opinion of the one you visit. But as always, it is prudent to get a second opinion from a reliable source if you have any doubts about what a shop is telling you about needed repairs.
John
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
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