Submitted: 9/10/01
Modified: 9/10/01
Shortly after receiving a front brake replacement from Scottsdale's Just Brakes shop on our 1999 Durango, my wife and I heard loud banging noises coming from under the front end of the vehicle. On one occassion, my wife was unable to stop at a traffic signal and slid far into a busy intersection before coming to a halt from 35 mph.
Having these problems, we returned to Just Brakes and asked them to check the front end. On August 14 my wife returned to the same 90th Street store in Scottsdale. The Asst. Manager put the vehicle up on the lift and procceeded to tell my wife that the problem was not with the brakes so it "must be the ABS system" He advised taking the vehicle to the dealer
On August 16, a service rep from Ed Moses Dodge called me after his tech had a chance to look at the truck. I had never shared with him that we had a brake replacement and also Just Brakes second chance to resolve the problem. Even without this info, the service rep explained to me, in painful detail, the many mistakes made by Just Brakes. THese mistakes include
- using the wrong brakepads
- installing them incorrectly
- stripping and/or forgetting to install the caliper bolt thus allowing the brake to move freely
- stripping a lug stud
He went on to tell us of the safety risks involved with dribving a car in that condition including, but not limited to, brakes locking up, tire blowout from the caliper banging and rubbing and/or destruction of the wheel itself. Imagine my shock knowing we had just returned from a trip where we were travelling on highways at 75 mph with our children. Luckily, none of us incurred any serios injuries.
After receiving this shocking info from the Dodge Dealer, I called the Scottsdale Just Brakes. THe same Asst. Manager, recalling that he reviewed the car only days before, agreed to reimburse me for all of the work. Not knowing whether he could actually make that decision, I placed a call to Just Brakes corporate office. I spoke to Mr. Bob Marshall, Customer Service Manager. He also agreed to reimburse me for all of the service work needed to fix the mistakes made by Just Brakes. I faxed him a confirmation and left him a voice mail with all of the details. I had the work completed and on 8/22/01 sent, via fax and overnight mail, all of the neccessary paperwork to Mr. Marshall. My refund due is over $300 - that after paying them $160 for something that could have killed us.
Since 8/22/01, I have called Mr. Marshall 6 times looking for confirmation of his receipt of my request (although I have confirmation of delivery via the tracking number). To date, I have not received a call back.
It is my sincere wish that anyone thinking of using this Just Brakes shop think twice and get another opinion.incidentally, when I originally picked up the Durango from Just Brakes, I had them look at my Chevy Lumina minivan. The same "technician" that put my family and I at great risk, told me that I needed front brakes, rotors, etc (about $400 worth). To end this story, I will tell you that I recently had a mechanic friend of mine take a look at the van's brakes. Suprisingly, he indicated that all was well and that I probably had another 5,000 miles on my front brakes! Thankfully, I only let Just Brakes get me JUST once.
#6609
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