I took my vehicle in for a transmission fluid service and to have the tierods replaced because Pepboys was favored by my extended warranty company. The two services would have been about $300. The guy there, named Ed, wrote my service order up.
The next day we were contacted and told that one tierod was bad, but that the brakes all around the car were worn out and needed to be replaced. The price was now $600 for the work, and Ed was still uncertain about the brake rotors (all 4 of them). Later I called and he told me that all 4 rotors were out of spec, (too thin) according to the manufacturer, and that they were warped (like a bent bicycle wheel). The cost for new rotors was astronomical, bringing the total bill to nearly $950.00!!
I decided to have the tierods or transmission work done elsewhere, and that I would do the brake work myself. I bought brake pads from Advance Auto Parts in Ellicott City for $60 and installed them. It was true that the brake pads were wearing thin, since the car had about 52,000 miles on it, and they did require replacment. However, while working on the car there was no noticable warping on any of the rotors and their thickness was only 2/1000th's of an inch out of spec (we're talking the thickness of a sheet of paper here)!!! My brake rotors will be just fine, Ed.
Pepboys was trying to pull a fast one and since I am a mechanic myself, I was able to spot their trickery and saved myself almost $550.00 in unnecessary brake repairs. I strongly urge you to avoid this shop.
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