Did I really need front brakes that Toyota recommended?

Surprised you needed clarification on a simple statement.

 

223k miles and did brakes only once about four years ago.

 

Id show the service manager and give him an ass chewing for them flat out lying to you then ask for the gm and show him the thief mechanic that’s working for them. That’s bullshit.

 

I left a Google review and messaged the service manager, we will see where it will go not that I’m trying to go anywhere with it just trying to make a point .

 

Forget about it and get some sleep. Not trusting someone else to work on their trucks is one of the main reasons people do their own repairs.

 

Because it's all related and you know it. Your 50% rule is horseshit as has been said, AS IS passing the buck to Corporate on a possible warranty issue instead of honestly telling the customer that the dealer isn't going to get reimbursed by Corporate. You're looking to maximize profits as a priority over providing good service to your customers.

 

I worked in a few different car dealers and indy shops and saw this more than a few times. They came in with a I think i hear something or my brakes are starting to feel funny.

 

Being a former Toyota mechanic. No reputable mechanic would have suggested those needed to be replaced. Your explanation has to why you would recommend they be replaced is completely bullshit.

 

He's not saying the dealership was right. He was explaining the mindset of how service writers should be operating. I told many customers when their tires and brakes were at 4-5mm as a point of reference so that when they came back in 1-2 service intervals, they weren't floored by a $1000-$2000 quote, yelling and screaming that "well you never let me know about this at my last service!!!" and crushing the writer's CSI. Obviously the OP's dealer should not have recommended brake replacement but rather stated the current wear measurement (which they were, again, incorrect on), in order for the customer to make an informed decision.

If handled correctly, that shop would've gained the OP's trust that they were truly doing a multi point inspection and that they respect his time, money, and loyalty in order to come back for a bigger service in the future.

Matt

 

I don't blame you - I've done the same, but it does no good. All of the Toyota dealers in my area(and others) have a customer service rep that responds to the 1/2 star reviews. The usual "we're so sorry you're not happy, please call me as xxx-yyy-zzzz so we can discuss this further" follows the vast majority of these threads. I never received an sort of resolution, just a bunch of lip service. The whole idea behind this is to create the illusion the dealer is actually concerned. If no response were given, you would know w/o question that is the case. The dealers response to poor reviews appeases the majority of naïve people who use a dealership for service and not just warranty/recall work which does less to expand the balance in their bank account.

 

I have always wonder how they are able to tell the wear without pulling a wheel off. I will say my dealer got me too. I went in for some AC trouble and they told me that my brakes were worn and needed replacement. Didnt have the time and wanted to do them myself so I ordered all the parts on Amazon and had them delivered to the house. Pulled the pads and compared them to the new ones. Had about 60% life left in the pads. Cost me 200 bucks but much better than the 1,000 quote. To add more insult to injury they told me the rear drums needed adjustment. Well they to Toyota specs so...........

 

Hmm, they told me my drums also needed to be adjusted. After seeing my pads who knows if I do?

 

I'm going to agree with this. Us guys that maintain our own trucks would let it go and make a mental note of this. Average Joe motorist put maintenance off until there's a failure. Then they bitch and moan about it. I too worked for dealerships. And yes they are overpriced and upsell you, but in the case of those pads IMHO it was the right call.

 

Except....
Tacoma’s would never go from 50% to grinding in 20k miles. More like 40k so recommending replacement at 50% is a scam. There is no justifiable excuse for it and yes I worked at a dealership.

 

^ This is why you NEVER, EVER, NEVER go to a stealership for service ^ Over the years I've found a small number independent mechanics to do those jobs I don't want to/can't do. Word of mouth is how you find these guys, because they don't advertise. My father in-law was one of them. He was Abe Lincoln honest and had people standing in line for him to work on their cars. RIP Bill.

A while back I had to do a repair job that needed special tools. For the same cost as having someone else do it I bought the tools and did it myself. Rinse and repeat and before long you have all the tools required to do just about anything around the garage and house.

 

Dealers are thieves.

My son has a Honda C-RV, at 20 K they told him he needed new tires. He drives like a Grandmother. I looked at the tires when he came home one weekend, probably 80% tread remaining, sides were not even feathered a tiny bit. He probably has 50K left on them the way he drives.

Same with front brakes, they are 80% plus if not closer to 90%. They told him he was getting close to needing replacement.

 

Regarding your scenario 2:
If a set of pads wears out from 50% to nothing in 20k (or even in 16k), then from brand new it should have lasted 40k or maybe just 32k. What brand of brakes is that, I wanna know to avoid that kind. Lmao

 

Bro are you in Jacksonville?! Lol Coggins did some shot like that to me on my wife’s 4Runner, I declined the brake change from them and questioned the service adviser if I really needed new brakes at 40k miles! I pulled the tires later and looked at them and they had over 50% left!

 

As It seems to be the same at most all stealerships, does the dealerships just hire dishonest people, or do they hire regular folks & train them to treat the customers this way? I would bet they are trained.