Brake pad replacement- is this a rip off?

OP, you might have better luck leaving a bad review of the shop on Google or Yelp. IMO the time to dispute the charges was when you picked-up the vehicle.

Sadly some (not all) shops do stuff like this. A few years ago a woman I used to work with took her car into a local tire shop (on my recommendation) for a flat repair and was told her front brake pads were so low they would call the Police if she drove it out of there. She called their bluff and left. She brought it over to my house and I checked the brakes and they we’re fine; easily 50% pad left. I sent the owner of the shop a text with a pic of the ‘worn-out’ pad next to a new replacement pad I’d picked up in case the car actually did need brakes. He denied everything, saying that his shop puts safety first. I never spent another dime there.

 

Pads, Shoes, Rotors and Drums have minimum thickness specifications.

If these parts are below minimum thickness, then replace (or turn).

Many times, it is more cost effective to replace the rotors (or drums) than it is to turn them.

The shop should be able to prove the minimum thickness is exceeded. If they can't or won't, then move on or dispute. Reality, this needs to occur BEFORE the work is performed.

Once the work is performed and you refuse to pay, the shop can refuse release of the vehicle or place a lien against it.

Always, ask for the return of the used parts.

Trust but VERIFY.

 

Remarkable coincidence that the cost to turn equal the cost of new rotors ...
hmm - less shop time and some profit on the rotors plus the shop time to install.
Seems like a good deal for the shop.

 

I'm just a backyard wrencher but I can't remember the last time I actually took a set of Rotors to a shop to be turned. For me it's easier just to buy a new set of rotors when I need them.

My local O'Reilly's has a brake lathe, but by the looks of it, it's used very rarely. I'll ask sometime how many of their employees even know how to use it.

 

If you take a pic from the rear of the caliper (the opening where you install/remove the pads from) with the camera facing the front of the truck It will give a better view of the meat on the pads.

 

I just replaced my factory rotors and pads at 155k miles. Still had some pretty good pad left but they were starting to groove on inside where rust lip was forming on rotor.

Got the Advics brand from Rock Auto. Exact same as OEM. All in, I think I spent $250 and an hour of my time. Easy peasy. No special tools required.

 

I rarely ever deal with rotors unless they are warped and I do not get smooth braking only been a few times where I needed to have rotors turned or replaced. Maybe I’m just not picky enough. I suggest you get another opinion if you’re not gonna do the work yourself that’s all I’m saying.

 

On any of the cars I have owned (11 Toyotas) when it comes time to replace rotors, I buy drilled, slotted rotors. I have never had to replace one of them. They run cooler and will not warp as easily. They are not much more in cost than regular rotors.

 

Not sure he'd be successful on a credit card dispute.
Did you get what you paid for (pads & rotors)? >>>>>>Yes
Are they defective? >>>>>>No
End of case

CC disputes are not for issues of "could you have got the product cheaper somewhere else" or "is their hourly labor rate excessive" or "did the buyer not do their homework first". As another poster said, in most states they can put a mechanics lien on the truck and recover that plus interest when you get ready to sell or trade.

Best bet is directly with the shop owner for partial reimbursement, especially when you take those rotors with you and show him. Just my opinion.

 

tacoma fronts are usually good to 45-60k rears about 175-200k. The pictures you posted have a ton of life left. check them at 70k

 

no bueno off road, they trap dirt and grime. Also you cannot turn drilled nad slotted. drilled and slotted are more prone to cracking. I run brembo solid vented rotors

 

I had pulsating brake at 52k miles. Pads was at 5mm. I replaced rotors and brakes. It was $370 total all dealer parts. Rotors $119 each. Probably could of turned them but I rather have new. Tacomabeast had their performance set for $230. I should of went that route. Can’t imagine how much that would of cost with labor at the dealer. Good thing I know how to do everything myself.

 

i just replaced mine at 65k and just the pads, no issues with rotors and you don't have to cut the rotors when you replace pads, only when they are warped or have edge grooves worn into them from the old pads. i still had probably 10-15k miles left on them, but i work out of state and just wanted to replace them.. only cost me $125 and did them myself in less than 1.5 hours

 

I see about 5-6 mm pad thickness there. New pads are what 8-9 mm. U got ripped IMO. And if the rotors didn’t vibrate when brakes applied they weren’t warped. What a shame that there are shops out there doing this

 

2500 pads start out at about 12 mm thickness. They do last a long time because of this.

 

@brian2sun @DJFriar @patos tacoma Hmm, I thought you guys said that they only targeted women to rip off?

 

Why do you think since I have said women are obviously targeted a lot to be taken advantage of in lots of different industries, that men can’t ever be? Just because one thing happens does not mean something else doesn’t. Logical fallacy right here.

 

on another vehicle I have, I called two local shops and auto parts stores to check on pricing to resurface my rotors. 35 each. New lifetime rotors at Autozone were 51 each, it was a no brainer to replace them.

 

When there is no wear on the rotors from the brake pads I just change the pads and keep going. The trick is not letting your pads wear down to the point they start to damage the rotors. My 04 Corolla had the original rotors and I went through 3 sets of pads. The car had over 160000 on it when I let it go. Mostly highway miles.
Just did the same thing with my 13 Sienna. Changed the pads early last year and still running the same rotors. My nephew who is a mechanic said as long as the rotors dont warp or wear out for other reasons he told me to keep doing it. Its important to make sure the other related hardware is in good shape as well and dont let those pads wear all the way down. Mine have seated just fine.
I was working at a Ford dealership recently and watched them sand blasting the brake rotors and charging customers to do it claiming it was necessary to prevent them from rusting. From what I saw that service does nothing except make you pay more.
I know people are going to question what I am saying but its your money not mine.

 

Like others have said, the pads look fine. The only reason to turn or replace the rotors is if the brakes have worn completely out and have dug into them or they have warped, usually from hard use or dragging your brakes down a grade. You can check the rotors for runout with a dial indicator, however, if they are warped you probably have felt it as a vibration when the brakes are applied.

I'm not a fan of turning rotors. It depletes their heat dissipation capabilities and they are more likely to warp. Brakes are critical, so it is not an area to go cheap or cut corners. I go with new stuff and typically replace it all because that brake system can be the difference between a hit or a miss especially with larger and heavier tires, armor, a load. You get the idea.

You might consider learning how to do this job yourself and save the cost and BS associated with a shop visit. Disc brakes are easy and drum are just a little harder. You can buy a dial indicator with clamp for $34 at HF and a dial caliper for $19. you're not making tooling, so the HF stuff is just fine for this use.

If you decide to change out your brakes to aftermarket, like almost anything on a mechanical system it's a give and take. If you run around on stock size tires and do little to no towing, you're probably just fine with the Toyota parts. If you want a little more you can go after market. Here's the rub. when you use drilled or dimpled and slotted rotors, the brake pad needs a higher friction coefficient to maintain stopping power because there is less material on the rotor. This translates into a shorter life for the pad. I have used Powerstop brakes on lots of vehicles in our family and like them. I still get a good lifespan out of them, and the rotors are very good quality. The dimpled and slotted rotors are good for clearing water. I have them on my Wife's JK, my daughter's Fiesta, my son's Tahoe, and used them on my last truck. I have used some really aggressive EBCs before and they stopped hard, but I only got about 20K out of them.

I don't care for drilled rotors. There is a tendency to crack around the holes and the more metal you take out of the rotor, the less there is to conduct away heat. Originally, rotors were drilled to let outgassing from brake pads escape and eliminate sponginess. Brakes don't outgass anymore and modern automotive brakes have fins in the center that assist with cooling. It's more typical to see drilling with solid rotors like on a motorcycle, although I have seen them on Porsche and BMW. I don't know if the discs are solid or vented.

Good aftermarket rotors will last a long time but you do have to watch your pad thickness or, like any other rotor, you will eat into them and they will need to be replaced.

Also, when replacing brakes or at least every 2 years, all the brake fluid ought to be replaced. It's hydroscopic and will attract water which will diminish your braking capacity. It's cheap and an easy job that will help maintain your braking system.