Dealer screwed up caliper replacement: advice?

About two weeks/300 miles ago, I had several service items done on my truck.

While doing those, they noted heavy brake wear and recommended replacing the calipers and rotors (130k, so not too out of wack, especially since that truck gets driven hard).

Today, driving, I noticed the following in rapid succession:

1. Brakes got very fluttery
2. A loud ping like something metal fell off of the truck (I had the windows down)
3. A loud clanking from the front left
4. And then the braking got very rough.

Stopped with the e-brake, and inspecting the calipers, I found two problems:

1. All four brake guide pins are completely absent
2. The driver side inner pad had shifted

My theory is either (a) they didn't install the guide pins, or (b) didn't put the cotter pins in, and they worked their way out (I think the ping was one of them falling out)

Truck is back at the dealer (back roads, driving 15 mph, and used e-brake). Got there 5 munutes after they closed, so calling them in the morning (White River Toyota, VT)

Any advise? I'm going to demand at least complete replacement and inspection of the front brakes.

 

I would be there at the door when they opened. Face to face, Not on the phone. The phone is like the internet, to easy to blow you off. Much harder for them to do that when they have to look at you.

 

^^^^^yup, I would be up there first thing in the morning. That is a major mistake on their part. They messed up one of the most important safety systems on a vehicle. Happy that nothing happened to you but to think of what could have.

 

Good advice, but I don't have a way to get to the dealer by 7am. Earliest I can get a ride in is 8:30

 

I would let the dealer put new pins and cotters back in, verify good and then avoid the dealer. There is NO reason for routine replacement of calipers unless sticking is seen...and sometimes, sticking can be fixed by simply cleaning the guide pins.

 

Dealer fucked it up, dealer fixes it. How hard was that to figure out

 

Ford dealers are no better. They just hand tightened the caliber bolt on brothers F150. Caliber came loose on the hwy.

 

Yeah; calipers are usually fine unless leaky or seizing up/sticking.
Maybe another dealer is in order. You can take a brake job which has a 1-year warranty to any dealer and they'll fix it up/charge original dealer.
Are the rotors damaged?

 

Left rotor appears scored.

Can't really do another dealer unless I get them to tow it to another dealer. Seriously, it brakes for crap right now.

 

If the dealer fucked up some work they were supposed to do, then you go in there like a big boy and talk to the Service Manager (and no-one else) about it. He/She is the ONLY person who can help you at this stage of your issue. They have to make it right if the scenario you outlined is the case. If they don't make it right, take them to small claims court. This falls squarely under "Being an Adult 101." We don't need to circle-jerk each other about what big strong customers we are by yelling at the Service Department Cashiers.

"BOY I TELL U WUT I'D BE UP IN THUR MAKIN THEM FEEL REAL UPSET IFFIN THEY DUN THAT TO ME AN MAH TURDTACO."

 

I'm betting they will come tow it in after you explain what happened. I doubt they should want the liability of you driving it, even if the brakes partially work.

 

It's at the dealership

 

Update:

1. First person the service manager had look at it didn't think anything looked wrong(!)
2. Got service manager to go out and look at it himself, and he confirmed the missing slide pins.
3. Turns out that the replacement calipers were remanufactured, and the remanufactured ones use different slide pins with flimsy r-clips instead of the cotter pins in the OEM parts. Either r-clips shook out, or weren't installed properly. Could see wear marks on the right side caliper that looks like the r-clip broke.
4. They replaced the rotors and pads, re-installed using EOM guide pins with cotter pins instead, did a detailed inspection of the vehicle, and sent me on my way.

 

Clips and pins don't just fall out of calipers...

 

That's my thought.

I'm tempted to go walk the road where I heard the metallic ping and see if I can find the part.

 

I didn't explicitly know it, and they didn't make it clear. Looking at my invoice, it's clear that they aren't Toyota part numbers. Doing a search, these are Centric 142.4424[5,6] aftermarket calipers.

Yeah, that's what will happen. Realistically, I wasn't generally having them do maintenance, either, but it was going in for the body corrosion inspection and I figured I'd get them to handle a few things while it was there. My mistake.

(Alas, if I need a Toyota dealer for something, however, they are the main one for the area)

 

If anyone is curious, here's a pic I took right after dropping it at the dealer last night:

 

I'm considering it.

 

Kaszeta- which dealership I live in NH too and I dont want to go there!

 

White River Toyota, White River Junction, VT