Oil Change Makes Brakes Go Bad?

OK, so I've got infant twins and figure it's worth dropping some $$ on a mechanic to change the oil. Save some time, right? Stupid.

They took 45 minutes and when I drove away the brakes are soft.

What the hell, is it possible this is in my head? The fluid level is fine and all the connections up top look undisturbed. Would an ASE really open the fluid lines at the wheels and let air in? The fluid is clean as a whistle in the reservoir, I can't imagine why they'd even drain some with so little mileage.

I don't know what to think, but 54,000 miles and suddenly a soft pedal... stops fine, it just feels squishy at the top. Again, is it possible this is in my head because I don't like people touching my vehicles?

 

that does sound fishy

 

Tacoma's are notorious for having squishy feeling brakes. It's probably your mind psyching you out.

 

Do you know if they touched the tires, brakes anything else rather than doing your oil change? Some places do visual inspections and such. I couldn't see anything to why just an oil change would effect your braking. I would go back and have a talk with the mechanic.

 

There should be a noticeable difference if air somehow got into the brakes system.
It is either U KNOW FOR SURE theres air, or you are just feeling paranoid because someone other than u worked on it.

But does the truck feel normal when ur stepping on ur brakes? Does it STOP STOP?
OR
You BARELY manage to stop?

 

Could the shop have spilled oil on your disks. Granted it should burn off but???

I just can't see a reputable shop tampering with your brakes...

 

^That. You really have you go out of your way during an oil change to let air into the brakes. Probably either some oil got on some how or it's just in your head.

 

I'm willing to believe it's in my head, I just can't seem to get there on my own.

The truck stops fine and the feel is all in the pedal. It just suddenly feels like crap, like I wouldn't have bought the truck if the brakes felt like this. And it's not like I was in another vehicle between, getting used to something else, etc.

I don't think it's oil on the rotors, like I said the truck stops fine. They did a full inspection, checked fluids, and came back with a $1,000 estimate for my 60K service which is coming up in a few thousand.

My only thought is if they checked the cleanliness of the brake fluid by opening the bleeders it could cause the pedal to go soft, but I can't imagine that's a standard method of inspection... argh.

Thanks for the advice and opinions- it helps!

 

1k for 60k service? Change your own diff oils, lube the driveshaft u-joints and save $900.