Grumble...

[Tucker]

$350 from Midas to get front brake pads, new rotors, and a fluid flush. Midas claims the rotors are undersized already.

It's a neighbor's XJ and she just called to find out if that was a fair price. I don't think so, and told her as much. There are other brake places around town, I said she should get a second or even third opinion.

Midas is still gonna charge her $25 for the estimate.

$125 from Wright Wheel and Brake, a local outfit, for the same work. And the inspection is free, even if she decides not to go with them.

Sheesh. Mechanics gotta eat too, but really. This disparity is troubling.

 

[satan]

I worked an expose for local TV a few years back -- took a hot Brunette and her mom to local brake shops - same year Hondas '86 Accords, if I remember...

... anyway both cars had had brakes jobs including new rotors within the last 4K miles (so they didn't look obviously new) and were 'dirtied' prior to visting shops for inspections/estimates.

Midas "won" the test by offering a discounted $600+ full job to the "so dangerous I shouldn't let you leave here in that car" -- the real test was for the "hottie" treatment, where she seemed to garner special pricing and preferential treatment, but strangely enough, it was the hottie that got the winning bid.! (Maybe them boys at Midas don't like girls too much ?)...

While I doubt that this is a nation-wide trendfor Midas and that there are undoubtedly MANY good shops that wear that name, it's saddening to hear that their quote was so high. Hopefully this is NOT due to a noational policy related to the franchise-wide consumables guarantee on their work (remember the pads are free if they wear-out on a "covered" repair, but the labor and other parts...??)

By the same token - diagnostic/wrench time is not free and I either stack it into quotes (everybody pays for free time!) or onto the individual bills. Not to sound like a $$-grubber, but I'll "sell" something for 30-minutes and charge you an hour if its more of a time investment.

I wholly agree that this is a disturbing truth, and personally, i think it'd be incumbant on the individual shops to gather and review data on why they "sell" estimates without the related repairs - maybe they'd see their own truths?