car warranties, or warranties in general

[Cumberland]

I am starting to think all warranties are a bunch of junk. I took my 03 passat wagon in yesterday for the 30K check, and was called with an estimate of $1000 for new front and rear brakes, and new rotors. I dont know jack about cars, but I do know 30,000 miles is way early for new brakes and that I am not paying a thousand bucks when my car in under warranty. Times like this i desperately wish DH was around to help-he was in the OR all day.

I threw a major spaz attack and got the $500 rotors covered but not the brake pads. They had the nerve to return my car to me THIRTY hours later WITHOUT the complimentary wash and vaccuum. I cried on the way home. I think my hormones are out of whack.

I'm trying to remember how often we replace our brake pads but 30K does sound early for the rotors. I think it is good you leaned on them!

I have found an independent Volvo mechanic who I adore. Anything non-warranty related I will take to him (we just got a newer car that actually has a warranty). On the other car, we take it to him all the time. It is significantly less than the dealership.

On brakes, I try to ask what the measurement was of the remaining brake pad. It's in millimeters and I am blanking on the numbers right now. I also ask how much (or how many mm) I have until the brakes HAVE to be replaced. On rotors, I ask if they can machine them or if they are toast. Those are inevitable repairs but sometimes you can get a little more out of the parts without being dangerous about it. And if they aren't willing to answer those types of questions for you then I would.... :! .

Ugh....I'm so sorry you had to deal with that...especially with your husband not being available. Whenever one of our cars has to go in to the shop, I make my husband take it in because I just know that they are going to try to rip me off because I am a "stupid woman". When it comes to things like brakes, oil changes, rotating the tires....DH prefers to do it himself because it usually saves us quite a bit of money and we know that the job is getting done right.

Up until a year ago I owned a 2000 Jetta with 92k miles on it. With all of those miles, we only had to change the brakes once (we may have had to change the back brakes twice, but I can't really remember). We also never had to replace the rotors or do anything to them. It seems odd that you would have to replace both the brakes and rotors at only 30k.

Thats way too early to replace the brakes. I'm no expert, but I've owned my fair share of old cars and I've had to replace a lot of parts on them. Its been my experience that if you need new brakes, you know it because of the awful noise they make when you slow down. And usually you only have to replace the pads. Rotors can be resurfaced unless they are cracked or warped or something. And I know pads don't run more than $500. Or I should say, on the cars I've owned that are more than ten years old, they never run more than that. I know new cars can be in different price ranges.

I hate taking cars in because I always feel like I'm being taken advantage of as well. I always have to call my dad and ask him if I'm getting a good deal or not. We've been living here for three years now and I still don't have someone I trust. I hate to always jump to that conclusion, but its really how I feel sitting in the little car mechanic waiting room reading a Woman's Day magazine from 1982 because its the only non-car magazine in the place.

[SuzySunshine]

I agree with all of this but when I bought a car by myself I learned to stand up for myself. Now I always take ours cars in just because my DH doesn't have time. Warranties should be very clearly outlined in your owner's manual, at least ours are. I always walk into a dealership knowing exactly what it needs or what its doing and then tell them to call me with a quote. When they call me back I either tell them I can't talk right now I'll call you right back or put them on hold and call my dad. He tells me if its reasonable or not and then I tell them to proceed or not.

That does seem REALLY early for brakes. Some of the european manufacturers are starting to include brakes to some level but the dealership should have known that. I would check your manual for the warranty information. That sucks that auto shops still treat women like that.

I always walk into a dealership knowing exactly what it needs or what its doing and then tell them to call me with a quote. When they call me back I either tell them I can't talk right now I'll call you right back or put them on hold and call my dad. He tells me if its reasonable or not and then I tell them to proceed or not.

I do the same thing. I never authorize repairs to be made until they have called me with a quote. I always call my dad with the info before I give the go ahead as well, and I have said 'forget it' to mechanics who (in my dad's opinion) charge too much. Someone once tried to tell me I needed a new transmission when all that I actually needed was a new seal on something. My dad saved me over $1000 in that situation.

Makes me want to take some car repair classes at a tech school.