brake fluid change required to pass PA inspection?

[paulswagelock]

Son’s 2020 Nissan Sentra due for Pa safety inspection (already such a scam). Needed rear brakes and rotors, not surprised. So I had a choice to leave with the car and get the work done elsewhere and get re-inspected, or let them fix it during this appointment. The brakes and rotors were $350 ish which was fair enough. However, they would not do the work without doing a brake fluid flush. Maybe I am old school, but a flush requirement (not suggestion) on a 6 year old car seemed unnecessary. But again, to refuse meant taking the car elsewhere, getting the work done and getting re-inspected. Time has value so I conceded on the $100 for the flush. No real way to tell if they even did it.
Is that a thing on cars now? My wife and I get new cars every 2 or 3 years so this never comes up, but my son is not on our luxury plan for car replacements as a college kid….

 

[AZjeff]

Having brake fluid flushed at 6 years is not a scam, many would call it good maintenance. If you don't trust they did the work you went to the wrong place.

State inspections are what you make of them. You can have a trusted mechanic look you car over once a year for cheap and find things that need attention or you can find a shop that will slap a sticker or you can go to a dealer and get the upsell. Lived in PA 48 years and never appreciated the inspection until we moved to AZ with none and see the seriously unsafe junk on the roads every day. Getting new cars every couple years you don't need it but it's the only time a lot of cars are ever looked at.

 

[walterjay]

Never heard of that. Sounds like a bunch of dealer hooey. I live near the PA line, know a lot of people from there. No one ever had that happen.
Is it a good idea.....yes but is it a requirement.....no

 

[SC Maintenance]

Nissan typically recommends brake fluid change around 5 / 60K time frame - vehicle dependent. Its not a scam. Of course some shops could let you not do it. No one forced you to stay.

However given they needed to blead the brakes anyway - its a bit of stacking rates again - which all shops do.

$500 for an axle of brakes seems about the norm now. If you don't like it DIY is your only real option.

 

[GW.]

I agree with the others. It’s not a bad idea to routinely change out your brake fluid. But forcing you to do a flush is not ok. I would find a different dealer….these upsell flushes are a money grab.

 

[The_Jeff]

Their house, their rules. Mechanics have a right to filter out (fire) "cheap" customers who are always looking to cut corners. If, as a customer, one's philosophy of maintenance and repair is radically different than their shop they should find another. As long as they fairly represented "here's what you need for state inspection, but our minimum workmanship standard is this..." it's fine with me.

And $350 for rear brakes is a steal now-- I have receipts from 2012 from a Lake George, NY dealer doing drums on a Prius for high $600s.

 

[kballowe]

I don't like the idea that they required the brake flush, but $100 to perform that service was cheap enough.

 

[dadto2]

My first reaction is that the shop doesn't want to be liable when your brake fluid boils and you crash at the bottom of the hill. They know you'll try to hold them liable because "They just did the brakes"

 

[zzyzzx]

DIY or pay up.

 

[Wireman1987]

at the 5 year/60k mark I would say that's playing it safe for a brake fluid flush. did they explain that maybe they can't warranty their parts and labor if they don't follow Nissan's guidelines. Nissan may require the dealer service departments to perform a flush with a brake job. it's $100 bucks for your kids life to be safe... I would not sweat it.

 

[repairman54]

My first reaction is that the shop doesn't want to be liable when your brake fluid boils and you crash at the bottom of the hill. They know you'll try to hold them liable because "They just did the brakes"

2x It's a CYA world now.

 

[charbaby]

I do think it is a good idea to replace the brake fluid. I do my own every couple of years during one of my tire rotation’s and again while doing the brakes. During a tire rotation, I’ll just do a quick gravity bleed where as replacing brakes, I’ll do a complete flush starting by replacing all of the fluid in the master cylinder and bleeding from the furthest brake away, which I will be replacing that brake as well and working my way forward.

 

[D60]

As a life long Colo resident where we have more than "hills" but near zero humidity, I've always been lax about brake fluid. Typically it only gets done when other major service is performed like caliper replacement.

I can't say I've ever observed problems that could directly be attributed to old fluid, but at some point you face a chicken/egg scenario.

I think the situation in question feels a bit scammy, but agree OP could have found a different shop. As much as it pains me to agree with @The_Jeff fka eljefino , there are also some standards I hold (I know, I know -- who'da thunk?) and I won't perform certain cost-cutting measures because I don't want my name on it.

 

[FowVay]

My 2017 Nissan Frontier calls for a brake fluid flush every 2 years or 20,000 miles. The little star notes to change the fluid more frequently in dusty conditions:

 

[Astro14]

All of my European cars call for every two years, or every year in severe conditions like mountain driving.

Six year old fluid is ready to be changed.

 

[dnewton3]

Two issues here ..

- what is required to pass the safety inspection
- what is considered good maintenance practice

I find it incredulous that a fluid change would be "required" to pass. How do they know if it's bad or not? Do they test it? If so, to what standard? Visual inspections are not a reliable indication of fluids (as we all know with oil, coolant, etc). Is there an OEM "requirement" at "Xxxx" miles or "Y" months? Or is that OEM statement just a "recommendation"??? With brake pads and rotors, there are certain indicators (pads worn to the feelers; discs and drums can be measured for thickness, etc). But brake fluid? What would stop them from saying any fluid needs replaced to pass? You could have had the fluid done just last year, and they'd probably still say it needs replaced ...

The above aside, it's not a bad thing to have the fluid done every 5 years or more often.

 

[WeyounDS9]

Son’s 2020 Nissan Sentra due for Pa safety inspection (already such a scam). Needed rear brakes and rotors, not surprised. So I had a choice to leave with the car and get the work done elsewhere and get re-inspected, or let them fix it during this appointment. The brakes and rotors were $350 ish which was fair enough. However, they would not do the work without doing a brake fluid flush. Maybe I am old school, but a flush requirement (not suggestion) on a 6 year old car seemed unnecessary. But again, to refuse meant taking the car elsewhere, getting the work done and getting re-inspected. Time has value so I conceded on the $100 for the flush. No real way to tell if they even did it.
Is that a thing on cars now? My wife and I get new cars every 2 or 3 years so this never comes up, but my son is not on our luxury plan for car replacements as a college kid….

Here in Germany when the fluid to them looks non-new they test it via a tester for water content.

Words is, to pass, it generally needs to be 2 year ish young.
I just had my car for 2 years and got new brake fluid at the 20000 mile mark.

 

[D60]

2x It's a CYA world now.

I dunno, don't you just note on invoice "customer declined"?

I know people will sue for anything, but where does this argument end? I mean wouldn't "CYA" extend to tires that are mostly‐kinda 4/32, tired wiper blades, a cracked windshield, a TRE with no play but a torn boot, and much more?

How far do we beat the customer over the head with SAFETY SaFetY SAFETY!?!? The potential for abuse is painfully obvious, and while I know we don't have a single BITOGer who would EVAR cut down the cherry tree, there really IS a reason the average soccer mom doesn't trust mekaniks.

Even Erik O has addressed this saying he can only do what the customer wants and cannot force repairs upon a person or hold an unsafe vehicle. But yes, he also simply declines to work on basket cases.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

After owning a old Harley 30 years I was surprised the after buying a new Harley the ABS requires a fluid flush EVERY 2 YEARS at a dealer ( or purchased of expensive software / tool / computer to DIY), The dealer has the software / PC to turn on the ABS Module to get all the fluid out as I understand.

My Honda car dealer pushes fluid flush hard. I did have ABS save me once years ago as my 1995 Volvo had ABS long before most, Gotta keep that ABS system clean I guess.

 

[dnewton3]

Many years ago, Indiana had annual safety inspections.
That law was removed probably 50 years ago.
The abuse of inspections outweighed the benefits. The State Atty General's Office was undeniably overwhelmed with complaints of fraud, etc.