Daughters first trip to shop to get Crosstrek inspected

[Donald]

While we moved to DE, 30 year old daughter (stayed in NY) with her first car she owns herself (was her Mom's) goes to a chain tire store in NY that starts with an M to get NYS inspection and rims with snows swapped on. Should be about $50 total. $20 & $30.

They said her rear brakes were rusty and she needed calipers, pads and rotors for $987. Your car is kind of held hostage since they won't pass inspection as is. I did the rear brakes myself and I know the critical areas were cleaned and lubed properly. And I used Akebono pads and coated rotors. After some discussion they came to $700 for pads and rotors and tire swap and inspection. I would have said to swap the tires and fail the inspection and gotten an indy mechanic to look it over. But she is stressed and wanted safe brakes so she went ahead and got the pads & rotors installed.

So either she needed calipers or she didn't. If she did then they should have been replaced. If she didn't then they should not have been listed as needed parts. You don't negotiate the price down by eliminating calipers if they were really needed.

And I am sure they did not use Akebono pads or probably not coated rotors.

So another young female taken advantage of by a tire chain. They charged her about $500 labor for an hours worth of work? And did they even clean and lube the critical areas like I would have done. You won't know for several months.

I told her a $$ lesson to find a trusted indy mechanic.

 

[Andrew1972]

Some tire chains prey on people. Usually they offer as much (excessive) work as possible hoping every X customer say yes.

 

[Danno]

Is she anywhere South Main Auto in Avoca NY?

https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthMainAutoRepairAvoca

 

[AZjeff]

What a shame she went just after you bugged out. You'll never know unless she got the old parts.

 

[2010Civic]

Vehicle inspections are such a scam... Glad we don't have them in MN.

 

[Lapham3]

Yes, too much of that going on, but many guys aren't knowledgeable about vehicles and are also taken advantage of. I've mentioned to a number of friends over the years to call me and then give the guy the phone. Some will and some not, but with those that do, after a short chat the price is usually 'readjusted'. Then my suggestion that they don't go back to them.

 

[skyactiv]

I'm a semi mechanic and most of my co-workers started on cars.

One of my co-workers was once a mechanic at an AAA auto repair. Do not confuse it with an independent shop that is AAA approved.
He spoke highly of them so that is who I would recommend.

AAA Owned and Operated Auto Repair

AAA can get you back on the road faster at our AAA Auto Repair shops, with ASE-trained technicians. Get coupons or find a AAA Auto Repair location near you. Oil Changes, State Inspections, Tires, Alignments

www.northway.aaa.com

 

[RooflessVW]

I mean, stuff is expensive.

I just paid VW $270 for 4x tires balanced, 1x tire patch, a brake flush, and an inspection of my HPFP fuel metering valve.

 

[fsdork]

Vehicle inspections are such a scam... Glad we don't have them in MN.

There is a lot of non-compliant aftermarket crap (LED/HID retrofits, no mudflaps on lifted trucks, tinted windshields, etc...) on the roads here. I would gladly pay for annual inspections on my own vehicles to see that junk get yanked off the road.

 

[Donald]

I encouraged here to get car inspected in Nov when I was still in NY. And get snows swapped before it was about to snow and everyone else wants snows also. She had other priorities.

 

[RooflessVW]

There is a lot of non-compliant aftermarket crap (LED/HID retrofits, no mudflaps on lifted trucks, tinted windshields, etc...) on the roads here. I would gladly pay for annual inspections on my own vehicles to see that junk get yanked off the road.

One does not equal the other.

See: NC.

 

[Gimpy1]

While we moved to DE, 30 year old daughter (stayed in NY) with her first car she owns herself (was her Mom's) goes to a chain tire store in NY that starts with an M to get NYS inspection and rims with snows swapped on. Should be about $50 total. $20 & $30.

They said her rear brakes were rusty and she needed calipers, pads and rotors for $987. Your car is kind of held hostage since they won't pass inspection as is. I did the rear brakes myself and I know the critical areas were cleaned and lubed properly. And I used Akebono pads and coated rotors. After some discussion they came to $700 for pads and rotors and tire swap and inspection. I would have said to swap the tires and fail the inspection and gotten an indy mechanic to look it over. But she is stressed and wanted safe brakes so she went ahead and got the pads & rotors installed.

So either she needed calipers or she didn't. If she did then they should have been replaced. If she didn't then they should not have been listed as needed parts. You don't negotiate the price down by eliminating calipers if they were really needed.

And I am sure they did not use Akebono pads or probably not coated rotors.

So another young female taken advantage of by a tire chain. They charged her about $500 labor for an hours worth of work? And did they even clean and lube the critical areas like I would have done. You won't know for several months.

I told her a $$ lesson to find a trusted indy mechanic.

And that is exactly the reason why I do all my repairs myself.

 

[Wolf359]

I told her a $$ lesson to find a trusted indy mechanic.

Or find an inspection station that just passes everybody. I go to the same guy every year and he just passes me all the time. Never really go there for any work. Last time I had work done there, it was top dollar he used the cheapest parts which broke a few months later (sway bar links).

 

[eljefino]

Your car isn't held hostage, take off and get a 2nd opinion. Or stand in the reception area and say, I'm not authorizing work until I talk to my dad.

Even if they're like Massachusetts and put a red "rejected" sticker on, you can skate by a week with low odds of a cop hassling you.

This driver sounded like she doesn't have time, doesn't make time for car care so she did everything in one convenient appointment. (And to some people taking the day off from work or even GETTING an appointment is an accomplishment.) It's not worth it to most of us to spend a thousand bucks on brakes, but if that's her only car expense for the year... she's an adult and can make that choice. And we can watch and cringe.

 

[99Saturn]

Unless something has changed in the last few years, the law in NY is the sticker doesn't get scraped unless it is expired and fails, and then you are supposed to get a 10 day temp sticker.

Had a similar experience at a tire chain in central NY years ago when I was in college - guessing I looked like an easy target.. Tire chain called me to let me know the car failed (rear brakes). I told them to fail the car and I would be down to pick it up, they told me that it was illegal to drive since the sticker was scraped, I told them they were not allowed to scrape the sticker unless it was expired, I'd be down in 10 minutes to get the car and they better figure out how to reattach it or they were going to have an issue. Hung up and drove down.... when I got there it turned out the guy that called was mistaken and my sticker was not scraped.

I'm guessing that line is a good scare tactic that works on many folks.

 

[CKN]

Many shops are at $500/axle for pads and rotors. Don't see where she was taken advantage of-assuming the brake job was needed. Another thread where the OP doesn't know what things cost when you don't DIY.

 

[Mainia]

While we moved to DE, 30 year old daughter (stayed in NY) with her first car she owns herself (was her Mom's) goes to a chain tire store in NY that starts with an M to get NYS inspection and rims with snows swapped on. Should be about $50 total. $20 & $30.

They said her rear brakes were rusty and she needed calipers, pads and rotors for $987. Your car is kind of held hostage since they won't pass inspection as is. I did the rear brakes myself and I know the critical areas were cleaned and lubed properly. And I used Akebono pads and coated rotors. After some discussion they came to $700 for pads and rotors and tire swap and inspection. I would have said to swap the tires and fail the inspection and gotten an indy mechanic to look it over. But she is stressed and wanted safe brakes so she went ahead and got the pads & rotors installed.

So either she needed calipers or she didn't. If she did then they should have been replaced. If she didn't then they should not have been listed as needed parts. You don't negotiate the price down by eliminating calipers if they were really needed.

And I am sure they did not use Akebono pads or probably not coated rotors.

So another young female taken advantage of by a tire chain. They charged her about $500 labor for an hours worth of work? And did they even clean and lube the critical areas like I would have done. You won't know for several months.

I told her a $$ lesson to find a trusted indy mechanic.

Did she talk to you and ask/demand the better pads and rotors? Or are you just assuming they put budget parts on?

 

[ctrcbob]

Vehicle inspections are such a scam... Glad we don't have them in MN.

Same here in Florida. Did away with it back around 1983. I’m originally from NYS and know how people get ripped off on State Inspections.

No problems here in Florida. If something not safe, (lights, tires, windshield etc) police pull you over. Big ticket.
No problems. I’ve never heard of any accidents caused by things that would have been caught in inspections. (Lately, I’ve seen a very few cars and/or trucks with a headlight not working. Always new style LED units that must be changed Complete unit, not just bulb. VERY EXPENSIVE and dealers have to order these units. Owners can’t just change bulbs. Dealers and owners often have to wait for replacement units.What’s an owner to do. No drive? Let car sit until replacement can be found?)

 

[HankHill]

While we moved to DE, 30 year old daughter (stayed in NY) with her first car she owns herself (was her Mom's) goes to a chain tire store in NY that starts with an M to get NYS inspection and rims with snows swapped on. Should be about $50 total. $20 & $30.

They said her rear brakes were rusty and she needed calipers, pads and rotors for $987. Your car is kind of held hostage since they won't pass inspection as is. I did the rear brakes myself and I know the critical areas were cleaned and lubed properly. And I used Akebono pads and coated rotors. After some discussion they came to $700 for pads and rotors and tire swap and inspection. I would have said to swap the tires and fail the inspection and gotten an indy mechanic to look it over. But she is stressed and wanted safe brakes so she went ahead and got the pads & rotors installed.

So either she needed calipers or she didn't. If she did then they should have been replaced. If she didn't then they should not have been listed as needed parts. You don't negotiate the price down by eliminating calipers if they were really needed.

And I am sure they did not use Akebono pads or probably not coated rotors.

So another young female taken advantage of by a tire chain. They charged her about $500 labor for an hours worth of work? And did they even clean and lube the critical areas like I would have done. You won't know for several months.

I told her a $$ lesson to find a trusted indy mechanic.

Yeah, so that's unfortunate. Dig a little and let me know where she is and what chain she went to. When I had my sub, I took it to the dealer and they are at least, in my cases, pretty honest about stuff. And then at least you know you're getting decent parts.

 

[atikovi]

After some discussion they came to $700 for pads and rotors and tire swap and inspection.

They charged her about $500 labor for an hours worth of work?

I'm sure some of the shop owners and professional techs here will be along to say that's a perfectly reasonable amount. As for the inspection itself, next time make sure she places a twenty hanging out of the ash tray or cup holder and clearly visible.