BRAKE PARTS DISC BRAKE ROTOR Complaints

EXCESSIVE BRAKE REPAIR:FRONT AND REAR SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 9/12/01 TO 3/31/03: BRAKES SERVICED ON 12/14/01-MACHINE FRONT ROTORS AND REAR DRUMS, 3/14/02-REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS MACHINE REAR DRUMS, 8/12/02 R&R REAR DRUMS & MACHINE R&R REAR BRAKE SHOES & LUBE BACKING PLATE, 3/31/03 FRONT BRAKES NEEDED CLEAN AND ADJUST REAR BRAKES. MILEAGE WAS RESPECTIVELY: 5836, 12450, 21975, 33533. ALL BRAKE WORK DONE BY DEALER. INDEPENDENT BRAKE INSPECTION ON 4/3/03 SHOWS FRONT BRAKES NEEDED AND 20/1000THS LEFT ON REAR DRUMS. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SET OF BRAKES PUT ON THIS VEHICLE BEFORE THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRES. ALSO REAR DRUMS ARE WITHIN 20/1000THS OF DRUM SPEC DISCARD PRIOR TO MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRATION.

MONTE CARLO SS 2002. CAR UNDER 12000 MILES NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS RESURFACED. PREVIOUSLY HAD MALIBU 2000 THAT WAS BOUGHT BACK BY DEALER AFTER 2 YEARS OF ROTOR AND BRAKE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED 2 CRASHES. WHEN IS SOMEBODY GOING TO LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT IN THESE VEHICLES TO SEE THERE IS A DEFECT. DEALERSHIP EVEN ADMITTED TO FLAW. *NLM

I HAD MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED AT 67,220 MILES - AT THAT TIME THE FRONT BRAKES WERE SHOT, YET THE REAR BRAKES HAD 50% LIFE REMAINING (APPEARS TO BE UNDUE PRESSURE PLACED ON FRONT BRAKES. AFTER ONLY 5,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE PULSATED WHILE BRAKING. SO AT 73,091 MILES AT HAD FRONT BRAKES RESURFACED, AT WHICH TIME THE MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE BRAKES WERE ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF OVER HEATING AND WERE ALREADY WARPED. I HAD REAR BRAKES DONE (EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD SUFFICIENT LIFE REMAINING) AT THE SAME TIME IN CASE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE 16,000 MILES ON THE FRONT BRAKES (10,000 MILES AFTER FIRST RESURFACING), THEY AGAIN ARE PULSATING STRONGLY, AND REQUIRE UNDUE PRESSURE FROM MY FOOT TO MAKE THEM WORK APPROPRIATELY....ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINEERING AND/OR MANUFACTURING OF THE BRAKES. *JB

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS ON MY 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. AT 20,000 MILES THEY WARPED AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RESURFACED THEM. AT 30,000 MILES, I HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. AT 47,000 MILES, AGAIN RESURFACED AND AT AROUND 60,000 MILES, AGAIN I HAD TO REPLACE THEM. THIS IS NOT NEW TO ME. THIS IS MY FOURTH JEEP , AND HAVE HAD SIMILAR RESULTS ON ALL OF THE JEEPS THAT I HAVE OWNED. THIS IS NOT JUST MY EXPERIENCE, I KNOW OF MANY PEOPLE, WHOM I WORK WITH AND FRIENDS, THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD. I BELIEVE THIS IS CAUSE BY A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THIS AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT ALL COMES BACK TO COST FOR THE CAR MANUFACTURES. THEY ARE MAKING THEIR ROTORS THINNER, AND OF POORER QUALITY MATERIALS. THIS MEANS THAT THEY CAN NOT GET RID OF HEAT PROPERLY AND THEREFORE FOR WARP. *NLM

FRONT ROTORS HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES WITHIN 60,000 AND NISSAN SAYS THAT THIS IS DUE TO DRIVING HABITS, I.E., ROTORS GET HOT AND THEN FAIL. REFERENCE # 4029350 PERJUDY EXT. 3773. DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS EACH TIME AND I FIND NO FAULT WITH DEALER WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS; OTHER THAN THE DRIVING HABITS AS EXPRESSED BY THE NISSAN REP. JUDY. THIS CONDITION IS DANGEROUS AND CAUSES THE CAR TO BE BOUNCE WITH LOSS OF CONTROL A VERY REAL POSSIBLITY. FOR THE SECOND REPLACEMENT, A STATEMENT IN THE FOLLOWUP TO NISSAN WAS MADE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS SERIOUS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN IN THE CITY OR UNDER CITY CONDITIONS WHERE BRAKE PRESSURE OCCURS OFTEN; THE MILES ARE HIGHWAY MILES AS WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY; WE HAVE A PAVED ROAD TO THE HOUSE SO ROAD CONDITIONS ARE NOT A FACTOR. THE RESPONSE BY NISSAN IS A "RUN-AROUND" WITH THE SAME VERBAGE AND REFLECTS THE NISSAN REP'S ATTTEMPT TO DEFUSE ANY COMPLAINT. IN LOOKING AT THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS, THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO ROTOR FAILURE: NISSAN SAID THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS. IN FACT, THE NISSAN DEALER (ANCIRA-SAN ANTONIO, TX) INDICATED THAT I SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN CONCERNING THIS SITUATION. I DID AND AM NOT SATISFIED THE LEAST WITH THEIR RUNAROUND AS I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION OF AT LEAST THE VEHICLE WHICH WE HAVE.

I HAVE A 2000 FORD FOCUS THAT I HAVE HAD ALLOT OF PROBLEMS WITH. I SPECIALLY ORDERED THIS CAR TO HAVE ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDING SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS, AND ANTI LOC BRAKES. WE ORIGINALLY HAD BOUGHT THE CAR IN CA. THE FIRST PROBLEM HAPPENED AT 3000 MILES THE REAR BRAKES STARTED SQUEALING, AND THE SEAT BELT BUZZER WONT GO OFF. WE TOOK IT TO FORD WERE THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. WE MOVED TO NC WERE WE NOW LIVE. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT THIS NOW 30,000 MILES. THEY SAID THEY WERE DEFECTIVE, THEY HAD THE CAR OVER NIGHT FOR THE SEAT BELT BUZZER, STILL NO PROBLEM FOUND. SO THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES. WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR THE SEAT BELT BUZZER DID THE JOB OF STAYING ON FOR US. IT STOPPED THE SQUEAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. 1 1/2 WEEKS LATER WE HAD AN ACCIDENT. WHITCH I MIGHT ADD THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. ALSO IN THE ACCIDENT THE REAR SEAT CAME UNHINGED AND THREW A PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE SEATBELT AT THE BACK OF HER HEAD CAUSING A LUMP. MY WIFE SAID THE BRAKES JUST DIDN'T WORK AS THEY DID PREVIOUSLY WITH THE NOISE. I TOOK IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE FOUND THE BRAKES WERE NOT ACTING RIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD, THEY TOLD US THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. A FRIEND OF OURS WAS A FORD MECHANIC AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO LOOK AT IT FOR US, HE WAS KILLED THAT WEEK IN A CAR ACCIDENT UN-RELATED. SO WE LOST OUR INSIDE MECHANIC TO TELL US WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING. NOW AT 50,000 MILES THE NOISE IS BACK, MY WIFE WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE SAYS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE BRAKES WILL ACT UP AGAIN. NOW WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME NOR THE PATIENTS TO DEAL WITH THE DEALERSHIPS ONCE AGAIN FOR NOW THE FAN BLOWER ONLY WORKS ON 3 ON THE DIAL AND THE CABLE BROKE TO SELECT DEF, VENTS, ECT. ALONG WITH THE RECALL OF THE WIPER MOTOR, AND THE NEEEDING OF NEW ROTERS ON THE FRONT. THIS CAR TO ME IS A LEMON.

I HAVE A 2000 ISUZU PICK-UP HOMBRE AND I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT DISC BRAKES THAT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTIME I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES, I HAD A HARD PUSH THEN SHORTLY AFTWARDS, THE BRAKES GAVE STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THIS FELT LIKE THE ABS WAS KICKING IN. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO AN ISUZU DEALER, THEY SAID THE BRAKES ARE A "WEAR" ITEM AND NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT BRAKES AND TRUCKS AND CHANGED MANY DISC'S, SO I LOOKED TO SEE IF I COULD FIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. TO MY SURPRISE, THE DISC'S (ALL FOUR) WERE LARGER THAN THE ROTOR AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE OVER 30,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT BEING OVERSIZED, THE TOP OF EACH BRAKE PAD LAPPED OVER THE ROTOR APPROXIMATELY 1/8 TO 1/4 INCH. THIS WEAR PATTERN CAUSED THE TOP OF EACH DISC TO OVERLAP THE TOP OF EACH ROTOR AND THIS TOP WAS ENGAGING PRIOR TO THE DISC MAKING CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR, WHICH LEAD TO THE DELAY OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE FULL DISC ON THE ROTOR. THIS ALSO MADE THE HARD CONTACT THEN ENGAGEMENT OF THE REST OF EACH DISC WHICH FELT LIKE THE ABS ACTIVATING. THE AMOUNT OF WEAR TO THE NON-WEAR ON THE TOP OF THE BREAK WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH. I FILED OFF THE TOP OF EACH DISC TO GIVE A CLEAN SURFACE AND ROTOR CONTACT AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. NOW THE ABS COMES ON INTERMITENTLY. THIS OVERHANG ON THE ROTOR TOP DUE TO THE OVERSIZE OF THE DISC'S IS A STRANGE SENSATION WHICH COULD GIVE A FALSE SENCE OF SECURITY, ESPECIALLY IF A SUDDEN STOP OCCURRED. IT ALSO GIVES A LOSS OF CONTROL ALONG WITH THE FALSE SENCE OF SECURITY. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND IT SURELY IS A SUBSTANTIAL HAZARD FOR THE CONSUMER. I CONTACTED ISUZU, BUT THEY BLEW IT OFF AS A "FREEK OCCURANCE". SOUNDS FAMILIAR AS A CPSC INVESTIGAOR WHO HAS RECALLED A LOT OF PRODUCTS THAT THE MANUFACTURER ATTRIBUTE TO A FREEK OCCURRANCE. THIS IS A POSSIBLE LIFE THREATING DEFECT. SINCERELY

WE LEASED A 2000CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTABLE BRAND NEW. THIS PAST NOVEMBER WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE 30000 MILES ON THE CAR AND WITH NO WARNING AT ALL OUR BRAKES WERE GONE TO THE POINT THAT THE 2 FRONT DRUMS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE REAR PASSENGER DRUM HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE DRUMS AND VERY FEW TIMES HAD TO REPLACE BRAKES. WE HAD NO LOSS OF BRAKE PEDAL AND NO SQUEALIONG OR GRINDING AT ALL. THEY HAVE BEEN CHECKED EACH TIME IT WAS INT HE GARAGE.

EXCESSIVE/PREMATURE WEAR TO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. FRONT ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN 1 YEAR, 3 MONTHS WITH ONLY 34,000 MILES OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY USAGE IN THAT TIME. REAR ROTORS HAVE YET TO BE REPLACED. ROTORS WARP PREMATURELY, THEN I HAVE THEM CUT DOWN, THEN REPLACED, EACH TIME REQUIRING SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS INCLUDING NEW PADS.