Front Pads and Discs need replacing only 2 months after purchase!

[murtz]

Hey guys.

I bought my Cooper 2 months ago.. and just joined the AA breakdown service where I got a free 15 point check and an AC insepection.. they found the following..

Break Disc worn below minimum level.

New pads recommended to go with new discs.

I only bought the car 2 months ago.. surely they cant go from a sellable condition to critical?... Im such a newbie on cars so I dont really know what type of pads I need.. or discs etc. Nationwide Autocentre quoted me £200 for the lot.. but thats just too much for me right now.

Surely I have a good case with my dealer ? (of whom I still have warranty with). I know break pads are down to wear and tear.. but I've only done less than 1000 miles on the car.

Please help!

[minisoopercooper]

I would definitely go back to the dealer with the report and see what they say. How many miles have you done in that time? If it's not many I would be very angry and pointing out that they could not have worn down to a critical level in just 2 months (unless you have done 0000's of miles) so in your opinion the car was sold to you in a unfit condition.

[murtz]

I've only done about 800 miles.. and I dont even drive it that hard!

Really annoyed at this.

[minicabrio]

Go straight back to the dealer with the report....

Did you buy from MINI Cherished? If so the brakes should have been checked as part of the pre-sale checklist

[minisoopercooper]

I would suggest you go back to the AA and ask them if they feel the car was therefore sold to you in an un road worthy condition and get it in writing. Then take it back to the dealership.

[Ant FR]

check with the AA how much disc thickness is left. Then check the PDI sheet from the dealer ( they will need to have done one and checked disc thickness etc before you drove off in the car) then compare the two figures, if they are both the same it could be that the AA are being over cautious. If there is a huge difference then unless you are pressing the brake on all the time one of them is telling you fibs.

However do bear in mind outside factors, ie have you had a stone in the pad that has ended up scoring the disc meaning you need to replace the disc and obiiously the pads too. Or did the dealer fail to check the disc wear and only check the pads.


I would suggest a bit more digging. if you are not confident with discussing it, then theres nothing wrong with getting a mate to discuss it on your behalf.

Unfortunately in todays world what i was toaught as a kid rings very true. My old man taught me " you need to know a little bit about everything to avoid being ripped off."

[alski]

did you buy car with TLC or full service history?
was the last service recent milage, should have a note on disc condition if looking poor

i think kwick fit will do a free brake health check, so you can hit dealer with 2 independent opinions

stick to your guns

[MarkW]

I had the same problem but after 4 months and a few thousand miles.

pads and discs are not covered under any warranty, however the selling dealer agreed that it was not satisfactory to wear out so quick. They wouldn't foot the whole bill but met me halfway.

With your low mileage I would expect them to foot more of the bill. Ideally a cherished should have 12 months use left in the brakes but that will vary with driving style

[murtz]

I'll go and see them tomorrow.. hopefully I'll get lucky!

I wanted to ask something else.. might aswell do so here instead of creating a new thread. The discs get a bit rusty when the car is on my driveway (bits of yellow rust around them). It only happens whilst its been left overnight.. But once I start driving its clean as a whistle!

I dont know if its because of the rain.. but its something I thought Id ask about to clear my curiousity!

[MarkW]

the discs are about the fastest rusting metal in the universe, nothing to worry about though

[murtz]

I wasnt able to see my dealer until today. I told him the situation and he basically played the 'its wear and tear' card. I did try to question how the pads and discs can go from a sellable condition to a RED in AA terms.. he just said that if it was bad then it would have failed the MOT which took place in May.

Ive booked the car in tomorrow for some other minor issues.. is there anything else I can do now!?? Forking out £200 for a new set of pads and discs is way too much!

[crofty136]

I once had a complaint and was getting nowhere, i actually emailed the german who owns bmw and he forwarded it to a relevent uk manager and i got £150 of free stuff! that was because i couldnt get a courtesy car cos i was under 21.

Also when i got my cherished car i found a big cig burn on a piece of trim and they replaced that for me. If you get a cherished leaflet it goes on about how 'your new car should look and feel brand new' you need to point out things like that

If you don't like arguing face to face like me then send an email, I think its best to aim for the top, they wont sort it out themselves but they know who can. Google company CEO's and theres a website which has all the contact details for major companies big people. Good luck!