DON'T GO TO MIDAS IN LANCASTER, CA
All I wanted was to get new Pads for the front brakes on our 2004 Ford 150 Pick-up. I went to the Midas Brake shop in Lancaster (first customer at 8:00am) and told them I needed new brake pads on the front and asked if they could check the rear brake pads to see if they needed replaced. I looked at their sign on the wall and saw "brake job $139.00 an axle". So, the long haired kid behind the counter told me, "Here's what we'll do. We'll do a 24 point brake inspection for $19.95 and if you get brake work done, we'll not charge you for the inspection".
He told me it would take 45 minutes for the inspection and a couple of hours to do the brake job. He said I could either wait there or go home and they would call me when they were through with the inspection. I told him I'd call my wife to come and get me and I'd be at home waiting for their call. Remember, I was the first customer there. I went outside and called my wife to come and get me. While I was waiting for her, they pulled 3 other vehicles into the garage area and started working on them. Our truck was still sitting outside when my wife got there. Did a lot of good to be the first in line.
So, I went home and waited for their call. About 3 hours later, they finally called. They told me, "You need brakes front and rear. You need the rotors machined front and rear. In the front, there is a one time use only 'nut-crush-washer' assembly that will need to be replaced. We recommend you get the ceramic break pads because the regular pads won't stop the truck in an emergency, you need the brake fluid flushed and bled, you need the parking brake adjusted, blah, blah, blah". All total $544.00.
I reluctantly said ok because they already had the truck tore apart and it was getting late. About 30 minutes later I get another call from them. "We just realized you've got the newer model truck and the front rotors can't be machined because the rotor and hub are 1 piece. You need to get 2 new rotors. That's going to cost you...." That's where I stopped him and told him to just put the damn truck back together and I would come and get it and pay the $19.95 for the 24 point inspection. So I went and got the truck from them.
By this time it is too late in the afternoon to go somewhere else to get brakes. I wasted a whole Saturday at Midas and now I'll have to take a days vacation Monday to get the work done. So, Monday I took the truck to our Ford dealer and got with my regular service rep Rey and told him I needed brakes. I explained to him what happened at Midas Saturday. He asked me a few questions, one being "does the steering wheel shimmy when you pull up to a stop"? I said no and he told me I probably don't need the rotors machined or need new rotors.
They did their own brake inspection and found the
front pads did indeed need to be replaced. The rear pads weren't
even half way worn. When new, they are 7 mm and mine were only worn
to 5 mm. He also told me that Midas was right, the front rotors
can't be machined but if there is no steering wheel shimmy when I
stop, he recommended just leaving the rotors as they are. They put
front pads on (factory replacement) and even washed the truck all
for $126.66. A far cry from what probably would have been over
$600.00 if I had let Midas do it. And by the way, I tried an
emergency stop (on a re
mote
desert road) and the Factory replacement pads stopped the truck just
fine.
Moral of the story... If you need brake work done, go anywhere BUT the Midas shop in Lancaster, Ca. It seems to me they, saw this "old man" walk in the store and thought they could make a killing off of him. Just say NO to Midas!