Do my discs and pads need changing? Dealer says yes!

Do my discs and pads need changing? Dealer says yes!

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Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Hi all,

Got a Vauxhall Zafira last week. It went in for recall work and Vauxhall have said I need new pads and discs on front and back. MOT last month didn't flag the pads but did mention rusty brake discs. It had a full service in February and the brake pads are noted as having been changed. Vauxhall have quoted a staggering £600 and I think they're trying to take me for a ride!
Also I've noticed a noise, it sounds like metal rubbing on metal, but only when I'm going 20-30mph and take my foot off the accelerator. No noise when braking or accelerating and not at higher speeds. Could it be the breaks? Or they said the heat shield is loose, could that cause that noise?

I'm including a screenshot from a video they provided, which shows the brakes.

Any help appreciated!


guards red

666 posts

199 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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er... Yes they do.

andym1603

1,798 posts

171 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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If that is a picture of your brakes then yes the need changed. That brake pad looks as if it had been changed long before February, Well passed half worn.

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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They said front were 70% worn and rear 75% worn. Could the brakes be causing the noise I mentioned?

finlo

3,731 posts

202 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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I'd say your calipers are seized too!

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Oh god,I literally don't have the money to spend on lots of brake work, spent every penny I had and more buying the car!

PositronicRay

26,957 posts

182 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Ellesbelles said:
Oh god,I literally don't have the money to spend on lots of brake work, spent every penny I had and more buying the car!
Go to indy.

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Even my local reckon £290. Are discs easy enough to do? My dad has done brake pads before so fine to do them. Are discs any harder?

227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Take it to a decent local garage, main dealers have huge overheads to maintain hence their prices.
Next time you buy a car get a reputable garage to check it out before handing any money over ffs.

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
227bhp said:
Take it to a decent local garage, main dealers have huge overheads to maintain hence their prices.
Next time you buy a car get a reputable garage to check it out before handing any money over ffs.
No need to be rude. I don't know anything about cars. I did what I could to check the car before I bought it, looked through its MOT history, service history, spoke to Vauxhall about work done on it. It was only MOT'd 3 weeks ago and passed, couldn't have known the brakes would have a problem!

Jazoli

9,086 posts

249 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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If your dad can do pads discs should be no problem, you can do the lot for around £100 with budget parts if you must.

People are rude on here, they tend to forget that everyone isn't a mechanical genius, or have plenty of cash to throw around, I'll wager your brakes will be fine, they look rusty and crap but they will still work, the mot would have pointed out any major faults and the pads must be ok or the mot tester would have failed/advised, I bet that picture is of the rear brakes, which do very little in reality and look like that after a few years, the noise will be the back plate/shield on the brakes catching slightly (probably) and is not too much of an issue.

Carry on using it, save a few quid and get them done when you can afford to smile

Edited by Jazoli on Thursday 7th September 21:49

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Jazoli said:
If your dad can do pads discs should be no problem, you can do the lot for around £100 with budget parts if you must.
Great, thanks. Just been having a look around and Euro car parts have 30% off so I can get the parts for £100, which I can just about do

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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How old is the vehicle?
Was it main dealer purchased?
Possible recourse with the trader- see if they will rectify it for free

Sheepshanks

32,522 posts

118 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Jazoli said:
If your dad can do pads discs should be no problem, you can do the lot for around £100 with budget parts if you must.

People are rude on here, they tend to forget that everyone isn't a mechanical genius, or have plenty of cash to throw around, I'll wager your brakes will be fine, they look rusty and crap but they will still work, the mot would have pointed out any major faults and the pads must be ok or the mot tester would have failed/advised, I bet that picture is of the rear brakes, which do very little in reality and look like that after a few years, the noise will be the back plate/shield on the brakes catching slightly (probably) and is not too much of an issue.

Carry on using it, save a few quid and get them done when you can afford to smile
^ This. Probably. The only caveat I would have is what sort of garage did you buy it from? It could have been MOT'd by a place friendly to the garage.

Are you driving a bunch of kids around in the car? Get someone who knows what they're doing to have a look and check the cars braking - franchised dealers are always looking to change pads and discs.

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Jazoli said:
If your dad can do pads discs should be no problem, you can do the lot for around £100 with budget parts if you must.

People are rude on here, they tend to forget that everyone isn't a mechanical genius, or have plenty of cash to throw around, I'll wager your brakes will be fine, they look rusty and crap but they will still work, the mot would have pointed out any major faults and the pads must be ok or the mot tester would have failed/advised, I bet that picture is of the rear brakes, which do very little in reality and look like that after a few years, the noise will be the back plate/shield on the brakes catching slightly (probably) and is not too much of an issue.

Carry on using it, save a few quid and get them done when you can afford to smile

Edited by Jazoli on Thursday 7th September 21:49
Thanks so much, yes they are the rear ones. They conveniently didn't really show the front ones! Actually braking is fine, no lag etc, so using the car you wouldn't think there was a problem.
I hope it is the shield! Thanks again!

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
How old is the vehicle?
Was it main dealer purchased?
Possible recourse with the trader- see if they will rectify it for free
It's 2007 and was bought privately

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Ellesbelles said:
Welshbeef said:
How old is the vehicle?
Was it main dealer purchased?
Possible recourse with the trader- see if they will rectify it for free
It's 2007 and was bought privately
Ok sold as seen no recourse.

In which case get an Indy to change the discs and pads all round (I'd wager the disc you have a pic is the original 10years old).

Ellesbelles

Original Poster:

13 posts

78 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
^ This. Probably. The only caveat I would have is what sort of garage did you buy it from? It could have been MOT'd by a place friendly to the garage.

Are you driving a bunch of kids around in the car? Get someone who knows what they're doing to have a look and check the cars braking - franchised dealers are always looking to change pads and discs.
I bought it privately from someone local. I checked and it was MOT'd at a local garage, so would assume there was no bias there when passing it. I have my toddler with me, which is why I wanted to check on here. Obviously don't want to drive around dangerously but by the same token can't afford to just replace stuff if it doesn't really need doing.
That's pretty much what I'd heard about the dealers, haha. They did a free "health check" then tried to hit me with £600

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Ellesbelles said:
I bought it privately from someone local. I checked and it was MOT'd at a local garage, so would assume there was no bias there when passing it. I have my toddler with me, which is why I wanted to check on here. Obviously don't want to drive around dangerously but by the same token can't afford to just replace stuff if it doesn't really need doing.
That's pretty much what I'd heard about the dealers, haha. They did a free "health check" then tried to hit me with £600
Free health check = hmm those brakes are utterly dangerous and lethal you must replace.
How many miles have been covered since the MOT? I'd push that back and say well 67miles ago it past it's MOT with flying colours how can it now be very dangerous given barely any distance travelled -- do I need to report that MOT test centre to trading standards for passing cars which it shouldn't?

Globs

13,841 posts

230 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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The appearance of the brakes is not good but I've seen worse. It looks like they've undergone a recent period of very low usage and the pads are a little low so if they work fine then I'd change them next year if it was me. I'm not seeing a need to rush unless they don't work, but I assume they do as you have a recent MOT.

The parts are not particularly expensive from Eurocarparts (ECP) but they do need to be fitted properly and I suspect the fluid may welcome a change too.