This has to be a record - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BoomInTheTrunk · #1 01-11-2008, 08:00 PM

Well 7 brake calipers later from Autozoo and still waiting for one to actually work. Its been around 2 months with calipers that seem to leak after one week of use, or they are cracked making them leak, or they send in the wrong side caliper. well if this were you, you would probably be mad like me. well here is the question.

What would you do if you had to keep getting the part from autozoo because you were low on money and they had the cheapest ones?

Should a rage a storm on the manager about how his service is the worst that i have ever seen and demand something in return for the !MAJOR! inconvenience.

Just what should i do. I really dont have a choice to get them anywhere else because i am broke kid who has no job at the moment.

I am in a huge dilemma and need some help guys so please give me some info.

johntksr · #2 01-11-2008, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoomInTheTrunk

Well 7 brake calipers later from Autozoo and still waiting for one to actually work. Its been around 2 months with calipers that seem to leak after one week of use, or they are cracked making them leak, or they send in the wrong side caliper. well if this were you, you would probably be mad like me. well here is the question.

What would you do if you had to keep getting the part from autozoo because you were low on money and they had the cheapest ones?

Should a rage a storm on the manager about how his service is the worst that i have ever seen and demand something in return for the !MAJOR! inconvenience.

Just what should i do. I really dont have a choice to get them anywhere else because i am broke kid who has no job at the moment.

I am in a huge dilemma and need some help guys so please give me some info.

demand a refund from the manager and purchase a used working caliper from someone on this site.

Eric Eliel · #3 01-11-2008, 08:21 PM

This reminds me of a story one of my buddies told me. Worth the read.

My friend had a GE refrigerator and under warranty the compressor went out. After going through 3 additional compressors (us diesel heads who have read and read the various AC posts can only imagine the quality replacement procedures from a lonely GE repairman

) he finally called a GE manager.

He ranted and raved about the lost food, lost waiting time for a repairman etc and told the GE manager.....I'm putting the fridge out on the street, you can come pick it up, its yours now, you own it. Well you can imagine the GE manager said "hey you can't do that, its dangerous, etc etc." "Not my problem, its your fridge now!". Basically threatened the manager with a possible liability issue. (I think he bought this fridge with GE credit too). My friend basically dis-owned the fridge.

hehe!! GE was out there in two hours and had that fridge picked up.

My friend is now a happy Amana owner. (and was refunded the entire amount by GE)

So in closing I think you ought to speak with the manager, and have them furnish you with a set of NEW brake calipers, or refund your money. At this point you would have been probably better off taking your chances on a set of used ones. I would have been pissed on the second go around.

BoomInTheTrunk · #4 01-11-2008, 08:25 PM

Oh can i mention that their leaky calipers that they gave me destroyed the bundts that i had on the car. Now i have peeling paint on my rims that looked pretty good. I think that i should make them pay to refinish them for me. Not to mention about the tank of gas I used up after all the trips to and from the store.

CarreraDan · #5 01-11-2008, 08:30 PM

Boom,
I can relate to getting bad remanufacted calipers. I ordered rebuild kits from Fastlane and jumped right into rebuilding my frozen calipers. After resorting to 175psi of air the pistons still not moving I called a buddy who has a hydraulic machine that is capable of 15000 psi of fluid. We hooked one frozen caliper up, turned on the machine and ran into another room. Well, the bores were shot so I decided to get reman calipers from Advance as I was on a tight budget. Got the calipers in and installed after I fixed a broken bleeder nipple and was happy with the job. About a week later I noticed brake fluid on the driveway and my new calipers were leaking. I decided to rebuild the remanufactured ones and all is well now. The piston seals in the rebuild kits were thicker and wider, so far so good. You might give it a try as a last resort.

Hatterasguy · #6 01-12-2008, 12:34 AM

After the second set leaked I would simply have demanded a full refund and purchased a set from Phil.

I need new front calipers for my SDL and I think Fastlane wants $100ish each for them, how much are they at Autozoo?

Hatterasguy · #7 01-12-2008, 12:40 AM

Autozoo pricing:
Unit Price: $94.99
*Core Value: $32.00
Total Price: $126.99

Fastlane pricing:
N1040-76345 Brake Caliper Reman. - w/o Brake Pads Cardone IN STOCK $141.35 $100.03

So with tax they cost the same, and Phil's is of a much higher quality then Autozoo's crap.

I fail to understand why you keep messing with Autozoo.

daw_two · #8 01-12-2008, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoomInTheTrunk

Well 7 brake calipers later from Autozoo and still waiting for one to actually work. Its been around 2 months with calipers that seem to leak after one week of use, or they are cracked making them leak, or they send in the wrong side caliper. well if this were you, you would probably be mad like me. well here is the question.

What would you do if you had to keep getting the part from autozoo because you were low on money and they had the cheapest ones?

Should a rage a storm on the manager about how his service is the worst that i have ever seen and demand something in return for the !MAJOR! inconvenience.

Just what should i do. I really dont have a choice to get them anywhere else because i am broke kid who has no job at the moment.

I am in a huge dilemma and need some help guys so please give me some info.

I would call the local store and ask the manager for the regional manager's name. I would then call someone in the Corporate Office of Autozoo.....get a name and an email; send complete documentation of everytime you have been in there.....all dates.....scanned copies of all receipts......etc.

Send the email to the local store manager, the regional manager, and the corporate person. Give them a chance to FIX the issue and the wheels......If that fails, then call your local TV station that has a "make it right" kind of reporter ....or newspaper. The squeaky wheel gets oiled.

Knightrider966 · #9 01-12-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Autozoo pricing:
Unit Price: $94.99
*Core Value: $32.00
Total Price: $126.99

Fastlane pricing:
N1040-76345 Brake Caliper Reman. - w/o Brake Pads Cardone IN STOCK $141.35 $100.03

So with tax they cost the same, and Phil's is of a much higher quality then Autozoo's crap.

I fail to understand why you keep messing with Autozoo.

Amen to that! If you need them in a hurry and can't wait for Phil to ship them out, go to Napa at least and get a QUALITY pair!!!!

Autozoo's crap is completely made in China now, including many reman's!

Chinese quality is

Mustang_man298 · #10 01-12-2008, 12:12 PM

FYI Cardone is the same brand as Kragen/Checker/Schucks stocks

If you're really on a tight budget, do what I did, go to the wrecking yard and find a car that either has been hit recently (not did the hitting), or find one that has clean looking rotors and a damaged engine. Both indicate that the car was recently on the road and not sitting, if you see no signs of leakage and you can push the pedal and still spin the wheel(s) after you release it, the calipers should be fine. I found a car with a bad timing chain, that had nearly new brakes on it, fresh rotors and all, took the whole set from the rubber hoses down and they've been working fine almost 2 years now. The whole mess cost me about $125, 4 rotors, 4 calipers w/pads & front wear sensors, 4 hoses.

Knightrider966 · #11 01-12-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang_man298

FYI Cardone is the same brand as Kragen/Checker/Schucks stocks

If you're really on a tight budget, do what I did, go to the wrecking yard and find a car that either has been hit recently (not did the hitting), or find one that has clean looking rotors and a damaged engine. Both indicate that the car was recently on the road and not sitting, if you see no signs of leakage and you can push the pedal and still spin the wheel(s) after you release it, the calipers should be fine. I found a car with a bad timing chain, that had nearly new brakes on it, fresh rotors and all, took the whole set from the rubber hoses down and they've been working fine almost 2 years now. The whole mess cost me about $125, 4 rotors, 4 calipers w/pads & front wear sensors, 4 hoses.

Good point too! Auto Dismantlers yards are a great way to spend an afternoon and the finds are worth the trip. Something like your find would be worth getting just because your going to need them even if not right now but soon.

nhdoc · #12 01-12-2008, 01:26 PM

********.com has very aggressive prices on both Cardone and Beck/Arnley brake calipers. They are drop shipped directly from the suppliers. Some don't even require cores and their prices start at $35 or so.

Hatterasguy · #13 01-12-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightrider966

Amen to that! If you need them in a hurry and can't wait for Phil to ship them out, go to Napa at least and get a QUALITY pair!!!!

Autozoo's crap is completely made in China now, including many reman's!

Chinese quality is

I'm sure the quality of rebuilds leaves much to be desired. If money wasn't an issue going with new calipers would be the best route.

I take a very long term ownership view on these cars. If I take off a 20 year old part I want to put a part that should last another 20 years back on in its place.

Cervan · #14 01-12-2008, 06:16 PM

Ill make you a deal, you say your broke? ill send you a brake caliper (That works, for sure) if you pay for shipping, it has to be a 240d/w123 chassis though.

BoomInTheTrunk · #15 01-12-2008, 06:38 PM

i would love to go to a yard and take the calipers off. But down in the part of socal that i live in there is only one w123 chassis for around 70 miles in a yard. The one in that yard is pretty stripped and its been sitting in there for around 3 years and it looks pretty bad, so the calipers probably dont work.