HELP! - Rear Wheel Cylinders (Brakes)

11bwest · April 29, 2017

ADVICE NEEDED!!

PLEASE HELP!

Today I dropped off my 2012 GMC Sierra with 91,888 miles for an oil change and to have the brakes checked because of a groaning noise coming from the rear during slow stops. So I drop off my Sierra at 10:00am to the local Chevrolet dealership and tell them about the brakes and they assure me they will take a look at it.

The Sercvice department calls me at 3:00pm and tells me that they suggest to change the rear wheel cylinders and rear brake shoes since they only measured at 3mm. At this point I immediately object to changing the rear wheel cylinders and tell them I will get a second opinion on them (knowing they were changed 2 years ago by the same dealership performing the service today) and only agree to resurface the drums and change the brake shoes. I tell the Service clerk that I had the cylinders replaced by them about 2 years ago and ask if he can pull up the Service record. Of course he says that he can't go back further than 1 year for Service records and with hesitation in his voice, the Service clerk hangs up the phone. About 15 minutes later the dealership called me again and said, "we will not replace the brake shoes without replacing the wheel cylinders because the leak is so bad." I ask how much the total brake service will cost and he says $595.00 (it ended up being $465.38.) So out of fustration I agree to the repair and tell them to go ahead and change the cylinders.

After I hung up the phone I begin to think about the situation and the more I think about having the rear wheel cylinders replaced AGAIN, the more pissed I become. So I go to the dealership where it's hectic of course because it is now 5:00pm, pay my bill and leave. At the time I picked up my vehicle, I thought I had NO way to prove I had the rear wheel cylinders changed just 2 years ago. So when I get home I start to tear apart the glove box going through service receipts. I then find the reciept showing the dealership replacing the wheel cylinders (SCORE!!) back in Feburary of 2015 when the vehicle only had 58,842 miles. The service receipt from 2015 describes the cylinder leak as "small" and the service receipt from today described cylinders "busted and shoes full of brake fluid." Now it's time for the golden question... HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU CHANGE WHEEL CYLINDERS WHEN THE LEAK IS SMALL AND COME BACK 2 YEARS AND 33,046 MILES LATER WITH BUSTED WHEEL CYLINDERS??!!

Tell me if I'm crazy but I suspect something very sketchy here. For a part that is suppose to last the lifetime of a vehicle, how can that dealership defend that they actually changed out the wheel cylinders when the leak was small and then 2 years later these new cylinders are busted and my rear brakes are ruined. Then I discover that the part price for the rear wheel cylinder in 2015 was $29.68 (each) and today for the same part im charged $39.82 (each.) THATS OVER A 30% INCRSSE IN PRICE WITHIN 2 YEARS!! The labor also has a significant difference in price ($170 in 2015 and $300 today) but it's hard to defend since I wasn't charges labor for resurfacing the drums back in 2015.

After calming down from looking at my past Service receipts and realizing that I had the rear wheel cylinders changed only 33,046 miles ago (when the leak was only described as "small") After feeling scammed by this dealerships Service department, I now wonder what should I do from here. Do I call GM and file a complaint against the dealership? Do I write a letter to the Service department at the dealership? Do I show up to the dealership Monday morning rasing hell?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please take a look at the pictures I posted of the Service receipts from both times the rear wheel cylinders were replaced by the same dealership. The receipt totaling $465.38 was preformed today and the receipt totaling $229.36 was from 2/13/2015.

muddkatt · April 29, 2017

I would go back and have a talk with them. Take your invoices and ask to see the service manager. If he/she can't or wont help you, then go see the general manager or the owner (if its a smaller dealership).

Many years ago (when I was a teenager) I had a brake issue and carried it to the local dealership. They claimed to replace the rear cylinders and bleed the brakes. I still had a brake issue afterwards and my dad looked at it for me. He took the invoice and the truck back to the dealer for me and ask the service manager how they performed this work when the old cylinders were still on the truck and the bleeders were totally stopped up. They refunded my money on the spot. BTW, this was a dealer in Louisiana too.

diyer2 · April 29, 2017

I think you have a dilemma because you OK'd the repair. You opened the door by having them check the brakes with no knowledge of what was wrong.

I don't mean to be a smart a$$ but do you check things out before going to the dealer? I guess you do none of you're own maintenance and IMO this is the result of not covering you 're butt. Is it right, NO but this is the world we live in today.

I know someone that took a vehicle in because the brakes were making noise. I asked some questions, like mileage on this new vehicle. I suggested it may be the wear bars on the front pads and new pads and rear shoes maybe needed. Repair shop quoted $800.00 for pads, shoes, brake hardware and turning rotors and shoes. Two months later brake noise is real bad. Take it to a different shop. They removed the wear bars on the front pads and never touched the rear shoes. Nowit needs rotors too.

Just sayin.

11bwest · April 29, 2017

I would go back and have a talk with them. Take your invoices and ask to see the service manager. If he/she can't or wont help you, then go see the general manager or the owner (if its a smaller dealership).

Many years ago (when I was a teenager) I had a brake issue and carried it to the local dealership. They claimed to replace the rear cylinders and bleed the brakes. I still had a brake issue afterwards and my dad looked at it for me. He took the invoice and the truck back to the dealer for me and ask the service manager how they performed this work when the old cylinders were still on the truck and the bleeders were totally stopped up. They refunded my money on the spot. BTW, this was a dealer in Louisiana too.

Was the dealership Dantin Chevrolet in Thibodaux, Louisiana by any chance? I'm not to far from a teenager and for all I know the rear brakes could have been covered with brake dust. It's obvious I've been scammed once and I'm currently in the process of taking the tires and drum covers off myself to make sure I wasn't scammed twice. Pictures will be posted.

11bwest · April 29, 2017

I think you have a dilemma because you OK'd the repair. You opened the door by having them check the brakes with no knowledge of what was wrong.

I don't mean to be a smart a$$ but do you check things out before going to the dealer? I guess you do none of you're own maintenance and IMO this is the result of not covering you 're butt. Is it right, NO but this is the world we live in today.

I know someone that took a vehicle in because the brakes were making noise. I asked some questions, like mileage on this new vehicle. I suggested it may be the wear bars on the front pads and new pads and rear shoes maybe needed. Repair shop quoted $800.00 for pads, shoes, brake hardware and turning rotors and shoes. Two months later brake noise is real bad. Take it to a different shop. They removed the wear bars on the front pads and never touched the rear shoes. Nowit needs rotors too.

Just sayin.

I do check things but not to the extent I should. Of course I didn't open up the drums myself to see what was wrong but I knew the shoes were more than likely done since the truck has 92,000 miles and they were never changed. I've always been sketched out to fool with my brakes.

diyer2 · April 29, 2017

I do check things but not to the extent I should. Of course I didn't open up the drums myself to see what was wrong but I knew the shoes were more than likely done since the truck has 92,000 miles and they were never changed. I've always been sketched out to fool with my brakes.

Well if you don't learn to do maintenance you are subject to dishonest shops. I would find a repair shop by asking around and avoid a costly dealer if you're not interested in doing it yourself.

muddkatt · April 29, 2017

Was the dealership Dantin Chevrolet in Thibodaux, Louisiana by any chance? Pictures will be posted.

No, it was a now closed dealer in central La. Post the pictures when you get a chance.

Heavy 5.7 · April 29, 2017

Today I dropped off my 2012 GMC Sierra with 91,888 miles for an oil change and to have the brakes checked because of a groaning noise coming from the rear during slow stops.

Has the vehicle been repaired? You asked for, were given and then you approved an estimate to repair the rear brakes. No doubt a person can save a substantial amount of money performing repairs themselves but that's water under the bridge. If you have proof the wheel cylinders didn't fail I think you may have some recourse otherwise it's probably best to just let it go. A 5 year old vehicle with close to 100k on the clock the costs to maintain are just beginning.

As an aside was there a reason you took a truck that old to a dealership, a reliable Independent shop is usually less expensive.

11bwest · April 30, 2017

Has the vehicle been repaired? You asked for, were given and then you approved an estimate to repair the rear brakes. No doubt a person can save a substantial amount of money performing repairs themselves but that's water under the bridge. If you have proof the wheel cylinders didn't fail I think you may have some recourse otherwise it's probably best to just let it go. A 5 year old vehicle with close to 100k on the clock the costs to maintain are just beginning.

As an aside was there a reason you took a truck that old to a dealership, a reliable Independent shop is usually less expensive.

Yes the vehicle has been repaired. I took the drum covers off today to make sure the dealership did what I was charged for and everything looked right. I just honestly don't believe that the wheel cylinders were changed back in 2015 when the leak was described as small! Then 2 years and 30,000 miles later these "new" cylinder are busted leaking very bad and have to be replaced again. I'm trying to post pictures but I'm getting an error messages saying the file is too big to upload...

11bwest · April 30, 2017

11bwest · April 30, 2017

Heavy 5.7 · April 30, 2017

Do you have the old wheel cylinders in hand and is the bore badly scored/rusty or the piston seals distorted?

11bwest · April 30, 2017

Do you have the old wheel cylinders in hand and is the bore badly scored/rusty or the piston seals distorted?

I don't have the old wheel cylinders unfortunately. I meant to and planned on asking for them when I picked up my vehicle but I was so pissed off at the time that I wasn't thinking straight and completely forgot. Not to sure what you mean by, "is the bore badly scored/rusty or the piston seals distorted?"

muddkatt · April 30, 2017

I don't have the old wheel cylinders unfortunately. I meant to and planned on asking for them when I picked up my vehicle but I was so pissed off at the time that I wasn't thinking straight and completely forgot. Not to sure what you mean by, "is the bore badly scored/rusty or the piston seals distorted?"

He is asking about the condition of the old cylinders, if you take a cylinder apart, they have a smooth inside bore and pistons just like an engine would. Score marks or being pitted will cause them to leak. If the seals are damaged, that will cause a leak also.

11bwest · April 30, 2017

He is asking about the condition of the old cylinders, if you take a cylinder apart, they have a smooth inside bore and pistons just like an engine would. Score marks or being pitted will cause them to leak. If the seals are damaged, that will cause a leak also.

Thanks for explaining that, makes sense! I wish I had the old cylinders but unfortunately I do not. This is definitely a learning experience. Infact yesterday was the first time I ever took off drum covers before.