Complaint Review: Just Brakes

Saturday October 6th

I entered *Just Breaks* with a 10$ coupon and a brake light on in my 2000 Daewoo Lanos. After the initial sign-in and the mechanic checked my car. Paul and Justin pulled me into the bay to look at the 'damage'. My car had 93K miles on it, its a manual (I've used good engine breaking) and this was my first visit for any brake work.

They told me I needed new pads, to machine the calipers, new springs and drum work. All in all $577 in work. Half way through the repair I was told they would have to order some of the drum brake parts and scheduled me for the next Saturday, for my daewoo I'm used to ordering rare parts.

I left and headed to jiffy lube. I parked on a hill and my parking brake would not secure my car. It was already late and I decided to return to *Just Breaks* on Monday.

Please note, I waited this whole time in their waitroom reading a book. A customer had come in to pick up his car. He had $700 dollars worth of brakes done. He left and returned within 10 minutes very upset. Saying his brakes weren't working and made horrible noise. Come to find out a new mechanic had put a spring on wrong.

Monday October 8th

Stopped by *Just Breaks* to fix my parking brake. Two hours and it was set. I tested it on their inclined entrance. I had it at full strength and if I shifted my weight the car would move.

During this week I would have experience one loss of braking power at 30 miles per hour. I wrote it off as an odd occurence.

Saturday October 13th

Brought the car in at 7:30AM, first of the day. Got a call from Paul. "Sorry buddy but on the test drive smoke started coming from your hood." My thermostat housing was broken. Keeping my temper I asked what resolution could come from this, and his reply was "Sorry, I'm often the bearer of bad news."

Monday October 15th

Took the car into the dealership. $140 thermostat housing repair. A roll of the eyes from the service guy when I mentioned *Just Breaks*. Going to work after this appointment, I experienced two times when the brakes failed to apply pressure, just like the occurence I earlier experience. However this time my brakes should have been repaired. The experience of losing your brakes for a split second at highway speeds in a sudden stop of highway traffic, is terrifying.

Week of the 15th

Can't remember when I sent in the complaint form on the website. But it described the above. Bob Marshall (phone # available) called from the corporate office. I asked for my car to be taken to my shop for repairs on his dime. He balked. Stating he had over 20 stores in my area. I initially refused, but then was persuaded to take it to the Beeline Ridge Store, an award winning store.

October 19th

Arrive at the Bee ridge store. Chris Fields inspected my brakes. I mentioned that Bob said the problem sounded like a vacuum problem. I mentioned this to Chris, if he did the test, I didnt know about it. However, he did find problems with Paul's repair. They used the original parts for a seal and bearings that was purchased in my original bill but not added. I know that parts are hard to come by and it seems like Paul sidestepped this and Chris confirmed it. He also noted that the bearings had come loose in the drum, causing a rattle. I chalked up the rattle to the line from Paul "New brakes make noise". When Chris further inspected the bearings, they were dry packed with no grease, he shook his head.

On the way home from this visit, 40 miles over the Sunshine skyway, my brakes failed 12 or more times. They had no stopping power, only slowing power. I traveled at 40 mph with hazards, downshifting and engine braking to help me slow to a stop and kept over 10 car lengths in front of me. I received numerous honks and fingers. I was livid and scared-silly, white knuckled driving.

October 22

Called Bob explained it to him. He arranged a tow to the house the next morning.

Today October 23

The tow arrived at 8:30AM half an hour late. Bob had the car shipped to the Pinellas Park *Just Breaks*. The mechanic called me at 1PM, vacuum power of 14 of the necessary 20 units. I called Bob. You'd think he would have tried to call me. I left a message. He called back at 3:46, let it ring once and hung up. I had someone in my office tried to answer. Immediately called his office, he was gone for the day at 3:30

Conclusion
This is not over. Beware of *Just Breaks*. I charge that their St. Pete store broke my thermostat housing and busted my master cylinder which controls the vacuum power because they couldn't work on my unique car. I find Bob's lack of trying to be in contact with me as work was done, not customer service friendly. I have contacted my credit card company to start the declination of payment. I will further blog about this incident on other sites. I will turn away potential customers, one operator at the credit card was about to go there, I turned her away. After reading others comments here, I can not believe *Just Breaks* still can operate in this manner.

Morton
Saint Petersburg, Florida
U.S.A.

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