- Report: #954643
Complaint Review: Just Brakes - Houston Texas
Reported By:
EpicNerdFail -
Houston, Texas, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Just Brakes
1300 FM 1960 W Rd Houston, 77090 Texas, United States of America
Phone:
(281) 880-7878
Web:
www.justbrakes.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Just Brakes Safety Endangered for 2 Years Houston, Texas
I made the mistake of taking my car to Just Brakes to have a routine brake job done, the first one I've needed. That mistake followed me around for TWO years.
I had never had a problem with my brakes making noises until Just Brakes got a hold of my car. Everything was fine for the first two months about, then the noises began. I would randomly hear the most horrific, God-awful, metal-on-metal grinding noise that was similar to a train horn (about that loud too). I even had people HIT THE DECK in a parking lot once when it happened. It was intermitent, and no one was able to duplicate it, so back to Just Brakes I went.
The entire brake job was redone for no charge, and I thought surely it was fixed now. WRONG. Same story, same time frame. About 5 months later, I returned to Just Brakes AGAIN for the same problem. The brake job was once again redone, free of charge, only this time they neglected to put my air filter back in place, resulting in 50% higher gas consumption for two weeks until I discovered it. Do you think they offered to pay for the added expense? Nooooo.
After the need arose for the brake job to be redone for the 4th time, I went back to Just Brakes. They took a look at it, and said that I needed other work. My shocks, since needing to be replaced (which was true), caused added wear on my brake pads and bearings, so those had to be replaced. I would have to pay about $100. Well, I told them to forget it, just put my car back together. I was only going there if it was under warranty. The manager had to REMIND the tech to put my air filter back, even though I'd specifically told them NOT to touch anything other than the brakes and wheels.
I had a master mechanic I know redo the brake job, and he said that cheap parts and a wrong/botched brake job were to blame. They didn't know what they were doing at all, yet let me drive around for TWO YEARS with a faulty brake job, er, jobs. What really puts the icing on the cake is that the line they fed me about the shocks causing extra wear was a total lie. That isn't even possible, according to EVERYONE ELSE I've ever spoken to that knows about cars. Either they really don't know anything about cars, or they are trying to take advantage of a woman who knows nothing about auto mechanics. Either way, they have NO BUSINESS claiming to be a reputable business.
I contacted Just Brakes corporate office several times about my experiences. No one could be bothered to respond to me. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of Just Brakes.
I had never had a problem with my brakes making noises until Just Brakes got a hold of my car. Everything was fine for the first two months about, then the noises began. I would randomly hear the most horrific, God-awful, metal-on-metal grinding noise that was similar to a train horn (about that loud too). I even had people HIT THE DECK in a parking lot once when it happened. It was intermitent, and no one was able to duplicate it, so back to Just Brakes I went.
The entire brake job was redone for no charge, and I thought surely it was fixed now. WRONG. Same story, same time frame. About 5 months later, I returned to Just Brakes AGAIN for the same problem. The brake job was once again redone, free of charge, only this time they neglected to put my air filter back in place, resulting in 50% higher gas consumption for two weeks until I discovered it. Do you think they offered to pay for the added expense? Nooooo.
After the need arose for the brake job to be redone for the 4th time, I went back to Just Brakes. They took a look at it, and said that I needed other work. My shocks, since needing to be replaced (which was true), caused added wear on my brake pads and bearings, so those had to be replaced. I would have to pay about $100. Well, I told them to forget it, just put my car back together. I was only going there if it was under warranty. The manager had to REMIND the tech to put my air filter back, even though I'd specifically told them NOT to touch anything other than the brakes and wheels.
I had a master mechanic I know redo the brake job, and he said that cheap parts and a wrong/botched brake job were to blame. They didn't know what they were doing at all, yet let me drive around for TWO YEARS with a faulty brake job, er, jobs. What really puts the icing on the cake is that the line they fed me about the shocks causing extra wear was a total lie. That isn't even possible, according to EVERYONE ELSE I've ever spoken to that knows about cars. Either they really don't know anything about cars, or they are trying to take advantage of a woman who knows nothing about auto mechanics. Either way, they have NO BUSINESS claiming to be a reputable business.
I contacted Just Brakes corporate office several times about my experiences. No one could be bothered to respond to me. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of Just Brakes.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
EpicNerdFail
Houston,Texas,
United States of America
Lesson Learned
#2Author of original report
Sun, October 14, 2012
I can't remember everything done without looking it up on the paperwork. If memory serves me correctly, I paid about $300 for the work. It was the first time my 2007 Saturn Ion had the brakes serviced, and I specifically asked them about the quality of the pads and shoes they would use, as well as anything else. I know that quality parts are a better investment from the get-go, not just when it comes to cars. They assured me that they were using good quality parts, but according to my friend, the parts he pulled off my car were cheaper than he even knew existed. He had never seen such crap parts before, even when he worked for an auto parts retailer.
Now that my friend lives in town again, he does all the work on my vehicle. I went to Just Brakes because he lived out of state back then. I'm somewhat skeptical of mechanics in general. Not all are dishonest, bust some don't know what they are talking about. Others do try to take advantage of a person's lack of automotive knowledge. I trust my friend and his numerous certifications. My car has never been in better condition since I trusted it to him.
When I mention my experience with Just Brakes to someone who has not heard it, I usually hear a similar response from them, whether it was their experience, or that of someone they know. I'm not the only one who regretfully trusted them, but I did try to ask questions and set parameters about what I wanted so I wouldn't have problems later. Didn't do me much good since they seemed to know less about brake jobs than me.
SUCKA!
Somewhere,Florida,
USA
What was included in the initial brake repair?
#3Consumer Comment
Sun, October 14, 2012
How much did you pay the first time you went in, and what all did they replace? What kind of vehicle do you have? If you paid a discounted price for a discounted quality brake pad, that can cause noise and premature wearing, you got what you paid for.
The only way I could see worn shocks causing premature wear to the brake pad lining is if you are a consistent hard-braker. If you are not hard on your brakes, then the shocks may not be affecting the brake pads.
Pulling the air filter out during a brake inspection and forgetting to put it back in is inexcusable. Inattention to detail is inexcusable. Not that an air filter would every kill anyone, but inatettion to detail does kill people.
Dateline NBC did an investigation on their $99.98 advertised 4-wheel friction job. There is a 3-pt video on youtube about it. I really think you would take interest in the Dateline NBC video, since it seems to be tailored to those who know nothing about auto mechanics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k_HaCs5HS8
I have to say I disagree with the reporters of the Dateline investigation in one area: The gentlemen who explained to the customer about possibly dissatisfaction with the cheap brake job were absolutely correct. $99 for both axles is meant to drive customers in, or meant for those who understand who the braking system works. They understand it's a quick fix which will create large amounts of brake dust, noise, and the pads will quickly wear down. Sell that to a customer who knows nothing about the braking system, there will be nothing but complaints.
In the end, if your buddy cant do any future work for you, research other automotive repair facilities online prior to trusting them with your vehicle.
