Complaint Review: Superior Auto & Performance - Orillia Ontario

I went to Superior Auto & Performance on November 21, 2017 to get my front pads, rotors, and verticle control arm bushings replaced as work needing to be performed according to a semi -annual inspection report created by another Service Inspection Shop/ Dealership in  Orillia.

The Service Inspection Shop/Dealership conducts semi-annual inspections for a set fee on vehicles without obligation to hire. They also replaced my rear drums and shoes in the past. After the new pads and rotors were installed by Superior Service & Performance, my car was making banging noises you could feel and hear underneath the car upon slowing down and accelerating January 2018.

I took my car back to Superior Auto & Performance January 23, 2018, who confirmed it was my rear drums and shoes needing replacing after inspecting my car. They claimed my rear drums and shoes must have worn as a result of picking up the slack for the worn out front pads and rotors. I then made comment that the inspection shop report did say that the rear drums and shoes were reported as ok, whereas they again claimed they were badly worn and needed replacing. I asked to use their phone to call the Inspection Shop to enquire about the date of installation of drums and enquire on any possible warranties of such. They confirmed they were installed the Fall of 2015 and there was no warranty left. Upon getting off the phone Superior Auto reported that having drums and shoes since Fall 2015 was a long time and ought to be replaced. I ok'd the replacement of the drums and shoes this day.After leaving I noticed a vibrating feeling in the brakes again. They claimed the rotor must have been warped and they would warranty them. I booked the car in the following week on my day off and they installed the new rotors January 30, 2018.

Approximately one week later, there was vibrating upon braking again. I booked the car on my next day off the following week and a time they could fit me was February 12, 2018, Josh from Superior had my car in shop and was grinding something on a machine and his girlfriend Amanda informed me upon my enquiring, Josh was cleaning them up to have a look. After evaluation Josh reported the drums being defective. They had new parts delivered and Josh installed. Josh took the car for a road test, where he had to bring the car back into shop, dismantle / put together, road test, back to shop, dismantle/ put  together, road test again, then coming back around to the front of shop with my keys reporting, " I don't know Susie, I've tightened them, loosened them, and I'm thinking that you should break very easily on your breaks next couple of days to allow them a chance to set properly, no heavy breaking on 80 km highways, and if that doesn't work, I'm thinking it must be your wheel cylindar. But give it a couple days and see if this was a fix.

I drove away and felt bad brakes again, so being so frustrated I decided to take my car and book it in to the Inspection Shop/Dealership to get their opinion on breaks and wheel cylindar. Next day, upon completion of the job, the Inspection Shop/Dealership  reported the brakes as now riding A ok, and no problems with wheel cylindar as Superior claimed. They concluded the drums from the manufacturer were so egg shaped they had to machine them to make them round, because the oval shape they were, wasnt making full contact with the shoe to slow it down but the rounded bottom edge of the egg shaped drum was and thats where you got that vibrating feeling while breaking. Only parts of the drum were making contact with the shoe. They also reported that according to the mileage on my old drums, they were only sitting at a 40,000 km usage and at half their life span according to that dates mileage and todays. The Inspection Shop/Dealership reported you can usually get 80,000 km out of a set of drums. Superior Auto removed those good drums at half their life span claiming them to be the issue before moving on to the wheel cylindar claim.

I took this information and my Inspection Shop/Dealership bill of $107.46 to Superior only to learn they were in no position to correct my money losses, claiming that they would've warrantied my drums once more had I come back to them. I reminded Josh that the day prior, he claimed that any other issue would have signalled me needing a wheel cylindar. He claimed that was only speculation but would've warrantied my drums had I come to him again. This sounded like a cop out. The day prior to the Inspection Shop/Dealership's fix, he claimed there was nothing more he could do as far as my breaks were concerned, and stated if any other issues came about, it had to be the wheel cylindar. I then reported the drums simply only needed machining and the breaks were now functioning smoothly,  and the other shop reported nothing wrong with the cylindar. He claimed new drums don't need machining and the Service Bill from the other Shop was my loss because had I come to him again he would've warrantied my drums once more. He lied right to my face. The day prior he said there was nothing more that could've been done to my breaks as they've already been replaced and warrantied, but had to be wheel cylindar next.