Midas Brakes - Lifetime Guarantee? (2 Viewers)

[Gauge]

Watching TV last night and along came a commercial for Midas brakes offering a lifetime guarantee on pads for as long as you own your car or truck.

Well, I plan on owning my 80 for a long time, and I've already been warned how quickly it eats brakes. I've changed my own brakes on every car/truck I have ever owned, but I am curious to know if others think the "lifetime guarantee" Midas offers is worth it.

Is it possible that they inflate the hours for labor to make up the cost of the brakes? I can't see how they would ever make money on a Land Cruiser with this deal.

Here's the link to Midas' site where they talk about the guarantee on brakes:

http://www.midas.com/products-services/brakes-guarantee.html

Also found this about them on the consumer affairs website:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/midas_brakes.html

Seems like a lot of people have had tons of complaints about Midas.

 

[Gauge]

Correction - Looks like labor is covered too. Their website says Labor is NOT covered ONLY IF the pads have to be replaced 3 months after the date of the initial installation.

Doesn't this sound like a good deal for Cruiser owners?? Am I missing something?

 

[turbocruiser]

I'm always skeptical about these things from these type of vendors so I would not do it personally. If for no other reason I would not want to take all the time that it takes to take the cruiser in for the swap; I'd rather do it myself with a few s by my side! JMHO, YMMV Thanks.

 

[hoser]

Scam.

My experience is from many years back so correct me if I'm wrong.

First of all, they use cheap quality parts. They will use organic pads unless you specify (and pay) for something else. When you wear your first set of pads out, they will carefully inspect your brakes and say you NEED new rotors or calipers or wheel bearings or all of the above. Perhaps they have higher standards for minimum rotor widths or don't believe in turning a rotor.

They will make their money by overcharging you for cheap parts. Sure, they may warrantee the brake pads but really, you paid for them when you buy the other parts. Of course, you'll want to bleed the brakes too and so they'll overcharge you there. Overall, it's not a good deal.

 

[tucker74]

I checked into this at my local Midas a while back - the warranty covers the pads, not the labor. And from the quote they gave me - it's not in any way, shape, or form remotely a good deal. They wanted big bucks - and were only guaranteeing the cheap part (don't cover rotors either). Just buy the pads from cdan, get a local shop to turn the rotors and be happy

Tucker

 

[shocker]

Certain things on cars SHOULD, by the nature of their operation, wear out. If brake pads used in modern, widely used brake systems did not wear, they would not work. If tires did not wear out, they would be so hard as to not give traction.

What Midas does is plan on the customer coming back wanting new pads--pads Midas probably pays $20 or less for--and hit them with a lot of other stuff that needs to be done. Pretty cheap and effective way to have a steady stream of suckers forever darkening your doorstep.

 

[madams557]

STAY AWAY FROM MIDAS!!!! It is a scam - at least in my experience.

Here is my story (and I'm sticking to it). In March of 2000, I was in Biloxi, MS for a business trip and the brakes started to squeak the wear indicator. Not being close to home, I decided to stop in a place that I knew was nationwide in case I needed to cash in on the warranty work.

At Midas I had all for pads and rotors replaced. I actually saw them and they were really shot. Anyway, I asked for the lifetime brake job and paid something over $1200. Ouch!

December of 2000, back in Colorado and back at the Midas shop in the shop. Brakes were always squeaking. The Fort Collins shop changed the pads for free but charged me close to $200 for added parts and labor.

Two weeks later - back in the Fort Collins shop with the same ANNOYING squeak. Nothing spent, but then nothing fixed.

Two weeks later - went into the Greeley Colorado Midas shop because I thought the Fort Collins shop was full of knuckle draggers. Pads replaced for free, however again parts and labor was charged to the tune of nearly $200.

Two weeks later - back at Midas, still with a squeak and now the truck was pulling to the right during braking. Rotors were spun, new pads and another charge for labor.

I finally wised up. I called the Toyota dealership and they charged almost the same for the front brakes to be fixed.

After Toyota corrected the work, no more pulling, no more squeaking. Amazing!!

Just think of the Midas Lifetime warranty like the 100,000 mile warranty provided by Kia or Hyundai - It sounds great, BUT do you really want a KIA.

My suggestion would be to check with your local Toyota dealership to see what they charge and see if the cost difference is worth the piece of mind. One day I hope to get brave enough to do the brakes myself since this is a consumable item on the Land Cruisers.

Michael

 

[LoneStar]

I think the lifetime pads wear out rotors much more quickly. Of course the rotors are much more exspensive and profitable and are not covered. My girlfriend was going through rotors much too often on a Montero several years ago and a mechanic told her he thought the PO had put on some of the "lifetime pads". The rotors seemed to wear normally after she replaced the pads.

 

[alia176]

You can also get lifetime warranteed brake pads from your local parts suppliers. Just bring them the used ones after a couple of years along with your receipt and walk away with a new set. I've used this feature for pads and spark plug wires from various stores.

 

[greglomax]

I have dealt with Midas in the past. They honor the pads, but where they get you is, they tell you the next time you go back to have the pads replaced that the rotors need to be replaced in order for them to honor the warranty. So you are stuck. You have to pay $100 per wheel to have the rotors replaced so they can replace the pads for free. They claim that the rotors have worn and do not meet the manufacturers safety level for turning them. So your only option then is to either let them replace the rotors too, or have them give you a set of pads, for you to replace yourself, and you sign off that your warranty is voided.

Buyer beware!!!!!!!

 

[alaskacruiser]

FWIW, I once heard a Midas employee trying to turn his friend away from the lifetime brake pads. He said the lifetime pads will wear out rotors quickly. I was the only other person in the shop and they were whispering, but not quietly enough!

 

[greglomax]

Hey Madams997,
You were doing good until you go to the part about the Hyundai. My other vehicle is a Hyndai Sonata and I take offense to that statement. I am with you on the Kia, but go easy on the Hyundai.

 

[Gauge]

Thanks for everyone's input. I think I will stick to servicing the brakes myself then.

Also, it makes perfect sense that the non-lifetime pads would be better than the harder lifetime pads. The lifetime pads are harder and thus tear the crap out of the rotor. The non-lifetime pads are softer, and even though they wear out faster, they still save the rotor from all the abuse. I'd rather replace the pads once a year than the pads and rotors every 2 years. Just my opinion.

 

[madams557]

greglomax,
Sorry - I lumped those two together because a few years ago Hyundai bought Kia and they are pretty much the same company, sharing a few platforms between them like the Sonata and Optima which are clones.

 

[Eduardo96FZJ80]

97 Land Bruiser,
Try a search with "100 series pads"
Some of us are running the 100 series pads on our 80's with good results
Eduardo