PHOENIX -- Most of us have been in need of car brake repair at some point. But how do you know if you're getting a fair deal when you take your vehicle into the shop? Dennis Friddle went to a brake shop in Phoenix because he wanted a free brake inspection. “[The car] was squealing and kind of grinding on the brakes,” Friddle told ABC15. But before he knew it, the brake shop had taken apart his car. “They had all the parts off the truck,” he said. “They started to tell me what it would need.” Friddle said he felt pressured and ended up paying the $400 bill. But, that wasn’t the end of his troubles. About two years later, Friddle went back to the same shop because he noticed a small squeal coming from his brakes. He said he expected the warranty he received from his first brake job to cover the problem. Instead, Friddle said the shop told him he needed even more work. Friddle received another bill for more than $600. He says many of the same parts were replaced. “$1,100 at least,” Friddle said he’s paid for repairs to his 2001 truck.
So, how much trust can you put in the Valley's biggest brake shops? The ABC15 Investigators loaded a car with hidden cameras. Then, we took the car to AAA's owned service center on Thunderbird Road in Peoria, to be inspected by one of its certified mechanics. The AAA mechanic told us the brakes on our undercover car did not need any work. “I can't see any reason to recommend any work on these brakes,” AAA’s mechanic told ABC15. “[The brakes are] definitely not anywhere near needing to be replaced.” Then, we went to six of the Valley’s biggest brake shop chains: Aamco, Brake Masters, Brakes Plus, Just Brakes, Midas and Pep Boys Auto. From each of those chains, we visited two shops, asking for a free brake check.
So, why did a Pep Boys Auto located near Thomas and Scottsdale roads in Scottsdale tell us we needed work done on our brakes? "The pads are low," Pep Boys' mechanic said. The mechanic said he heard a squeak that we never mentioned or ever heard. He recommended a package deal costing $345 even though we knew there was nothing wrong with our brakes. Interesting, because a different Pep Boys Auto in Chandler near Frye Road and Arizona Avenue told us our brakes were fine. Brakes Plus in Gilbert, near Baseline and Greenfield roads, also recommended work. “Front brake pads, resurface rotors, put some new hardware on it,” the mechanic at Brakes Plus in Gilbert told us. The Brakes Plus in Gilbert was the only other shop out of the 12 tested that heard a noise. Brakes Plus in Gilbert recommended $280, including changing “dark” brake fluid, which AAA said we didn’t need. “It’s as good as when it comes out of a new bottle,” AAA said after inspecting our brake fluid. Mechanics at a different Brakes Plus in Phoenix on Tatum Boulevard near Bell Road found nothing wrong with the same car.
We saw a surprising pattern. A Brake Masters in Chandler, on Germann Road near Gilbert Road, recommended cleaning and adjusting our brakes for $42. However, a Brake Masters in Glendale, on West Peoria near 51st Avenue, said our brakes needed no work. Just Brakes in Phoenix, on Indian School Road near 75th Avenue, suggested a $39 “bleed and flush” of our brake fluid. But, Just Brakes in Peoria on Northern Avenue near Loop 101 found no issues with our brakes. Within each chain we visited, one store always contradicted the other’s diagnosis, except for Midas. The Midas in Peoria, on Peoria Avenue near 67th Avenue, and the Midas in Phoenix, on Thomas Road near 32nd Street told us our brakes needed no work. Midas did the best in our undercover test. So, which shop did the worst?
An Aamco in Phoenix, on the corner of Van Buren Street and 4th Avenue, did the worst in our test. The Aamco shop in Phoenix told our undercover producer that our back brakes needed to be replaced. “There’s no meat left on them,” the manager at Aamco told ABC15. “They’re almost metal to metal.” The manager at Aamco also told us that our undercover car needs attention, fast. “Front [brakes] are fine, rears are not,” Aamco’s manager told our undercover producer. “I would do it as soon as possible.” The Aamco in Phoenix was the only shop out of the 12 tested that wanted to replace our back brakes. The manager even told our undercover producer that leaving town was risky. “You’re not going on road trip or anything?” Aamco’s manager asked our undercover producer. “They need to be done.” Our undercover video also showed the Aamco mechanic never took the car's wheels off. That is something our expert at AAA said must be done in order to determine if brake work needed to be done. Also, a different Aamco in Scottsdale near Raintree Drive and Hayden Road did not find anything wrong with our brakes.
As for Dennis Friddle, he paid $1,100 for two brake jobs. Then, Friddle asked for one of the parts that was supposed to be replaced. Why? “I was a machinist for 15 years,” he said. “I could make disc brakes.” Meaning Friddle could also measure them to see if the brake shop was really telling him the truth. “I took them and I measured them,” Friddle said. He discovered the part should not have been replaced. The company agreed with his findings and refunded part of his bill. Now, Friddle wonders what else he didn’t need. “It may not have needed any part,” he said. Many of the shops are individually owned and operated. Brake Masters is a sponsor on ABC15.
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