I recently took a trip to Midas (which I regret and recommend you never take your business there) and had my wifes G35 rotors changed. Now, after less than 5000 miles on the brakes, the front rotors are rusted all over and squel like crazy. I have taken it back once and they stated they "upgraded" the pads, but the squel is still there. I call and ask about numerous ways the squel could be fixed, asking about shims and etc. The man states, "They stopped using shims in brakes five years ago". Hmm... Well, take the car to the Infiniti dealer and have them look at the brakes, they find that the rotors are in need of a turn and machine and also that shims need to be added and that new hardware needs to be installed.

So, I guess my answer is, how shoud I handle this with midas?? And, what does is mean if the rotors are already rusted?? They were brand new parts when they were put on the car.

 

Go back and ask for the manager. Show him your receipt from the dealer and tell him you weren't happy with your brakes because they squealed. Hopefully they'll fix you up with some type of refund...if not, tell him you're calling the BBB.

Also, stop going to places that advertise stuff like "LIFETIME BRAKES $79.99" on TV. You have to know that if the brakes are $169.99 everywhere else that they're cutting corners somewhere.

 

Did the dealer do the work and it stopped "squeling"? No need to go back to Midas, cause they prolly won't do anything for you. They obviously used a lower grade pad, and all brake rotors rust. They're bare metal. The rotors will rust over night, and the first few stops in the morning can be kinda hairy.... squeeling and grinding and locking up, untill the pads wear throught the rust.

 

Many years ago I was commuting to and from work on the weekends. Had to drive 180 miles one way. So almost 400 miles per week on my truck. I didn't have time to do alot of work on my truck, So I took it to Midas and got the works all around. They stated lifetime warranty!

Each time I took it to Midas for brakes, it always cost me money. Each time, something else needed to be replaced. The last time I took it in for pads, I told them to just replace the pads and turn the rotors. They wanted to do another $250 dollars worth of work, and I told them no. The manager got all Pi$$ed off and stated it would void my warranty? That's when I told him what warranty. So it got ugly. Needless to say, I don't go to Midas anymore for brakes.

In fact the last time I replaced pads, I just did it myself, and didn't have the rotors turned. Drove it around for about 30 minutes with light application of brake on occasion and it works fine.

In your case I would try to get your money back, or at least start writing letters. But, I don't think it will do any good.

 

It's very normal for your rotors to rust, don't worry about it.

If it bothers you (cosmetically), you can do what I did and pull the wheel off, give it all a THOROUGH cleaning, and then apply some high temp brake paint. I painted everything BLACK on mine so it would just look clean and showcase my 22s better.

Expect to need to repeat the cleaning and painting process about every 3-6 months to keep it looking super clean

 

im not a big fan of those chain places either.better of finding a good independent mechanic. some of those guys that have been turning wrenches for 20+ years and have a good reputation. they are also more willing to teach you a few things here and there. try finding that at midas lol.

 

To fix the rusty rotor effect, I used a brand of rotors that were powder coated everywhere the pads did not contact. They were pretty cool. They were called "Centric" brand. I got them from my local brake warehouse, and they cost about 35$ each. Just my .02

 

Miles73003, how often does the wife drive the G35? I ask cus i get people that come in to work all the time about 3-4 months after have new brakes on and complain about noise and rust. So i investigate, and come to find out that most of the time, they have only driven 1000 miles or so in the 3 months. Granted, i turn the rotors for them just to keep them happy, but the 2nd time, they pay. Not defending Midas by any means. I would never take my truck there.
Oh by the way, i work for Firestone