Ford Service making $$$$$$$

[Bottomlesspit]

I got the call today from the local Ford service department that they need to keep the Explorer another day or two! I took it in Friday because my wife and daughter both kept complaining about the brakes. I just did not like the feel of the front end...too loose for me?!?
Ford calls and says: Front brakes are completely shot...rear are marginal at best.
The rack and pinion is leaking and has a horrible slip and noise.
I just bought this thing last Fall with about 28K miles on it. Looked brand new inside and out. It had been a program car of some sort.
What do you think about the brakes being this worn? I have a total of 38K miles on it. It is only a 2wd with very cheap tires on it. How about the steering? It just seems odd that the front end is that bad.
I replaced ALL this stuff on my Stang...but I am not physically able to do the Explorer anymore.
Ford says about $500 for the brakes (all 4) A is checking into my warranty contract about covering the rack and pinion ($500 also). OUCH! That contract better be worth something...3yr/36,000 with no deductible....thrown in with my vehicle purchase...part of the deal for the guy getting my race stang.
Anyone have comments about the front end work? Is this a normal interval for service of these parts on Explorers? Seems excessive to me. At least it will be safe again?!?!
Thanks for listening...............
Ken

 

[Doug]

38k miles isnt to bad if they brakes are original. Also 500 isnt to bad for new brakes depending on what theyre replacing. as far as the rack its hard to say. I just replaced my steering rack after 117k miles, though its odd the rack would only go after 38k miles.

 

[99ebex]

re:

I had my fronts done. (Calipers, rotors, pads) at about 80K (50K miles) and it cost me $500.00 cdn. The Ford mechanic told me that the rotors on these things are crap and that I was lucky to have gotten this far on them.

 

[mbryda]

That's not bad at all. I had to do my brakes all around @ 69k. Cost was ~ $550 and that included: New rear rotors (shot), resurfacing the fronts, and new pads all around.

 

[BradE.]

If the brakes are not covered by the warranty you can do brakes yourself for a hellva lot less than $500.

And yes, Ford rotors are crap.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Thanks for the replies.
Brakes are the only system I have not worked/have knowledge on. I have done complete suspension, engine...etc...but never brakes......scared of them I guess??!!
I feel better about spending the $500 now...thanks for the info. Ford finished them today. Resurfaced all 4 rotors, all new pads, etc....... Now I am waiting on the rack and pinion. The phone at the warranty place was "busy" all day. Hummm? Gotta have it done, however, since Ford said it was surprising that I could turn at all. I always thought the steering was vague...but wow, not that bad!
I went ahead and orderd poly sway bar bushings, front and back, so I can finish off my new 'handling package' when I get the X back!!! Should be a world of difference.
Thanks again,
Ken

 

[mbryda]

Brakes are very easy to do, especially disc brakes. The drums get to be a PITA to do at times, as they are WAY more complicated. But, overall, it's a fairly simple job. (I didn't do mine because of time constraints.)

 

[Black Magic]

Yea, breaks are easy. I have always done mine. When I was younger I would pull my truck in the driveway and start a project, no matter what it was and with a Hanes Manual and what I can fing in the internet. Then if that wouldn't help, Time to Get Dad. Then he would come out and tell me what to do. I guess that gave me the courage to do/try anything on my vehicles. Moral of the story - Just do it! the breaks are a piece of cake.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Yeah, I know...brakes a piece of cake. I just have this fear thing............
Funny, I knew nothing about suspension and engines, yet built myself a 12 second drag mustang with nothing but a Haynes manual, internet, and luck! EVERYTHING but BRAKES!?!
I WILL do them next time though...you all have given me the guts to try!!!
Anyway, Ford called and said they made a mistake and only needed to do the front brakes...the rear were still ok. Seems to me the rear would be either good or bad, not "we misjudged and the rear are actually better than we thought"!!! Idiots.
They got the warranty company to approve the rack and pinion, so it goes in tomorrrow. Man, I need the truck back! Then I can put my new Bilstein shocks on, along with the poly bushings.
Thanks again for all the replies and motivation. See ya around the site!
Ken

 

[Stephen]

I never have brakes on a car last even 30,000 miles, I drive way too hard. The Explorer is a heavy truck, and the brakes generate a lot of heat so the fronts wear fast. If they're replacing the rotors, do yourself a big favor and go out and buy some slotted ones and have them use those, it'll make the intervals much longer.

The key words here are "program vehicle" this means that it was a dealer demo (driven by a salesperson or a manager) or it was a rental. Niether of these are good things because you have people driving the vehicle that dont own it, or even pay for it, so they're not inclined to get the service done. If it was a rental, well you know how everyone treats rentals. It probably lived harder in those 28,000 miles then any of our trucks have in 100,000. I'd say the dealership is legitimate here.

I get a kick out of how salespeople tell customers that a car is a demo or a program car like its this fantastic thing, and insist its worth more than a normal used car.

As for them misjudging the rears, dont call them idiots. 90% of dealerships would do them and charge you anyways.

 

[mbryda]

All depends on your driving. When I lived in the NYC Metro area, I was getting ~ 20k out of a set of brakes. That was with 90% city driving.

Moved out to PA and do mainly highway driving and I hardly do brakes. When I traded my Cobra w/48k it still had the factory brakes. I just did the Explorer's brakes for the first time @ 68k. As far as I can tell, my driving style hasn't changed (wife still tells me I drive like a maniac! so I'd guess it's the highway miles.

 

[Stephen]

It does vary considerably. I do a mixture of both, but do enough city to keep me from getting attatched to a set of brakes...

 

[RAZOR]

My local Ford dealer charges $85 an hr. labor.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Wow...$85/hr labor!?!? I guess I am getting too old and remember the old labor rates!
I stand with an apology for using the word idiots for the Ford service. You are correct, I imagine a lot of dealers would just install them and charge me whether I needed them or not.
I got the call late this afternoon that it won't be ready until tomorrow (Fri) because the dealers alignment rack is out of service. Figures!!! I got snippy about this dealer because they really don't have a good track record with fixing vehicles. They have NO experienced mechanics...almost all are under 1 yr. They will not touch EEC 4 computer at all since none of the mechanics have any knowledge or experience with them!!!
I took my stang in there once and they actually asked me what type car it was while we stood next to it!!! It was a 93 GT Vert they could not recognize??!!
Anyway, they WERE honest with me about the brakes, and did work hard to get the aftermarket warranty coverage, so my apology to the good Ford service guys.
Thanks,
Ken

 

[Stephen]

They charge $70 at the dealer I use.

heh, thats nothing. Last time my Lexus was in the shop they charged well over $100 per hour labor.

The alignment racks are pretty notorious lol, thats happened to me when I've been waiting on cars too.

 

[CJ1975]

Just got a call from Ford dealer. Took her in for a recall. They stated that rear brakes were shot and front were going. $500 was there price. Called Pep Boys and they want $190 so go figure.....

 

[Rick]

Just be glad you don't own a VW Golf. 1 heater hose $88 from the dealer. There are about 10 water hoses on this motor. Do the math

 

[dgibson]

Two weeks ago I had a brake pad actually come off of my x. Every little shop around here wanted at least $300 to do brakes and rotors. Needless to say, that is too much for me. I bought new rotors, premium brakes, and new grease seals for the bearings and it only cost me $100. I also got grand joy of rotating my tires also. I geuss a little sweat and dirt is worth saving at least $200.

 

[98GT-40P]

I guess everybody's experience is different. Personally, 38k seems low to me. We have 73K miles on the factory original brakes on ours. We even tow (electric brake controller though). I don't trust brake shops or dealers for that matter when it comes to brakes. I used to take my cars in to get the brakes checked and will never do that again. Now I just use a caliper to measure pad thickness and rotor thickness .

I check the measurements every 10K miles starting at 50k on all our cars. We still have over an 1/8" on the front pads and the rotors are well within specs. It will probably need changing at the next check. BTW, our '94 Cobra factory original pads made it to 80K miles with approx 1/8" left, but the rotors had worn below specs and our '96 Grand Marquis made it to 70K before the pads were below spec, but the rotors are still fine at 90K.

My wife took our Mounty in to Brake Masters at 40K and they recc'd changing and she took it into Midas at 55K and they also recc'd changing. Not yet I told her.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Thanks for all the brake 'testimonials' . Should be obvious to me by now that I need to overcome my brake fear and start working on them!!?? I agree, way to expensive...and now after the work, I really don't feel any difference! The steering is definitely better though...the rack was definitely gone! The polyurethane sway bushings and tie rod bushings, along with the Bilstein shocks really make a difference. I like the feel a lot better. Now I have to finish off the rear. I am ordering the EE rear sway bar this next week. Can't wait!
Thanks for all the info.
Ken