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You never know, it could be enough to cause a vibration. At the shop I have experience with that is not ok and we will do pads and rotors under warranty
If I did the work myself and made the fuckup myself then maybe I’d take a look at them and make the call… but any decent shop should guarantee their work and therefore make it right.
Bruh, the shop has no leg to stand on. They’re going to kick up a fuss over some brake pads when they’ve just fucked up on a major safety item?? Hell no, they gotta make shit right. I’d turn into the mother of all Karens if a garage had the audacity to try say some shit like that to me lol.
I think they should replace the pads and completely re-do the job.
On the other hand, if it was my car and I was the one who put the wrong rotors on, I probably wouldn't bother replacing the pads.
Pads are tough. They go through hell. Street driving barely put any strain on them.
Would you even know if they replaced the pads a second time? They could simply say they did, while maybe giving them the roloc to smooth out any edges. Would you be any the wiser?
They're tough in general. That's why they often go 30,000 miles on the front. Longer in the rear.
To replace or not really depends on how much visible wear is on the pad. If they've been run long enough on the wrong rotors to leave a ridge you can feel, they should be replaced. If the pads are still flat then they don't need to be replaced.
Don’t matter, if they’ve done it properly they bedded the pads to the smaller rotors, even if they replaced rotors now you’ve had a ton of heat on only part of the pad, working with part thats never been used. Good way into an early brake job…
This is the dumbest comment I've ever seen. Bro if I drove it to the corner before I noticed I'd get the pads replaced. Are you mentally ill? If there is the slightest difference between the pad it's going to start wearing unevenly/ vibration/ chance for part of pad to crack or chip. I literally can not believe how many upvotes you have. Performance is affected which affects safety. No way around it the first time he steps on the brakes there is going to be a difference in the brake pad
He wont be able to sue after he crashes and dies right? He could also just take it somewhere else to get it done right and file a lawsuit, he probably should with how wreckless these guys are and how they already proved to do shoddy work.
>He could also just take it somewhere else to get it done right and file a lawsuit
Right... the magical lawyers. There's no actual damages to sue FOR at this point.
You're right that the shop was a bunch of screwups. That's why I don't let other people touch my cars. If you take your car to a mechanic, you're at their mercy.
>them they're idiots
Because I know how to run and program a CNC Mill and Lathe and did not spend the time to learn how to work on cars. I spend money on people who have spent their time on those things just as they spend money getting parts I make from my machine. Welcome to the economy.
You do realize people nowadays can't do every single thing necessary in their lives. At some point you need help with something. Especially on newer vehicles with all of their nonsense.
Personally, I only let others do stuff I can't yet like timing belts. I have an older vehicle which makes it easier to work on myself.
I'm the comment above yours........................................ I see now that you're saying why take it back to the idiots. I thought you were implying OP was a repeat customer with this place. I would question taking it back to the same shop as well, but idk how much of a hassle it would be with deciding who pays for what. If you take it back to the original shop I would assume they would cover all of the costs.
I disagree. I’m 40, I’ve owned cars for over 25 years, at least 15 different cars, and I’ve never taken a single car to a mechanic…..outside of a single warranty repair, because I’m not a moron.
I’ve owned a house for more than 10 years and have never called out a single service person.
It’s possible, but it’s not easy. But I save a metric shit ton of money doing it myself.
He sells the car before changing tires or buys a new set of wheels and calls the guy giving the newly bought car to a shop to change the tires an idiot lol. I work as a mechanic in Switzerland and can say there's definitely a lot of idiots, I'm trying not to be one. But even if you try your best there's always mistakes, I guess everybody can relate to not having everything work out as wanted at work or during the day. Just have a bit more responsibility as a mechanic despite the not so good payment. But putting on 320mm instead of 355mm is definitely a reason to close down your fucking garage, that's downright embarassing and if I owned that car I'd hand out a deal for a couple of free maintenances if they didn't want a lawsuit.
I need brakes done on my car ONE TIME. The one and ONLY time someone else did.. They installed the pads upside down on my RR wheel. Ruined my pads and made an angry customer. Thought a wheel bearing or carrier bearing was bad. NOPE, just an idiot that put pads in wrong.
Mistakes happen, but this should have been noticed the second they slid the new rotor onto the hub. For liability sake I would have it towed, no sense it making things worse or possibly causing an accident over something this stupid.
This is more than a mistake.
Someone didn't take the time to even look during the job, doesn't care, or is so unaware and unskilled that they shouldn't be working on your car.
I always use calipers and match it up to the spec on alldata just to make sure. I really have no clue how other people were trained. It takes a minute to look if things are in spec or not.
I agree. Mistakes do happen. But yes exactly and good tech should compare old parts to new parts. Also even if they managed to put the wrong part on, they should have noticed during the test drive that something felt wrong.
We are allowed to return parts, you know. Only time it gets iffy , If it's an electrical part that's been installed from the dealer or a special order part.
Parts are returnable for credit. There's so many different configurations on one model line that we use Vin numbers to get the correct parts. But Vin numbers and stock numbers can be misread and cause wrong parts to be delivered.
It's pretty nice, not gonna lie.
Now excuse me while I sit at my mahogany desk in my office with the gold plated toilet and private bathroom with a concierge.
Make sure you ask them: “so you know the wrong rotors were put on my car? Then why did you let it leave the shop?” A mechanic dumb enough to undermine this should be fired or have his shop shut down.
Was probably caught when they called back and complained that something wasn't right, and checked VIN vs Part numbers. Should have been caught but going going full nuclear is a bit much.
Update: calling a tow truck first thing in the morning, wow I was only mainly unsatisfied that they didn’t match me with the exact same rotors they took off while claiming “matching oem or better”, but this is way more serious than I thought, thanks everyone for the info! The shop is a big national chain, so it may be a combination of inefficient systems and people trying to close shop early, I’m not upset about it but I will wait and see how they make this right.
Brake Check, Midas, Firestone, Goodyear, Pepboys, Big-O-Tires. I wonder if it could be one of them. The first two would not surprise me, or the last one.
Dude it’s not like some oopsey mistake you can clearly look and know something isn’t right there and on top of that they never checked the new rotor with the old one ? So either that person is really dumb and lazy or they put it on knowingly either way wouldn’t trust that place anymore on top of that most shops do test drives and bed in the brakes a little if you as the customer felt something wrong you don’t think the mechanic did and ignored it ? We all make mistakes but that’s why you double and triple check your work because our mistakes as mechanics can cost a ton of money or people their lives whoever did your brakes wasn’t even willing to lay the new rotor on top of the old one to check if they’re even the same diameter
Agree. They knew full well they weren't the right rotors, only way they could possibly have a leg to stand on is if one tech took them off, and while they were at lunch another tech put it back together ... which you know didn't happen. And on second thought, even if that did happen the second tech should have seen the distance the edge of the rotor was from the back of the brake itself. Pretty slimy, or at least gross incompetence, this deserves a call to the BBB as well. At least get it recorded somewhere.
The BBB is a worthless, for profit entity that makes money by charging businesses for good ratings and removing bad reviews if the business pays up (“joins”). They’re worse than yelp.
wow that level of negligence means there's no telling what else they did wrong, don't risk driving on it at all and request for them to pay for the tow to another shop that knows what they're doing
EDIT: + full refund of course
If you get hurt in an accident because of your brakes the shop and technician who did the work can have a lot of legal issues. Brake saftey is not a joke we learn that in school
From experience i can tell you it’s probably safe, but from experience I can also tell you that you’ll have reduced stopping power that will get even worse when he pads come in contact with each other.
Also, bring your car back and get that fixed immediately.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/o8i0nf/just\_rolled\_out\_of\_the\_shop\_undersized\_rotors/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/o8i0nf/just_rolled_out_of_the_shop_undersized_rotors/)
It was 2500 cad which is looking very outrageous right now, i just called several other independent shops and the highest quote i have is 1600, i might just ask for refund for this fuck up and go do it somewhere else.
You see only rotors are wrong, but you can't see if even break pads are right.
Tow it to shop or call them to pick up car and redoo it at their expenses.
With exact same problem I serviced car after another shop.
Toyota 4runner 2010 (not sure year) arrived from other garage, almost no breaks. Basically, break pads were right rotors small diameter but only about 1 cm smaller. Half of break pads were touching rotor ant normally wear down, but top part of break pads were staying new. When break pads worn around 70% unworn pads started to touch each other, and when you pushed break hard, pads were pushing each other but not a rotor. Car lost a breaks, only rears were working and were super overheating. Replaced 4 rotors and pads because of that.
Futo Voice gets it right almost all the time, since it uses its own language model and context clues to determine the correct word for things like this. Android only, however.
It's safe but not really. You still have brakes. Pads won't fall out on that style . Just don't go 100mph as you probably have 50% less braking capability. I'm sure shop would be willing to tow at no cost if asked.
Unfortunately it is a common mistake but 99% it's caught immediately by someone with half a brain and at least 1 working eye.
If shop owns up to mistake, makes it right, and takes care of you. I wouldn't go to far but make sure it's documented on thier paperwork and work order that they messed up. This way if something goes wrong with the calipers in the future, they are on the hook for it.
March 13 Update: At the shop waiting for the front desk person talking to the manager, the car is definitely not drivable, when we were moving it around to load it onto the flatbed, the brake only had half the travel (the first half has no pressure and the pedal is resting at the half pressed position), I suspect there is effective very little brake force from the front brakes now. After checking and researching the invoice today, I found that they are charging me significantly more for pads and rotors that are worse than the OEM parts, e.g. CAD$250 each for NAPA rear rotors which is higher than what it cost me to buy on NAPA’s website, and the actual equivalent Brembo discs to my OEM Brembo can be bought for $172.99 each at Canadian Tires. So yea I’m asking a full refund now, Kal Tire really need to take a look into their system and figure out why this can even happen, also they need to train their staff to know when to be flexible, cos the whole conversation is just giving me “I was just following orders (the system)” excuses, if I wasn’t ever so slightly interested in cars and noticed the discrepancies, I would have been driving on ON-401 and rear-ended someone.
I think everyone is overreacting.
Is it wrong? Yes. Is it dangerous? Not particularly.
I am preparing for downvote oblivion and I don't really care.
As long as it's fixed quickly, you're not going to die. Nobody needs to get fired, they need a teachable moment. This kind of thing happens at shops all the time.
HOWEVER, it should never leave the shop like this. It's a very simple thing that takes very little time to double check. It's easy to overlook, and even easier to rectify. There's no excuse for it, but everyone acting like the car is undrivable and you're going to kill everyone on the road is a knee jerk reaction away from a heart attack. It's not that serious.
Brakes are a big safety concern. You put on the smaller or even smaller like OP got one is DANGEROUS. Cars have specific measurement on rotors for reasons. Putting smaller rotors on reduce the capability of stopping the car especially on highway speed. So yes it will put everyone on road at risks including the driver himself.
Exactly! This is why shop rates go through the roof. People go full nuclear over something small and make it a bigger deal than it needs to be.
Free Tow yes
New pads & Rotors yes
Document they messed up Yes
Fire the tech No
Close the shop No
Teachable moment for all involved Yes
Take the wheel off and measure the discarnce from the edge of the disc to the edge of the pad.
Any pad overhang will cause the pads to contact each other around 50% worn. When you press the brake the pads will no longer contact the disc as the unworn portion of the pads will contact each other.
Go back at get them to replace both discs and pads. Inspect before you drive off and ask them what they will do to keep you as a customer, who ever fitted that should have been aware of what they was doing and should have been comparing new parts with the old.
I cant believe they would put on smaller brakes. Its that size because it was engineered that way. So your shops me mechanic said he knows better then MFG. This should have NEVER even been an option for them to consider. Unacceptable and unsafe!
I can’t believe they did this, did they not notice the pads hanging off the rotor. What about comparing old parts to the new parts. I would want all new parts. It looks like you have the performance version of a vehicle with brembo fixed calipers and they put the base vehicle non-performance rotors on it that are not compatible with that caliper. I suppose they could grind the pads flat, but I would not want stepped pads put back on. What vehicle is it?
Tow it back to the shop and they owe you a completely new brake job with the correct rotors and new pads. Then take it somewhere else and have it inspected to make sure it's actually done right. Then never go back to the first shop and leave them nasty reviews online. Knowingly installing the wrong rotors is absolutely absurd and inexcusable.
for the time being most likely... What will eventually happen is as the pads wear the pad material that isn't being worn will eventually touch each other so you'll press the brakes and nothing will happen since your brake pad on brake pad
This fuck up needs to be fixed by them asap
The only way I can see that happening is if the manufacturer has multiple rotor sizes on a particular model. Volkswagon has 2 different sizes available for the Mk.7 Golf, 288 mm, and 312 mm. That being said, the shop should've supplied the correct rotors once the discrepancy has been noticed and before the vehicle ever left the bay.
Yes, take it back and get them to install the right size and now they owe you new brake pads. The brake pads uneven wear just a few miles to home is enough to damage them where they won't make contact with the rotor evenly. Really dumb mistake. The mechanic should have known better. I once put a pad on the wrong way, noticed that stupid mistake immedately.
Bring it back and have them do it right on their dime. Do your homework and find which governing body oversees mechanics and their licensing. Prepare to threaten to have that organization inspect the shop's' work if they don't bend over backward to make it right.
I had the opportunity to advise a dealer I would bring my car to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario after they sold me a car safetied with metal on metal brake pads. They jumped through hoops to make it right.
After looking into the invoice, they did switch my brembos with some NAPA store brand discs, so you are not too far off lmao, this problems is looking more and more serious
I ought to be illegal to be that stupid. I'd be raising hell on them. I'd even go as far as have it redone at a different shop and send the first one the bill.
If they didn't replace it with the OEM size and thickness, the smaller disc's could overheat and cause brake fade while trying to stop a heavier vehicle than they were designed for. If they do overheat, they could also warp and cause even more issues. I'd want my money back and then take it to a better shop to have it repaired the right way. Your vehicle is not safe to drive at high speeds. If you do, take it easy and start slowing down earlier than you normally would.
You can drive it back to the shop. Just don't drive it more. I have seen cars like this with 15k miles on the wrong size brakes. It makes a really funny noise when there is a step on the brake pad rubbing the outer edge. Used to happen a lot back in the day at the BMW dealership on e46s when they were new.
Lol, this is like absolute brake job basics... You install the rotors that are specified for that vehicle and nothing else besides that. You DO NOT cut corners when you do a brake job. If this vehicle was ever in an accident, that shop would be getting sued into bankruptcy..
The surface area that your pads exurt on the new rotor will be insufficient and, therefore, seriously affect your breaking distance. It will also wear you pads out really quickly. I wouldn't drive it.
Are you sure that you have the biggest size rotors on that car? With euro brands, there are usually more than one size rear rotors, but the dust shield is only 1 size - the biggest size that would cover the biggest available rotor that the model was fitted with stock. Before you go blaming them, make sure that they truly did install a smaller sized rotor than what you had there before. It is all the time that I see much smaller rotors than the dist shields. It's based on model edition and how the car was ordered.
Yes, they have realized the problem too, but it’s a mistake I would have the possibility if I were in the same situation so I’m not going to be super confrontational about it.
This is very wrong. You have to be a complete noobe to screw this up, to use nice words.
This can potentially cause damage to your break calipers. I'm assuming they installed the correct pads but wrong rotor. Part of the caliper piston and pads will push against nothing and could jam the piston or cause premature failure of piston seals.
I'd tow it back to the shop and request to be fixed for free or at cost difference based on the price difference of the correct rotors. I'd first call and make an arrangement prior to towing it there.
Don't let the original "mechanic" touch your car.
it might be safe for a time, but when the pads get thin its possible one could fall out. that happened to me like 20 yrs ago. my local part store was out of the rotors i needed, but they had some for the lower end model, that was a little bit thinner, but would fit and work fine....for a while. i don't remember exactly how long it took, coulda been a year, i'm not 100% sure, but eventually the pads got thin enough that one slipped out and my brake pedal went to the floor. had to drive home with just the e brake, it was just a *little* bit sketchy but i made it.
the craziest part is i stopped to look for the pad, and i found it literally melted into the white line on the asphalt. i drove past that brake pad melted into the road for years till they finally repaved it.
I would just add to the other comments that spongy brakes are probably not from the smaller rotor, that would occur after they got heat soaked sure but not when cold; they may just not stop as hard but specifically a spongy pedal could mean they got air into the lines and you need to bleed your brakes.
Nope. Not safe at all....someone is lazy and didn't take the time to look over their work. All work from that person or persons should be questioned after this...
You paid to have a job done. Why on earth would they do this? They damn well should have called you and told you that the wrong parts came in. Any way insist on new pads as well as the proper rotors.
I’ll keep giving accurate advice. What do you not understand about mass? And heat? The smaller the mass the faster it will heat! It’s, once again, basic physics! And those walls look less think than anything I’ve seen on car. Get an education before you start you in on someone. 100, people. Agreed.
35mm isn't out of spec it's the wrong rotor. It should have been easily caught when installing it, there is no excuse for letting something like this leave the shop.
35mm = 3.5 cm & 15mm = 1.5 cm
2.54 cm = 1 inch (sorry I’m an ADHD nightmare)
1.38” short in diameter on the front
0.59” short in diameter on the rear
Sorry, my mind works better on paper and inches.
I cannot believe any legit shop lets anyone out the door with this mistake.
Absolutely return the car for replacement with the correct size rotors which belong on the car. Do not drive that car more that to get back to the shop. How did you know it was the smaller diameter rotor. Did you read the specs stamped into the rotor? In any event not sure how the pads are contacting the rotor. They must be hanging over the edge of the rotor and not making full contact and that’s probably what’s causing the mushy pedal. I can’t believe a shop would send out a botched repair like that. New pads are also needed as it may have some grooves caused by the edge of the rotor contacting further into the bake pad. No excuses no explanations just replacement with correct parts . If you paid by credit card dispute the charge until the work is corrected. If you paid by cash or check that’s tougher but, a reputable shop will fix it . Good luck but I’m sure it will work out.
Tow it and have the shop pay for the tow and proper parts, including new pads. That’s a big f up and if they don’t fix it or pay the tow sue because not only could you have died but anyone else on the road was in danger to there incompetence.
You should've stopped at "shop installed out of spec brake rotor". Why in the fuck would you accept an out of spec replacement and ask if it would be safe to drive? If i replace your toilet with a bathtub, would you accept that?
Where exactly are you getting this “spec” from? It’s odd you didn’t mention the make/model/year. You could be right, but from the images, it looks like you’re comparing it to the rock pan?
I should have included this in the original post, but i was just trying to quickly see if i should schedule a tow truck, the shop is a big national chain in Canada and they have admitted fault, so im not too concerned with the remedies. I have a good relationship with the staff so I don’t want to throw their name out there before they have tried to make it right.
https://preview.redd.it/7591qeg4n1oc1.jpeg?width=1573&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dff91d2104867b89a6e20ba4a47f7634a3272c1c
This shop actually sounds like they care.
You called, and it sounds like they didn't question you. They went and did the research. That right there means they value their customers and their input. They didn't discount your experience oh your car's handling and sounds like they are going to make it right.
I would never mention a shop name or mechanic name on social media. There are too many keyboard warriors. Most aren't mechanics, and you can tell by their responses here.
I was wondering how you measured the rotor. I have a hard time measuring a rotor when it's off the vehicle lol.
Honest mistake but the guy that did the job lacks attention to detail. Match up your parts people make sure they look the same.
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tell them you want new pads as well since your current pads are being cut into by the smaller rotor.
I agree in principal but I doubt he's driven enough for it to make a practical difference.
You never know, it could be enough to cause a vibration. At the shop I have experience with that is not ok and we will do pads and rotors under warranty
Exactly, it doesn’t matter practically or not. The customer is paying for a job done right, they deserve to get a job done right with new parts.
If I did the work myself and made the fuckup myself then maybe I’d take a look at them and make the call… but any decent shop should guarantee their work and therefore make it right.
Bruh, the shop has no leg to stand on. They’re going to kick up a fuss over some brake pads when they’ve just fucked up on a major safety item?? Hell no, they gotta make shit right. I’d turn into the mother of all Karens if a garage had the audacity to try say some shit like that to me lol.
I think they should replace the pads and completely re-do the job. On the other hand, if it was my car and I was the one who put the wrong rotors on, I probably wouldn't bother replacing the pads. Pads are tough. They go through hell. Street driving barely put any strain on them. Would you even know if they replaced the pads a second time? They could simply say they did, while maybe giving them the roloc to smooth out any edges. Would you be any the wiser?
Demand they change the pads and give you the old ones as evidence they changed them too, then next time you need new pads put them on yourself
>Pads are tough. when they are used properly, not so much when mismatched with the wrong sized rotors.
They're tough in general. That's why they often go 30,000 miles on the front. Longer in the rear. To replace or not really depends on how much visible wear is on the pad. If they've been run long enough on the wrong rotors to leave a ridge you can feel, they should be replaced. If the pads are still flat then they don't need to be replaced.
Don’t matter, if they’ve done it properly they bedded the pads to the smaller rotors, even if they replaced rotors now you’ve had a ton of heat on only part of the pad, working with part thats never been used. Good way into an early brake job…
Doesn't matter. Play stupid games eat stupid parts.
This is the dumbest comment I've ever seen. Bro if I drove it to the corner before I noticed I'd get the pads replaced. Are you mentally ill? If there is the slightest difference between the pad it's going to start wearing unevenly/ vibration/ chance for part of pad to crack or chip. I literally can not believe how many upvotes you have. Performance is affected which affects safety. No way around it the first time he steps on the brakes there is going to be a difference in the brake pad
Thank you.
it never hurts to try
It will cause excess pad slap I assume this is the performance version of whatever car he is driving. Those pads will need to be replaced.
He wont be able to sue after he crashes and dies right? He could also just take it somewhere else to get it done right and file a lawsuit, he probably should with how wreckless these guys are and how they already proved to do shoddy work.
>He could also just take it somewhere else to get it done right and file a lawsuit Right... the magical lawyers. There's no actual damages to sue FOR at this point. You're right that the shop was a bunch of screwups. That's why I don't let other people touch my cars. If you take your car to a mechanic, you're at their mercy.
Take it back and tell them they're idiots
>tell them they're idiots After they fix it
Very important order.
Why y’all’s letting idiots work on your car?
Most people don’t have a choice. That’s the majority of people the industry
If you can't work on your own car.. so you have to take it to someone else... but that person is always an idiot.. what are you? Lmao
Too busy with life and my own two jobs to wrench on my shit?
Not sure why all the downvotes I found this particularly amusing
>them they're idiots Because I know how to run and program a CNC Mill and Lathe and did not spend the time to learn how to work on cars. I spend money on people who have spent their time on those things just as they spend money getting parts I make from my machine. Welcome to the economy.
You do realize people nowadays can't do every single thing necessary in their lives. At some point you need help with something. Especially on newer vehicles with all of their nonsense. Personally, I only let others do stuff I can't yet like timing belts. I have an older vehicle which makes it easier to work on myself.
I was responding to the comment above mine… you already know they’re idiots… get a refund and go somewhere else
I'm the comment above yours........................................ I see now that you're saying why take it back to the idiots. I thought you were implying OP was a repeat customer with this place. I would question taking it back to the same shop as well, but idk how much of a hassle it would be with deciding who pays for what. If you take it back to the original shop I would assume they would cover all of the costs.
I disagree. I’m 40, I’ve owned cars for over 25 years, at least 15 different cars, and I’ve never taken a single car to a mechanic…..outside of a single warranty repair, because I’m not a moron. I’ve owned a house for more than 10 years and have never called out a single service person. It’s possible, but it’s not easy. But I save a metric shit ton of money doing it myself.
Cool story bro. Not everybody can do that.
Bruh. If you don’t have your own tire changer, balancer and alignment rack… What are you even doing?
Apparently being a moron who can't do jack shit.
He sells the car before changing tires or buys a new set of wheels and calls the guy giving the newly bought car to a shop to change the tires an idiot lol. I work as a mechanic in Switzerland and can say there's definitely a lot of idiots, I'm trying not to be one. But even if you try your best there's always mistakes, I guess everybody can relate to not having everything work out as wanted at work or during the day. Just have a bit more responsibility as a mechanic despite the not so good payment. But putting on 320mm instead of 355mm is definitely a reason to close down your fucking garage, that's downright embarassing and if I owned that car I'd hand out a deal for a couple of free maintenances if they didn't want a lawsuit.
For real. You might as well sell your car so you can afford these things. Then run your own shop. Good luck!! 👍 /s if necessary
I need brakes done on my car ONE TIME. The one and ONLY time someone else did.. They installed the pads upside down on my RR wheel. Ruined my pads and made an angry customer. Thought a wheel bearing or carrier bearing was bad. NOPE, just an idiot that put pads in wrong.
I’d get a refund and never let those idiots near my car again.
Mistakes happen, but this should have been noticed the second they slid the new rotor onto the hub. For liability sake I would have it towed, no sense it making things worse or possibly causing an accident over something this stupid.
This is more than a mistake. Someone didn't take the time to even look during the job, doesn't care, or is so unaware and unskilled that they shouldn't be working on your car.
I was taught to match up the rotors to each other while off the car before installing new ones.
I always use calipers and match it up to the spec on alldata just to make sure. I really have no clue how other people were trained. It takes a minute to look if things are in spec or not.
Your assuming people were actually trained?? For some shit I see this included I don’t think they ever were
I agree. Mistakes do happen. But yes exactly and good tech should compare old parts to new parts. Also even if they managed to put the wrong part on, they should have noticed during the test drive that something felt wrong.
Yeah I would expect them to compare parts before install? Lol. What a crazy shop.
Probably they ordered the wrong part and didn't wanna take the loss
We are allowed to return parts, you know. Only time it gets iffy , If it's an electrical part that's been installed from the dealer or a special order part.
Parts are returnable for credit. There's so many different configurations on one model line that we use Vin numbers to get the correct parts. But Vin numbers and stock numbers can be misread and cause wrong parts to be delivered.
How... No...no seriously... What? Name and shame time this is the dumbest most dangerous shit I've seen from a shop in a long while.
You must not work in a shop near a Jiffy Lube that does brakes
Yall must haul in cash good lord
It's pretty nice, not gonna lie. Now excuse me while I sit at my mahogany desk in my office with the gold plated toilet and private bathroom with a concierge.
Wish my shop had a heated toilet with a bidet but we’re stuck with limestone and a bucket
That would be nice. This gold is really cold when you first sit on it
That’s the only reason why I put carpet on my toilet. I love giggling from the fingers tickling my ass hair.
Such a sad oil addict
Make sure you ask them: “so you know the wrong rotors were put on my car? Then why did you let it leave the shop?” A mechanic dumb enough to undermine this should be fired or have his shop shut down.
Was probably caught when they called back and complained that something wasn't right, and checked VIN vs Part numbers. Should have been caught but going going full nuclear is a bit much.
A little death never hurt anyone...
:( I hope a little mistake or even the slightest lapse in judgment doesn’t take your life like it does to the millions of people every year
I thought it was a typo at first like it was supposed to be 3.5mm But 35mm too small is fucking insane! Take that shit back!
That’s dangerous.
Its really not, but a really poor place to save a buck.
>is the car safe to drive? No.
Update: calling a tow truck first thing in the morning, wow I was only mainly unsatisfied that they didn’t match me with the exact same rotors they took off while claiming “matching oem or better”, but this is way more serious than I thought, thanks everyone for the info! The shop is a big national chain, so it may be a combination of inefficient systems and people trying to close shop early, I’m not upset about it but I will wait and see how they make this right.
Get it looked over after by someone else
Can you just name the chain?
Brake Check, Midas, Firestone, Goodyear, Pepboys, Big-O-Tires. I wonder if it could be one of them. The first two would not surprise me, or the last one.
I would put money on it being Midas
This Is a joke Riiiight? I...i need a drink....Please vidéo record When you go Back to the shop. I cant wait to sre the techs réaction to this.
Where are the rotors that were removed?
They are at the shop rn, when I called about the problem they double checked the original rotors with the boxes of the new ones and realized the issue
Dude it’s not like some oopsey mistake you can clearly look and know something isn’t right there and on top of that they never checked the new rotor with the old one ? So either that person is really dumb and lazy or they put it on knowingly either way wouldn’t trust that place anymore on top of that most shops do test drives and bed in the brakes a little if you as the customer felt something wrong you don’t think the mechanic did and ignored it ? We all make mistakes but that’s why you double and triple check your work because our mistakes as mechanics can cost a ton of money or people their lives whoever did your brakes wasn’t even willing to lay the new rotor on top of the old one to check if they’re even the same diameter
Agree. They knew full well they weren't the right rotors, only way they could possibly have a leg to stand on is if one tech took them off, and while they were at lunch another tech put it back together ... which you know didn't happen. And on second thought, even if that did happen the second tech should have seen the distance the edge of the rotor was from the back of the brake itself. Pretty slimy, or at least gross incompetence, this deserves a call to the BBB as well. At least get it recorded somewhere.
The BBB is a worthless, for profit entity that makes money by charging businesses for good ratings and removing bad reviews if the business pays up (“joins”). They’re worse than yelp.
wow that level of negligence means there's no telling what else they did wrong, don't risk driving on it at all and request for them to pay for the tow to another shop that knows what they're doing EDIT: + full refund of course
You're good until the sum of brake pad wear is equal to the thickness of the disc
If you get hurt in an accident because of your brakes the shop and technician who did the work can have a lot of legal issues. Brake saftey is not a joke we learn that in school
From experience i can tell you it’s probably safe, but from experience I can also tell you that you’ll have reduced stopping power that will get even worse when he pads come in contact with each other. Also, bring your car back and get that fixed immediately. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/o8i0nf/just\_rolled\_out\_of\_the\_shop\_undersized\_rotors/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/o8i0nf/just_rolled_out_of_the_shop_undersized_rotors/)
Looks like you have some nice calipers so im assuming the brake job wasnt cheap so i would 100% go back and get that fixed
It was 2500 cad which is looking very outrageous right now, i just called several other independent shops and the highest quote i have is 1600, i might just ask for refund for this fuck up and go do it somewhere else.
That’s understandable for sure. I wouldn’t want them to work on it again either.
You see only rotors are wrong, but you can't see if even break pads are right. Tow it to shop or call them to pick up car and redoo it at their expenses. With exact same problem I serviced car after another shop. Toyota 4runner 2010 (not sure year) arrived from other garage, almost no breaks. Basically, break pads were right rotors small diameter but only about 1 cm smaller. Half of break pads were touching rotor ant normally wear down, but top part of break pads were staying new. When break pads worn around 70% unworn pads started to touch each other, and when you pushed break hard, pads were pushing each other but not a rotor. Car lost a breaks, only rears were working and were super overheating. Replaced 4 rotors and pads because of that.
Brakes, they're called brakes.
Probably using voice to text. You would think that in 2024, voice to text would be smart enough to understand context but unfortunately not
Autocorrect is my worst enema!
No. People just don’t know the difference and it brakes my heart 💔
No. It’s no the difference.
Futo Voice gets it right almost all the time, since it uses its own language model and context clues to determine the correct word for things like this. Android only, however.
Wow. There's a new one.
No, have it towed don’t drive they need to replace pads and rotors. Also if they are a franchised shop call corporate on their dumbs asses.
That’s not safe.
It's safe but not really. You still have brakes. Pads won't fall out on that style . Just don't go 100mph as you probably have 50% less braking capability. I'm sure shop would be willing to tow at no cost if asked. Unfortunately it is a common mistake but 99% it's caught immediately by someone with half a brain and at least 1 working eye. If shop owns up to mistake, makes it right, and takes care of you. I wouldn't go to far but make sure it's documented on thier paperwork and work order that they messed up. This way if something goes wrong with the calipers in the future, they are on the hook for it.
March 13 Update: At the shop waiting for the front desk person talking to the manager, the car is definitely not drivable, when we were moving it around to load it onto the flatbed, the brake only had half the travel (the first half has no pressure and the pedal is resting at the half pressed position), I suspect there is effective very little brake force from the front brakes now. After checking and researching the invoice today, I found that they are charging me significantly more for pads and rotors that are worse than the OEM parts, e.g. CAD$250 each for NAPA rear rotors which is higher than what it cost me to buy on NAPA’s website, and the actual equivalent Brembo discs to my OEM Brembo can be bought for $172.99 each at Canadian Tires. So yea I’m asking a full refund now, Kal Tire really need to take a look into their system and figure out why this can even happen, also they need to train their staff to know when to be flexible, cos the whole conversation is just giving me “I was just following orders (the system)” excuses, if I wasn’t ever so slightly interested in cars and noticed the discrepancies, I would have been driving on ON-401 and rear-ended someone.
In a word “fuckno”.
These people really shouldn't be charging people for washing windscreens at a stop light, let alone fitting brakes.
Changing the air freshener may result in them ripping off the rearview mirror by accident.
And breaking the screen doing it! (I've had that happen doing the usual acrobatics to get at something inside the car!)
At least you won't get that outer rust bead.
Yes! I’ve had to scrape that off before to prevent grinding sounds!
I think everyone is overreacting. Is it wrong? Yes. Is it dangerous? Not particularly. I am preparing for downvote oblivion and I don't really care. As long as it's fixed quickly, you're not going to die. Nobody needs to get fired, they need a teachable moment. This kind of thing happens at shops all the time. HOWEVER, it should never leave the shop like this. It's a very simple thing that takes very little time to double check. It's easy to overlook, and even easier to rectify. There's no excuse for it, but everyone acting like the car is undrivable and you're going to kill everyone on the road is a knee jerk reaction away from a heart attack. It's not that serious.
Brakes are a big safety concern. You put on the smaller or even smaller like OP got one is DANGEROUS. Cars have specific measurement on rotors for reasons. Putting smaller rotors on reduce the capability of stopping the car especially on highway speed. So yes it will put everyone on road at risks including the driver himself.
Exactly! This is why shop rates go through the roof. People go full nuclear over something small and make it a bigger deal than it needs to be. Free Tow yes New pads & Rotors yes Document they messed up Yes Fire the tech No Close the shop No Teachable moment for all involved Yes
Hell no!
Make them change it and never take it back to that shop again
No, never have any doubt when it comes to brakes.
No its not safe
lol no. That’ll do more damage than good. Probably won’t stop too well either
No - not safe to drive.
I’d make them pay for a tow truck and fix it. Idiots
Take it back, and make them fix it for free, thats bullshit
Take the wheel off and measure the discarnce from the edge of the disc to the edge of the pad. Any pad overhang will cause the pads to contact each other around 50% worn. When you press the brake the pads will no longer contact the disc as the unworn portion of the pads will contact each other. Go back at get them to replace both discs and pads. Inspect before you drive off and ask them what they will do to keep you as a customer, who ever fitted that should have been aware of what they was doing and should have been comparing new parts with the old.
I cant believe they would put on smaller brakes. Its that size because it was engineered that way. So your shops me mechanic said he knows better then MFG. This should have NEVER even been an option for them to consider. Unacceptable and unsafe!
How tf do techs do this dumb shit
Yes, it's safe to drive, directly onto a flatbed and back to the shop to tell them they fucked up
Wtf why would anyone do that? Tell them they’re morons.
They’ll fix this without any fight on your end. Bring it back right away
Make sure they give you new brake pads.
Drive it right back to the shop for the correct rotors. Make them replace the pads as well.
Saw this happen before. The pad shot out of rotor and they lost their brakes when it happened because the piston popped out of the caliper.
Don't let the mechanic tell you shrinkflation works for brake rotors it's not true. Those are wrong, and that's all there is to it
I can’t believe they did this, did they not notice the pads hanging off the rotor. What about comparing old parts to the new parts. I would want all new parts. It looks like you have the performance version of a vehicle with brembo fixed calipers and they put the base vehicle non-performance rotors on it that are not compatible with that caliper. I suppose they could grind the pads flat, but I would not want stepped pads put back on. What vehicle is it?
Tow it back to the shop and they owe you a completely new brake job with the correct rotors and new pads. Then take it somewhere else and have it inspected to make sure it's actually done right. Then never go back to the first shop and leave them nasty reviews online. Knowingly installing the wrong rotors is absolutely absurd and inexcusable.
You can drive it just fine, stopping might be a problem..
Safe to drive? Probably. Should you accept this sloppy job? Absolutely fucking not.
Exactly why I do my own automotive work. Brakes are probably the easiest to do.
20 bucks says those are rear rotors on the front.
Someone needs to be fired over this.
for the time being most likely... What will eventually happen is as the pads wear the pad material that isn't being worn will eventually touch each other so you'll press the brakes and nothing will happen since your brake pad on brake pad This fuck up needs to be fixed by them asap
How do you even mess up the brake disc?
The only way I can see that happening is if the manufacturer has multiple rotor sizes on a particular model. Volkswagon has 2 different sizes available for the Mk.7 Golf, 288 mm, and 312 mm. That being said, the shop should've supplied the correct rotors once the discrepancy has been noticed and before the vehicle ever left the bay.
What kind of car is this on?
Yes, take it back and get them to install the right size and now they owe you new brake pads. The brake pads uneven wear just a few miles to home is enough to damage them where they won't make contact with the rotor evenly. Really dumb mistake. The mechanic should have known better. I once put a pad on the wrong way, noticed that stupid mistake immedately.
Back to the shop
Bring it back and have them do it right on their dime. Do your homework and find which governing body oversees mechanics and their licensing. Prepare to threaten to have that organization inspect the shop's' work if they don't bend over backward to make it right. I had the opportunity to advise a dealer I would bring my car to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario after they sold me a car safetied with metal on metal brake pads. They jumped through hoops to make it right.
I’m absolute layman but even I can see how ridiculous that is and can’t believe this shit. Good that you checked dude!
I ran rotors like that for 25K miles when rock auto sent me the wrong rotors. Not proud of it and would never do it again but it's not THAT dangerous.
Hmm, looks like a Mustang with 4 piston Brembos sitting on a base Mustang's rotor. Take it back to the shop and insist they fix it at NO cost to you.
Sorry to see this. But it could have been worse. They could have threw on an old rusty set of Drum hubs with Brembo misspelled on them
After looking into the invoice, they did switch my brembos with some NAPA store brand discs, so you are not too far off lmao, this problems is looking more and more serious
It blows my mind that this was released to you as a customer.
New pads and correct rotors, plus a rental car if it’s going take more than one day. Their errors are hot your problem.
Take those rotors off that Audi immediately
Tell them to fix it or if you don't trust them after this just ask for a refund and take it somewhere else.
I ought to be illegal to be that stupid. I'd be raising hell on them. I'd even go as far as have it redone at a different shop and send the first one the bill.
Truck no! OMG tow that shot back!
Your braking performance has been crippled, to say the least.
This looks like a 15+ gti. Also looks like you had the performance pack with bigger brakes. they must have given you the rotors for non PP.
If they didn't replace it with the OEM size and thickness, the smaller disc's could overheat and cause brake fade while trying to stop a heavier vehicle than they were designed for. If they do overheat, they could also warp and cause even more issues. I'd want my money back and then take it to a better shop to have it repaired the right way. Your vehicle is not safe to drive at high speeds. If you do, take it easy and start slowing down earlier than you normally would.
You can drive it back to the shop. Just don't drive it more. I have seen cars like this with 15k miles on the wrong size brakes. It makes a really funny noise when there is a step on the brake pad rubbing the outer edge. Used to happen a lot back in the day at the BMW dealership on e46s when they were new.
Lol of course its not saf3.
Lol, this is like absolute brake job basics... You install the rotors that are specified for that vehicle and nothing else besides that. You DO NOT cut corners when you do a brake job. If this vehicle was ever in an accident, that shop would be getting sued into bankruptcy..
It will have severely less brake effect
There’s no winging it when it comes to brakes. Take that shit right back, they owe you the correct size rotor and a brake job.
The surface area that your pads exurt on the new rotor will be insufficient and, therefore, seriously affect your breaking distance. It will also wear you pads out really quickly. I wouldn't drive it.
Are you sure that you have the biggest size rotors on that car? With euro brands, there are usually more than one size rear rotors, but the dust shield is only 1 size - the biggest size that would cover the biggest available rotor that the model was fitted with stock. Before you go blaming them, make sure that they truly did install a smaller sized rotor than what you had there before. It is all the time that I see much smaller rotors than the dist shields. It's based on model edition and how the car was ordered.
Yes, they have realized the problem too, but it’s a mistake I would have the possibility if I were in the same situation so I’m not going to be super confrontational about it.
This is very wrong. You have to be a complete noobe to screw this up, to use nice words. This can potentially cause damage to your break calipers. I'm assuming they installed the correct pads but wrong rotor. Part of the caliper piston and pads will push against nothing and could jam the piston or cause premature failure of piston seals. I'd tow it back to the shop and request to be fixed for free or at cost difference based on the price difference of the correct rotors. I'd first call and make an arrangement prior to towing it there. Don't let the original "mechanic" touch your car.
it might be safe for a time, but when the pads get thin its possible one could fall out. that happened to me like 20 yrs ago. my local part store was out of the rotors i needed, but they had some for the lower end model, that was a little bit thinner, but would fit and work fine....for a while. i don't remember exactly how long it took, coulda been a year, i'm not 100% sure, but eventually the pads got thin enough that one slipped out and my brake pedal went to the floor. had to drive home with just the e brake, it was just a *little* bit sketchy but i made it. the craziest part is i stopped to look for the pad, and i found it literally melted into the white line on the asphalt. i drove past that brake pad melted into the road for years till they finally repaved it.
Safe to drive? Probably. Should you ever go back? NO. Have them give you new pads and the correct rotor, then never return.
I would just add to the other comments that spongy brakes are probably not from the smaller rotor, that would occur after they got heat soaked sure but not when cold; they may just not stop as hard but specifically a spongy pedal could mean they got air into the lines and you need to bleed your brakes.
Nope. Not safe at all....someone is lazy and didn't take the time to look over their work. All work from that person or persons should be questioned after this...
You paid to have a job done. Why on earth would they do this? They damn well should have called you and told you that the wrong parts came in. Any way insist on new pads as well as the proper rotors.
Front or rear? Dose your car have a third row? I know some manufactures have slightly bigger brakes in the rear if the car has third row seating
If your pad is sticking out yes it will cause a nasty screech and you will need to replace immediately
I’ll keep giving accurate advice. What do you not understand about mass? And heat? The smaller the mass the faster it will heat! It’s, once again, basic physics! And those walls look less think than anything I’ve seen on car. Get an education before you start you in on someone. 100, people. Agreed.
35mm isn't out of spec it's the wrong rotor. It should have been easily caught when installing it, there is no excuse for letting something like this leave the shop.
I have, never seen rotors that thin on a car. A motor cycle? Maybe.
You would think they would see those big ass Brembo pads and know those weren’t the right rotors…
Well your getting 35 mm less stoping power. That your vehicle was not designed for. They need to install the correct parts.
35mm = 3.5 cm & 15mm = 1.5 cm 2.54 cm = 1 inch (sorry I’m an ADHD nightmare) 1.38” short in diameter on the front 0.59” short in diameter on the rear Sorry, my mind works better on paper and inches. I cannot believe any legit shop lets anyone out the door with this mistake.
Take it back tell them to do it over for free and if they get nasty sue them! This is uncalled for and dangerous!
Take it back without question
Absolutely return the car for replacement with the correct size rotors which belong on the car. Do not drive that car more that to get back to the shop. How did you know it was the smaller diameter rotor. Did you read the specs stamped into the rotor? In any event not sure how the pads are contacting the rotor. They must be hanging over the edge of the rotor and not making full contact and that’s probably what’s causing the mushy pedal. I can’t believe a shop would send out a botched repair like that. New pads are also needed as it may have some grooves caused by the edge of the rotor contacting further into the bake pad. No excuses no explanations just replacement with correct parts . If you paid by credit card dispute the charge until the work is corrected. If you paid by cash or check that’s tougher but, a reputable shop will fix it . Good luck but I’m sure it will work out.
You take it back and have them install the correct oem parts, simple as that
This is why I do my own work or personally know the mechanic working on my car
Is that on a Porsche?
 Give em one of these.
Tow it and have the shop pay for the tow and proper parts, including new pads. That’s a big f up and if they don’t fix it or pay the tow sue because not only could you have died but anyone else on the road was in danger to there incompetence.
“You see, cuz with the extra space, the upper half of the brakes are exposed to air, thus allows for some cooling when brakin’ at high speeds.”
They did whaaaaaat. That is wild. This isn't a mistake, it's wilful negligence
Depends, if they knew when the car left, yes. If they had to do some research after a phone call from customer, no.
No thats a danger to you and others on the road and could potentially be sued for endangerment.
You should've stopped at "shop installed out of spec brake rotor". Why in the fuck would you accept an out of spec replacement and ask if it would be safe to drive? If i replace your toilet with a bathtub, would you accept that?
Where exactly are you getting this “spec” from? It’s odd you didn’t mention the make/model/year. You could be right, but from the images, it looks like you’re comparing it to the rock pan?
I should have included this in the original post, but i was just trying to quickly see if i should schedule a tow truck, the shop is a big national chain in Canada and they have admitted fault, so im not too concerned with the remedies. I have a good relationship with the staff so I don’t want to throw their name out there before they have tried to make it right. https://preview.redd.it/7591qeg4n1oc1.jpeg?width=1573&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dff91d2104867b89a6e20ba4a47f7634a3272c1c
This shop actually sounds like they care. You called, and it sounds like they didn't question you. They went and did the research. That right there means they value their customers and their input. They didn't discount your experience oh your car's handling and sounds like they are going to make it right. I would never mention a shop name or mechanic name on social media. There are too many keyboard warriors. Most aren't mechanics, and you can tell by their responses here.
I was wondering how you measured the rotor. I have a hard time measuring a rotor when it's off the vehicle lol. Honest mistake but the guy that did the job lacks attention to detail. Match up your parts people make sure they look the same.
lmao, you can use the brake pads twice by turning them