Thread: Brake scams

Road service is now only a small side line for NRMA ( which they don't want ) as the money is in insurance and the reason for a big push for insurance too.

NRMA insurance has been a separate organization and public company IAG for many years.
I was issued shares as an NRMA member many years ago 2000 to be exact

I think that they would like road service etc be major but with the reliability of modern cars and the introduction of several other roadside service providers , this part of their business is declining.
Caravan Parks are their latest thing with them now owning over 30 from Palm Cove south.

2 free road services come with my Youi policies and I have discontinued NRMA membership for one car.

I think mainly all they do now is flat batteries, lock outs, and flat tyres.
Regards Philip A
re the brake scam. My son's first car was an old Sigma when he was 17. He came home one day and said that he had a free brake check from Midas Mufflers and that the car needed $800 spent on the rear brakes as the cylinders were leaking.
Seeing we jointly paid $600 for the car I thought it was a bit over the top.
I asked him whether his brake fluid was declining "no" . Was the pedal OK ."yes"
Then it's not your brake cylinders.
Midas convinced him that he needed new brakes when all it was was drooling axle seals.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Called NRMA.

"Battery has had it. Can supply one for $360"

OK

That is a shame the NRMA has been reduced to that.

A few years back the two starter batteries on my 101 died when I was on a trip in Coonamble on a Sat afternoon. We tow started it so I could drive into town to check if any shops with batteries were open.

When driving around I spotted an NRMA car parked outside a house and pulled up behind it and then rang the NRMA - the guy then came out of the house wiping the sleep from his eyes as he had been having an afternoon sleep - tested the batteries and confirmed they were kaput and instructed me to follow him to the "shop" - out came two new NRMA batteries and installed on the spot - $340 for two full size batteries - was no more than what I would have paid back in the big smoke.

The service was great and no up selling. I guess that in many cases it is just the individual rather systemic business policy.

Garry

Wifes car was in for 70,000km service recently , car has only done 40,000km but is 4 years old. Got a call to say front tyres need replacing worn out on inside & gave me quote for $480 for 2 tyres only no wheel alignment. I said I could get the tyres for $130 each. They told me car should not be driven . Took car to local tyer dealer for new tyres & wheel alignment to be told nothing wrong with tyres & only 50% worn but did need wheel alignment. So had tyres rotated & alignment for under $100. Turned out they were trying to sell me tyres I didn't need but were also going to fit a different brand of tyres on the car so miss matched tyres from front to back & spare but dose become a problem if we get a flat on the front drive wheels because I would need to change two wheels to have matching brands on the front.

I feel sorry for people who aren't mechanically adept because they often get caught by these scams.

In the UK a common one was when you went in for tyres they wiped an oily rag round the shock absorbers and then told you they were leaking. They then went on about how dangerous it was and scored a set of shockies at list when you only went in for discount tyres.

Sometimes the mechanic/dealer is being cautious or basing wear rates on the average punter. I was told that my front discs & pads needed changing but then went another 2 services (30,000km) before I changed them (the last Ford went to 176,000km before the front discs were replaced). I guess the dealer assumed I drove like many of their customers and the pads would be down to the metal before the next service.

Some mechanics can't work out what the fault is so they just start replacing parts.
We had a Mitsubishi Delica diesel that had a 'misfire'. Took it to an injection 'specialist' who told me the pump needed rebuilding. Because the engine is difficult to get to it was $1K to remove the pump, about $1K for the rebuild then $1K to refit......I got the impression they didn't want the job. I got a bill for $200 for testing and then went to the Delica forum.
Replaced the alternator and problem fixed.
Turns out as the alternator starts to fail it can create electrical 'noise' which affects the drive-by-wire throttle control ! $400 and all sorted.

How many 'mechanics' are actually mechanics rather than parts replacers ?


Colin

Seems a common problem with women. Wife got her car serviced recently. No surprise they said brakes need doing. And no surprise they where fine. It also seems to be a common item to say that it needs to be done. I suspect that as noted earlier that they can either tart up the old ones or it is only a quick job for a apprentice to change brake pads. Either way they have easy cash. On a good note though for one mechanic. When we got our old Tucson serviced he could have changed out the spark plugs. At a great cost with the Tucson. But to his credit he said they where down a bit but still serviceable. Over the years I have had a number of incidents where mechanics have failed to be totally honest with there work.
Cheers Hall