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Midas - Brakes

Midas • Mufflers • Brakes • Other Service • "Lifetime" Warranty • Incidental Damage --- • Midas Responds

Deborah of Phoenix, AZ (8/4/05):
I went to Midas because they sent me a coupon for a brake special. I had them install back brakes on my 1992 Ford Explorer. They called me with an estimate for all sorts of repairs that I really didn’t think I needed, but I agreed. The bill came to $800.00.

Three days later, while driving on a major highway with my daughter and a friend, my car felt like it had a flat tire. When we checked the tires the one on the passenger side rear was wobbling. A nice passerby stopped, jacked my truck up and the whole wheel fell right off. All of the lug nuts were sheared.

Apparently, the Midas mechanic did not tighten my lugs nuts when he put my tire back on after the brake job. The police came and said if I had gone one more mile the tire would have come off and my truck would have rolled over. He said he might have been “coming to a different kind of emergency”.

After a $100.00 tow (Sunday night), I went to Midas on Monday and they put my tire back on. I filled out a form to get my $100 back for the tow and I still have not heard anything.

Damages: We almost died on the highway. It took every last dime I had to fix the car to begin with and as a single mom of 5 kids this was devastating.

They wanted to charge me over $300 for labor (close to $150 an hour worse case) and over $400 in parts. I'm not against a business making a profit, but gouging customers because they drive a "luxury" vehicle is ridiculous. Labor should be $70-80/hour maximum and the parts should be no more than $300. I will never use or recommend them again.

Susmito of Houston (6/7/03):
I asked for brake pad replacement at the location on 2500 S. Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX. Upon inspection, replacement of front brake rotors was recommended and the estimate provided for me was $540.00 which included $116.00 for each front brake rotor (part only). I authorized the job, but then called up AutoZone to see what price they had rotors for. The most expensive front brake rotors for 1999 Mazda Protege LX was listed for $49.99 each!

I then asked the location to stop work on the car. They asked me to pay $68.50 for inspection and reassembling the brakes. I paid this amount and took the car to a Firestone service center where I got the same work (new brake pads, new front rotors, rear brake adjustment) done for $236.00. Thus the location attemped to gouge me on price and then charged me $68.50 just for inspection and reassembling my brakes.

I went back to the MIDAS location and attempted to obtain a copy of the original estimate. I pointed out the difference in cost for the front brake rotors to the manager on duty. Upon which he physically grabbed the estimate out of my hand and asked me to leave and threatened to call the police for trespass.

Martin of Ft. Collins CO (5/15/03):
Has a BAD experience with Midas Muffler Shop in Las Cruces, N.M. Was on the road & got bad brake sounds. Went into Midas Muffler to have it looked at. The owner tells it's a little problem, probably $50. We get it in on the rack where (out of my view) their ace mechanic checks it out. Now it's a BIG PROBLEM, estimate is $750 for parts/labor on my 4-year-old low-mileage pickup!

We look things over. Besides front brakes, which I did need, they tell me my rear brake drums are worn out and that BOTH rear brake cylinders were leaking. I show the mechanic how to use his inside caliper to measure the rear drums and we decide the rear brakes are OK. I feel they had probably given the rear wheel cylinders a squirt of brake fluid to generate the leaks.

Anyway, they do fix the brakes for over $400 and I get out of the place. Now the grand finale -- 6 months later I am selling the pickup and the buyer has it checked out by a competent garage. The front brake calipers had been put together on the WRONG sides - costs me again to straighten out what Midas had done wrong!

Byron of Fort Knox KY (4/16/03):
I took my car to Midas because of a squealing noise. Midas diagnosis was the front brakes needing replacing. They replaced the front brakes that I had done on 02/02/02, which had a lifetime warranty on the pads not the labor, or resurfing rotors. After the repairs my car was still making the squealing noise.

My car went for a test drive and the technician drove it into the bay and started inspecting the vehicle to see where the noise was coming from. Chi Chi was the tech's name. He shows me where the rear brakes were making the squealing noise. The wear indicator was grinding into the rotor and the left rear axle of the car. I got real upset first because I brought my car for the problem the first time and they said, it was fine except the front needed new brake pads and it was the rear brakes the whole time. Now, I'm wondering if my front brakes ever needed replacing. Second, I had to drive 45 miles to get it looked at since Louisville is the closest place to Fort Knox that had a Midas shop.

I paid $80 for the front brakes which I may not have needed, $116.38 for the rear brakes. Now, peep this; while putting back on the left side of the rear brakes Chi informed that I may need a new caliper. During the road test it noted that the caliper was bad, fine no problem. They put a new one on, the only problem is they ordered a loaded caliper from their parts vendor which took an hour plus to get there. The loaded caliper comes with everything including include brake pads; I already paid for brake pad anyway because my warranty is free replacement of brake pads. Thus, during the same day I was charged $174.33 this time for the bad caliper. I was there in that shop from 11:45 to 16:00 hrs. And you can see the money I spent for the problem.

Unknown how much of that expense could have been avoided if my problem was fixed the first time. I feel Midas owes me dearly.

Roy of Charlotte NC (4/13/03):
I had some problems with my brakes recently and could not change them myself this time because I knew the rotors had to be turned, so I called Midas. I asked the guy that answered the phone what it would cost for me to have the rotars turned and new pads put on the front brakes of my 98 Mazda and he quoted me a price of $89-$99. I get to Midas and without my consent, they do a "Brake Inspection," checking all 4 brakes after I had only asked for the front brakes to be checked. He came back with a quote of $360 because he said the rotors were too thin to turn. So I declined the work on the car.

As I was checking out the gentleman told me that it would be 21.00 for the "brake inspection". He then proceeded to tell me that it would have cost me $140.00 at the very least to turn my rotors and replace the pads. I then asked him what happened to the $89-$99 he quoted me over the phone and he denied it.

Shirley of San Diego (1/28/03):
After taking my 95 Chevy Corsica into Midas for brake work, they did a complete examination of my brakes and gave me a quote for $942.00. I thought it was quite expensive but thought it would be worth it to have the repair done at a supposed reputable company with a guarantee. The day after I picked up my car, the brakes failed completely. I had the car towed back to Midas who informed me that there was additional work that needed to be done at a cost of $650, perhaps more depending on the total labor costs. They provided no reasonable explanation as to how this additional problem could have escaped their first "complete" inspection. Needless to say I did not have this additional work done at Midas and will not be using them in the future.

In addition to having my life endangered by the failed brakes, I missed two days of work dealing with the automotive repair. Also, the company that finally completed the work did so at 50% less than the Midas quote.

William of Garland TX (11/4/02):
In August I took my car to Midas to have warranty pads replaced. As I have now come to expect with Midas, my brake pad replacement resulted in a $440.00 repair bill. New hardware kits on the front end, new cylinders, new drums, they even tried to tell me the master cylinder needed to be replaced. I denied the cylinder replacement but OK'd the rest of the work.

Within two weeks my front left wheel began to squeel severely. I had to have some other work done to my vehicle so I took it to my regular mechanic. He checked the wheel and informed me that the brake clips had been mounted incorrectly on that wheel and went ahead and replaced them rather than allow me to drive on dangerous brakes. I later contacted Midas home office to attempt to obtain reimbursement for the repair work. The service manager (I assume since he never identified himself) recognized the problem initially, but after a few minutes of conversation (and my ultimate request for reimbursement) he ceased to recognize the part in question and began to accuse me of trying to scam him.

"I didn't just step off the boat," he said. I have since written to Midas again and am awaiting a response.

Marjorie of Spring Valley NY (11/4/02):
I called and spoke with Stephen about Brake Special they were running. I was told the deal was good until the middle of November. When I stopped in on October 29th Stephen told me the special was over but he would take care of me. They pulled my 96 chevy beretta (53,000 miles) and came back with a quote of $387.00 -- new roters, front and rear brakes. I said it was too much money to spend at this moment. Stephen gave me another qoute -- $287.00, "the best he could do."

I left with the car and went to another brake mechanic was told me the only thing I needed was new rotors, not front or rear brakes. Had the job done for under $70.00.

Nicole of Chicago (2/1/01):
I took my car in for soft brakes. I told Jeff that sometimes I would be at a stop light and my brakes would go soft and I would have to pump them back up. I told him that I thought it might be hydraulic, maybe the master cylinder. After a few hours and much trouble removing my lug nuts (I have a 1968 Plymouth, apparently these "auto experts" weren't aware that old cars have reverse lug nuts) Jeff told me that all four of my drums were oversize, worn. I would need four new drums at approx $250.00 each equalling about $1000.00.

I asked again about the master cylinder, and he said "yeah we checked it out, it's fine." I picked up my car that day since I couldn't afford $1000.00 repair work at this point. When I picked it up I talked to him again about the problem, the costs, and the master cylinder. A week later I brought my car in to the Chrysler, Plymouth, Jeep Dealer. Guess what! I needed a new master cylinder $180.00. I had asked Jeff specifically about the master cylinder three times.

Becky of Chicago writes (9/27/00):
I went into Midas to have my brakes replaced at the end of April, beginning of May of 2000. The mechanic replaced the brakes, the rotors and pads. About two weeks later I drove my car to Milwaukee. On the way back, the car started shaking and making noises. When I reached the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, my front left wheel detached from my car at highway speed and bounced across the lanes into incoming traffic.

I veered my car off to the side, trying to control the car that now did not have a front wheel. My car stopped inches from a metal guardrail. As I tried to fix the tire, a good samaritian stopped to help me. It was determined the lugnuts were missing and I would need a flat bed tow truck, which I ended up waiting two hours for on the side of the highway, alone, a female and at night.

I had the car towed to the first Midas I knew of in Evanston (my previous home) and left a note for the managers to call me. They in turn had the vehicle towed back to the Western location. I was called by the manager who apologized profusely saying they would handle all costs related to the damage because it was the mechanic's fault for not putting the tires back on correctly. So, they promised to put the tire back on and have the body work done (damage had occured to the fender when the wheel flew off).

I went to pick up my car and they didn't help me back it out of a tight spot wedged between two cars and a guardrail. And guess what happened. They all stood there and watched when they should have backed the car out for me. Consquently, the guardrail caught on my bumper and the bumper fell off. I had to get that fixed now too. After I picked up my car, weeks went by and the insurance company they promised to have call me, didn't. I kept calling the manager at least twice a week.

Not until I got my father involved and he called a regional manager, did something happen. I was told that I was supposed to have an estimate done (was not originally told this). I had the estimate done and as I dropped it off one of the employees told me that, "I didn't have to make so much trouble about this all and I shouldn't have involved my father." Basically threatening me and trying to intimidate me. I did receive the check in the amount of the estimate and have had the work done.

Bryan of Columbia City, IN:

I went to Midas in Ft. Wayne to have my 1990 blue Toyota 4-Runner worked on. I had front brake pads put on and the rotors turned and the brakes were cleaned inspected and adjusted. They are supposed to be the break experts. They had to send my rotors to a machine shop to have them turned. I told them I had a rear anti-lock brake light that was on. They supposedly fixed everything and all brake parts had been inspected.

The only thing that was not fixed was the anti-lock brake light. They told me I had to take it to a Toyota dealership to get it fixed. So I did. Evans Toyota Dealership fixed the anti-lock brake part and they inspected the work done on the front brakes. Their mechanic found "front caliper pins were wired in with mechanic's wire" So I had the dealership fix it because if these pins were to fall out my brake pads would fall off. So I did not want to take it back to Midas to have it fixed because on the way over my brake pads could have fallen off if that wire came out. The dealership charged me $53.64 to fix the problem.

I went to Midas today to get a refund for the work the dealership did ($53.64) and any charge of inspection done on the pads because they were paid to inspect everything and fix it. The manager at Midas told me that there is a law that prevents customers from going to another place and having work done to a vehicle and trying to get a refund. He said that I should have brought it to them to fix it. I did not want to bring it to them to fix if this is the kind of work that they do. Plus if my front brakes failed because of that then I could have been in an accident. I even showed them the billing of the work that Evans Toyota did and they would no believe me they said they don't even have mechanics wire. How do I know this?

This case also belongs in Small Claims Court. We would like to be there when the Midas manager tells the judge about that "law" he dreamed up.

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