Alero calipers

[swade]

My daughter took her 2000 Alero to some Just Brakes or some place like them for service and fluid changes, which is normally a $200 job. Last year she had a complete brake job which included replacing the calipers. Now they are telling her that her calipers are leaking and need replacing (1 year warranty has expired) . They have told her that the calipers are now made from some other material than the original ones and have to be replaced every so often. Is this true or are they trying to take advantage of a female. We live in different states and her husband is in Iraq. I will be seeing her next week an would like to get this resolved.
Thanks,
Steve

[BNaylor]

If it is the same shop it sounds like they are trying to make some more bucks off your daughter. It doesn't make sense for aftermarket calipers to fail only after one year. A lot of us still have our original GM calipers. Is it just one caliper or all four?

[GTP Dad]

I agree with Bob, the shop just wants her money. Take the car somewhere else for a second opinion but don't authorize changing calipers. I have seen OEM calipers last for 200K miles with no problems and aftermarket calipers are supposed to be better than OEM.

[swade]

I don't know if its all four or not. When I last talked to her it sounded like just the front. When my two daughters were away at college, I spent more money on brake repairs than the I have the 40 yrs. I have been repairing brakes on my vehicles. Appears to me that these brake repair shops really stick it to the girls.

[GTP Dad]

These shops make a lot more money replacing calipers than just replacing pads. They try with every pad change to come up with some excuse to get you to replace the calipers or have them rebuilt so they can charge you several hundred dollars for the repair. I have worked on cars with disc brakes for 30 years and have never seen one leak yet. Rear wheel cylinders will leak from time to time and caliper pistons will stick but they very seldom leak.

[BNaylor]

Same here on all the cars I've ever owned. I've never had leaking seals on the calipers.

But shops and dealers do have a tendency to take advantage over females. It is sad.

[swade]

Here is the complete lowdown after I got all of facts. 15 months ago my daughter had brake pads replaced and rotors machine at Just Brakes in Denver, Co. In March of this year, prior to a move to Albuquerque, she wanted a complete checkup and fluid change. She went to Brakes Plus in Colorado Springs, Co. where they told her she needed to replace caliper (because there was a show of fluid) and tie rods. While visiting her in Albuq., I took her car to Just Brakes there. The manager took me into the shop and showed me the tie rods were tight by moving the hub back and forth with no play. He also showed me the the calipers. 3 showed no sign of fluid leakage while the 4th did have evidence of a leak. Since they had done the work on the brakes, they rebuilt the calipers at a pro rata rate and gave her a lifetime warranty on the calipers. My real point here is that one company (Just Brakes) did the right thing, while the other (Brakes Plus) tried to take advanage of a customer. One more thing. Just Brakes recommended a brake fluid flush. I have never flushed brake lines on disc brakes. Is this something I should be doing at regular intervals. Thank for everyone help.
Steve