Break Pads and rotors need replacement after 22,000 miles???
Asked by FRITZFROMNH Jun 16, 2022 at 04:06 PM about the 2016 Kia Soul Base
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
We also spend two months of winter in Fl with the Soul in the garage at home
away from the snow. I have never heard of break pads and rotors (front only)
needed to be replaced this soon @ $550? Rust and wear? I drive in rural NH
with little stop go and use speed control to squeeze 31 MPG, So no lead foot
or heavy breaking.
What is wrong with this? Bad parts by Kia?
14 Answers
Price is out of line, where was this quote from? I have seen brakes go away with that kind of mileage but usually only in town stop and go driving or very dirty conditions. Does the vehicle ever feel like its being held back? Could be an antilock problem.
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
Quote was from Kia dealer. Conditions not dirty. Breaks feel normal. I had a Camry Hybrid that had a similar problem at 20,000 about the same build year. Could Toyota and Kia use the same subcontractor? That turned out to be a bad batch from a subcontractor and Toyota replaced all my breaks no charge. They also implied the dealer did not clean the breaks and rotors correctly. I had contacted the Regional which freaked the local dealer out. Yes, the cost seems way out of line.
If regional won’t do anything for you then I suggest you leave the dealership and get a quote from an independent shop for the work. Kia’s are horrible vehicles. Maybe get rid of it soon. Hondas still seem to be good as are some Toyotas.
VRoom12345 answered 2 years ago
They also might be lying to you. Have the brakes checked by a local garage, they might be fine.
The two things that scare people the most on a vehicle are brakes and steering. It's the easiest way to make some extra money in the automotive world, especially if the shop suspects you're not car savvy. Definitely get a second opinion on this. Many Dealers are hurting right now because of the pandemic, shortages, etc. About 15 years ago I had a similar situation with my local Chevrolet Dealer. My 93 Caprice failed inspection because the rear brakes were not working. A common problem on GMs with drum brakes in the rear. The self adjusters always stop working so the brakes have to be manually adjusted periodically. I dropped the car off and a few hours later I received a call that I needed $1,200 in repairs! It was the end of the world and my brakes were going to fail at any second! I needed everything new! There was moisture in the brake fluid, everything was rusty and corroded and falling apart, and blah, blah, blah! I told them, that's nice, flush the brake fluid and adjust the rear brakes. According to the State Inspection Station the front brakes were fine. It was just the rear brakes that needed attention. I also didn't have a low or spongy pedal, wasn't feeling or hearing anything strange, so I knew they were just trying to get some extra money out of me. The service writer had a fit, of course, and told me I was risking my life and the lives of others and more blah, blah, blah. I told him that's nice, I carry full coverage insurance. Just do what I asked, thank you and I hung up the phone. The next day the car passed inspection and I never had any trouble with the brakes. I never crashed into anyone and nobody got killed! I sold the car two years later to a coworker and he never had any problems with the brakes either for the three years he drove the car. So, the moral of this story is use your common sense and don't always believe what you're being told. Especially when times are tough for the Dealer or when it's the holiday season. Many mechanics and service writers get a commission on jobs they sell too. Hope that helps! Jim
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
I will be taking the car to two repair shops Tuesday. Thank you for your feedback. Due diligence is the path to correction.
That's a very good idea! Please let us know what you find out. Thank you for the best answer click!! Jim
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
The replies have been very helpful. It comes down to two possibilities: Either the service tech lied and is dishonest or the parts are faulty from some manufacturing defect. One or the other must be true. The pricing is a third issue that rises to the Dealer level. If the tech lied and the dealer gave a false quote, that is a conspiracy to defraud, in simple terms.
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
I submitted the problem to KIA Customer Service and am awaiting a response.
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
Yes, I will check local. Scheduled an independent inspection with a garage known as the most honest in our geographic area Thursday.
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
The certified mechanic at the garage known locally for integrity, determined that the rotors were corroded and needed replacement. He stated that four months of being garaged in winter and not driven can result in this condition. He suggested if the car is going to be garaged for a similar time, for $40, they would grease the parts to protect them, then $40 to clean them upon return. The cost to repair was one hour of labor at $85, $225 for a pair of rotors and $63.79 for break pads totaling $373.79. The dealer quoted over $550. That is a considerable savings. Break rotors and pads are parts that wear out and do not affect the warranty. You have to be careful not to void the warranty.
It must be humid there for the rotors to do that. If where you park it enclosed I’d get a dehumidifier and put in there. I have one in my garage but not for that problem but for my computer equipment, but I can say my motorcycle brake rotors are always looking good, as it is in the garage also.
FRITZFROMNH answered 2 years ago
The garage is not heated and the two outside walls are not insulated. We turn down the heat to 55 degrees when we are gone, so the garage will not drop below freezing but the air is cold and damp. The three garage doors are insulated and the room above the garage is heated. Apparently, driving the car keeps the rotors in better order. It seems illogical but those are the facts as I understand them.
My garage is also not heated but the dehumidifier keeps the moisture way down. If it gets to 20 degrees out side I turn on my big shop lights and that keeps it 40 degrees so nothing freezes. Thankfully it doesn’t get that cold very often.
