My 04 Sonata needs new rotors and brakes already

Is this normal wear for an '04 Sonata with just over 16,000 miles? I
had no warning or indication that I needed brakes, and last night got
a loud warning, the sound of metal on metal and my rotors are scored.
very badly. Of course with the car not even being 1 year old yet, I
can't even find anyone that has rotors for it.

I have never had a car that only got 16,000 miles out of a set of
brakes (and I doubt the tires are going to pass state inspection)

 

If the brakes /and/ tires are worn out at 16k, this is consistent with a
lot of starting and stopping, under which conditions 16k is normal brake
wear. Where do you live and drive and for what purpose do you drive the
vehicle?

 

They can't be THAT badly scored! They might look bad, they will still
work fine. Don't replace them unless it's done under warranty. Do
you ride your brakes? Are you the only driver?

Xin

 

**Yes, they can. I've seen other posts complaining about early rotor
wear. My ex-Santa Fe developed rotor problems at 7500 miles. I had the
front and back rotors turned under warranty. The mileage on the SF was
mainly highway/rural highway with a bit of gentle city driving (no
bumper to bumper for a half hour). Within a few months, the back
rotors crapped out completely. Those got changed and I insisted they
do the front or turn them again. The dealership said they had enough
meat on them. I said, fine, but let it show in my service report that
I think there's a problem. I also said that I don't think they'll last
another 6 months. Three months later, the front rotors crapped out. I
was at probably 9 or 10K miles if that. They were replaced and I never
had another problem with the rotors up until I got rid of it at 26K.

The Michigan dealership that I used said that the rotors were only
covered for 1 year/12K. The Connecticut dealership I also used said it
was longer. I think he should go to the dealership and complain about
it. He might just be covered.

kaboomie

 

What is "crapped out"? Rotor turning and replacement is the biggest
scam going in the repair business. Rotors should NEVER be turned, and
if you never turn them, they should last forever. Mine have, haven't
replaced a rotor in twenty years, and I drive high mileage cars.
Could be bad rotors, I guess, in which case warranty should cover it.
One year warranty on rotors? RIPOFF! Rotors are not wear items.

Xin

 

If the pads are worn to the point where they've damaged the rotors, then
the rotors were not defective and are therefore not covered. If the pads
have not damaged the rotors, then there should be no need to replace them.

 

The rotors are covered against defect (not damage) for 5 years/60k miles.
Don't let them tell you different. That will be in your warranty book you
got with the vehicle.

Rotors should be resurfaced whenever they cause a brake pulsation or other
abnormal brake condition. Most repair shops like to resurface rotors with
every brake job, and Xin is correct that this does not need to be done.

 

Yes, but in my experience, these same garages will tell you the pads
they install have a lifetime warranty. But....if you don't let them
resurface your rotors, the pad warranty is viod.

J.W.

 

More B.S. If someone won't warranty pads without resurfacing perfectly
good rotors, then don't do business there.

 

**The weird thing is: the pads were fine (on my vehicle, at any rate).
That led me to believe it was a defective rotor issue.

kaboomie

 

I presume you were having a rotor runout issue causing a vibration then.
Perfectly safe, but they vibrate. A legitimate concern.

 

I complained about that exact problem the last time I had my Sonata in
for some work. Had approx 9,000 miles on it (an '04) and it vibrated
so bad when I was coming to a stop. Especially coming to a stop from a
higher rate of speed. Hyundai dealer said they needed to be
resurfaced? (sanding?) and it would take a few hours and I can't
remember what it was going to cost me, but I was pissed that it should
have cost me anything on a brand new car.

I've already talked two people out of buying Hyundaie's. Just wish
someone would have talked me out of it

 

What reason did they give for it not being covered under your warranty???

 

**You can be pissed, but you shouldn't have let him get away with
this. Instead you stewed, getting pissed off at Hyundais when you
should've just spoken up (esp. at 9K when *everything* is covered).
Insist on a test drive with a mechanic, then when the steering wheel
is vibrating out of his hands, how is he going to say: No, we won't
fix it. At least you're here now and are now armed with the knowledge
that your dealer sucks cheese. Also, you aren't just limited to that
dealer (unless you are in the boonies, of course). I say: Find out for
sure that the rotors are covered for 5 years and get your ass back
there (or to another dealership) and insist they be taken care of.

**Why? Hyundais are good cars, you just have a crappy, shady dealer.
Another tip: If you feel like you are having some type of problem
(i.e., brake shudder), and they say: Oh we can't replicate it, they
all do that, or whatever, insist that they put it in your service
report that you complained about the brakes and it wasn't rectified.
Later on, if something really goes bad, you have some semblance of
"See! I told you so!" and hopefully you'll be covered.

kaboomie

 

**Hi Xin. Crapped out is: they (back & front) were making the Santa Fe
vibrate madly when applying the brakes. Upon rotor replacement (not
pads), the problem was long gone. I do not know what was wrong with
the original rotors but, whatever it was, it rendered them defective.

**As my rotor turning and replacement was done under warranty, I'm
sure that both dealerships did NOT feel like doing this and didn't
make tons o' money doing it. It might be scams elsewhere but I doubt
that under warranty it is.

**I don't know, Xin, almost all of my cars' rotors needed a turning at
some point.

**Maybe you should try braking once in awhile Do you drive a lot of
highway miles?

**That's what I'm guessing.

**I hear ya, Xin, and I agree.

kaboomie

 

That's a classic scam. They get you to pay lots of extra bucks in order
to get a warranty on $30 brake pads.

 

Yeah, but try finding a garage that will not do this. I live in a
metro area and have been to several shops, with my older cars, and
they all do the same thing. The only way around this is to do it
yourself, if you have the know how. Hell, you can even go to many auto
parts stores and have the rotors turned if they REALLY need it. As for
the $30.00 pads? Auto parts stores have as good, if not better,
quality than these rip off garages.
But...that being said. I WILL be taking my Sonata into the dealer for
everything. I am not going to let them get out of the warranty, under
any circumstances. I know it will cost me hundreds more over the next
10 years, But I am keeping the mileage to 10,000 per year, and I plan
to drive this car for 10 years.

J.W.

 

There's a very simple solution, it's the word "no". Tell them that you
don't care about the warranty and to install the pads and leave the
rotors alone. They may grumble and some may even refuse, but most will
do the work.

Agreed. DIY is the least expensive way to go for most maintenance. It's
often the best way, as you can select the parts that are used and you
know how the work is done.

You can still do DIY maintenance and have the car covered under
warranty. In fact, my dealer even told me that all that's necessary is
to document the work in the Maintenance Log that comes with the car.
Keeping receipts for the parts is probably a good idea, just in case. As
long as you use parts that meet factory spec's (not necessarily factory
parts), the warranty remains in force. That's the law (the Moss Magnuson
Act), not just an opinion.

 

I've been able to avoid unnecessary resurfacing of rotors and drums by
agreeing to pay for that service just to get the benefit of the
warranty. If this doesn't tell you they are in effect charging you
for the warranty by insisting on resurfacing good rotors/drums, I
don't know what does. Furthermore it is a fact that a GOOD rotor or
drum is more likely to warp after resufracing than a GOOD rotor that
has never been resurfaced.