How's Midas's brake replace service

[smartie]

Read their web and brake replace is life time warranty. Could anyone comment on their service? also, could anyone give a price range for their brake service.

Thanks in advance

[koalorka]

How can anyone offer you a lifetime warranty on brake pad replacement? What?

[Mark77]

Brake system parts (including consumables) tend to be cheap -- the expense really is in labour. And labour generally isn't covered under such warranties.

On a wholesale basis, the consumables for brake pad replacement can be purchased for $15-$20, if not less. Labour is $50-$100/hour, and they'll always, as a matter of 'policy', insist that rotors be ground on their machine (or replaced) at significant expense, even if it is strictly not necessary.

Basically, the old adage, "you get what you pay for" applies. Personally I'd prefer to go with the proper ceramic pads, and not buy into any gimmicks. Rotor resurfacing only if its necessary (it actually reduces the life of the rotor in the long run!), rather than someone just grinding the rotors as a matter of company policy.

[smartie]

How can anyone offer you a lifetime warranty on brake pad replacement? What?

from their website:

When you purchase brake pads and brake shoes at Midas, you also get the famous Midas lifetime guarantee* – once you purchase brake pads or brake shoes from us, you will never need to pay for replacements again, for as long as you own your car.

[macnut]

As they are franchise outlets, some operating under other business names at the same time, how good or bad each location is will vary a lot.

Unlikely to be members of BBB, but fairly easy to come up with contrasting published reviews which are inconclusive (after filtering out ones clearly written by friends and family).

http://www.n49.ca/search.php?result_type=biz&searchwhat=midas%20auto%20svc%20experts

Depends on the individual manager's approach and business style, and who they employ. Not much different than a Cdn. Tire service dept., or Walmart.

They seem to consider their lifetime warranty brake pads or shoes are worth about $60 retail. Averaged over all the makes and models covered, seems reasonable so far:

http://195westneyroadsouth.torontomidas.com/offers.aspx?shopNum=9187&language=en-US

But the devil is in the labour details. And that can vary quite a bit depending on make and model, what shape other brake parts are in, etc.

The lifetime warranty is predicated on the fact that pads or shoes are only a small percentage of the total job cost,
and that you will have probably moved onto another vehicle by the time you would have invoked the warranty. Or lost your paperwork.
If you haven't, they will be able to make up the $60 on extra labour when you claim your 'free' pads.

[jordanr19871]

How can anyone offer you a lifetime warranty on brake pad replacement? What?

its like tint places offering free lifetime warranty on the tint

sure theres a warranty on the product itself but they'll still charge you to install the product

[woof]

I had a Midas muffler with a lifetime guarantee. Somewhere after 10 years it finally blew out. Yeah the replacement muffler was free but it cost me well over $100 in labor and incidentals to have it installed.