DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION!!! This location is filled with nothing but money hungry salespeople that want to get every last cent of your money. My son took my 2010 Kia Forte in for front and possibly back breaks. I had just had it in 2 years prior to get brakes from this Big O location. So I take the car in for an "inspection" and the first thing they tell me is they recommend that I get new tires. Ok you are a tire shop but in all truth, I had just gotten 4 new tires a week ago from Discount Tire (awesome job and price by the way). I will not even go to them for tires anymore because of my last experience there but I didn't post about that one, just let it go, after this experience I wish I had. Anyway, we get past the tire inspection in the parking lot and they get it on the rack. After an hour of inspecting this is their conclusion, my calipers had "seized up" and that's why I was getting that metal on metal noise, needs new rotors, new pads in the front and new rotors and pads on the back. So the total cost of this will be, drum roll please, only a mere $1400 and some change. After my son said absolutely no, what can you do to get this lower, they graciously said the back ones weren't absolutely needed right now so they brought the estimate down to around $1000. Wow what a savings. After he argued that was still just way to high, they worked their magic and got it down to $848.03. With this still way to high, he called me to see if I wanted the work done. After he told about how they were treating him, talking over him, being rude, not answering his questions, he did not want me to get the work done there and suggested another opinion. I took his advice and he told Big O to put the tires back on the car and that we wanted another opinion because this was just way to high. This is where it gets slimy! They started feeding my son a line that for his safety they really "by law" can't let him leave with the calipers like that. They were literally not going to let him leave. After my son kept telling him no way are they working on it and put the car back together they finally agreed to let him leave. As he was about to get in the car and go, one of the technicians and the saleswoman that was working up this ridiculous order pulled him aside, got his phone number and said they have "a guy" that can do the job for half what Big O wanted. Now again, the saleswoman, that wrote up this order, is standing there shaking her head and telling my son to wait for their call before we take it anywhere else. How flippin slimy and sleezy is that!!
So in the meantime I am calling every brake and auto shop in the phone book and I come across Arizona Brake and Wheel. I talk to Scott, the owner, and I tell him what I need so I can get a ballpark figure. After telling him that my calipers have seized, I need new rotors and pads he kinda giggled and explained that it is very rare that calipers need replacing. It does happen but hardly never. He said that they do free inspections so bring it on down. By this point it is around 3:00 in the afternoon (my son got to Big O around 10:30am when this all started). I meet my son and we drop it at Arizona Brake and take off to go sit and get a bite to eat. About an hour later I get a call from Scott and VIOLA by calipers are fine! I did need to get new pads and rotors for the front and only new pads for the back. Total cost, drum roll please, $378.04 out the door! They were friendly, honest, and even stayed late on a Friday so I would have my car for the weekend.
I wish that I could add pictures to show the estimate from Big O and the actual bill from Arizona
Brake to show that I am not exaggerating. I have never written a review for anything before but I know that I am not the only one that Big O is trying to rip off with unnecessary services. Big O needs to simply pay their employees a normal hourly or salary because I am sure that they are working off commission and this is why they are overcharging and pushing services not needed. Please do your research and get a second opinion before letting them work on your vehicle. And if you do end up at Big O try the location in the Foothills, maybe they have morals out at that location. read more