Brake Warranty Question...

[Uplink]

So I pretty much know the answer to this question but, my front rotors are shot. The question is a 2 parter. 1) are rotors covered under the standard warranty (car is less than a year old) and 2) if they are covered, what are the chances I could just bring my registration and the bad rotors in to a Scion dealership and exchange them with a set of new ones?

I REALLY don't want to drop it off for service, I like doing all my own work on the car. Would just like to not have to pay for the parts if they're covered.

[jvincent]

Usually rotors and other brake parts are classified as wear items and are not covered.

How exactly are they shot?

[ntron1]

They are not covered.

[Tcoat]

Age doesn't matter. How many miles on them? Tracked? Like JV said they are a wear item but under some very specific conditions they may warrantied. Also as he asked what do you mean by "shot"?
Not a hope that you can just take them in for a parts swap as they will want to look at the whole system as to cause (if even slightly possible it is a warranty issue).
The odds of 2 rotors both having a defect are very, very remote anyway so doubt that you will have any luck.

[Uplink]

Originally Posted by jvincent

Usually rotors and other brake parts are classified as wear items and are not covered.

How exactly are they shot?

Um... I drive hard?

Seriously though, service manual spec says good to 22mm. They are currently 21 and a few hundredths mic'ed 10mm in.

To be honest, I'm going to say the factory rotor metal is crap. I'm running PFC 08 pads (same ones I've run on my Vette that's 650lbs heavier and carries more velocity for over 10k miles with no significant rotor wear over stock pads) and on the FR-S rotors are toast in 4,600 miles. Ridiculous.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by Uplink

Um... I drive hard?

Seriously though, service manual spec says good to 22mm. They are currently 21 and a few hundredths mic'ed 10mm in.

To be honest, I'm going to say the factory rotor metal is crap. I'm running PFC 08 pads (same ones I've run on my Vette that's 650lbs heavier and carries more velocity for over 10k miles with no significant rotor wear over stock pads) and on the FR-S rotors are toast in 4,600 miles. Ridiculous.

So.... you're saying that by using Performance pads on stock rotors (which is known to wear out rotors faster since they aren't stock)...the rotors are toast.

I'm going to say you won't get warranty coverage since you modified the braking system which caused excessive brake wear.

[Uplink]

Hence, bringing the rotors in without the pads to avoid the whole debate.

PFC 08's are very mild on a NORMAL rotor. PFC 01's will wear them down quickly. I also know numerous people running 08's on other types of street cars with no appreciable increase in rotor wear over stock pads. I guess that's what you get with a $50 rotor.

I don't mind paying new rotors, fine, lesson learned they're garbage. The problem is, I have a track day this week. Never expected to see that kind of damage. I'm sure dealer markup is going to be significantly more than $50ea for them which I would rather put into the AP Sprint kit, but there's no way to get one of those overnighted without paying an arm and a leg in shipping. Even ordering stock rotors with overnight shipping is going to come out to dealer price so it's a wash.

[AustinG]

Originally Posted by Uplink

Hence, bringing the rotors in without the pads to avoid the whole debate.

PFC 08's are very mild on a NORMAL rotor. PFC 01's will wear them down quickly. I also know numerous people running 08's on other types of street cars with no appreciable increase in rotor wear over stock pads. I guess that's what you get with a $50 rotor.

I don't mind paying new rotors, fine, lesson learned they're garbage. The problem is, I have a track day this week. Never expected to see that kind of damage. I'm sure dealer markup is going to be significantly more than $50ea for them which I would rather put into the AP Sprint kit, but there's no way to get one of those overnighted without paying an arm and a leg in shipping. Even ordering stock rotors with overnight shipping is going to come out to dealer price so it's a wash.

Probably a waste of time dealing with the dealer since it's a wear item. You can get some OEM quality rotors on Amazon with Prime. Saw a few sets you could overnight for about $40-$50 each.

[Dake]

I guess the other question then is why would they believe you took the rotors off of your less than year old car and not a different one?

In the end, it's a wear item. Unless you could prove that the braking system itself was faulty causing the unusual wear, you're out of luck. And to do that you'd obviously need to bring the car in.

[Uplink]

The funny thing is, the rears are still within spec. Usually cars with EBD wear the rears out first.

I know they are wear items, but some warranties cover that. My buddy's BMW 335i covered brakes AND the first clutch. Figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

If I really wanted to be a DB about it, I would have slapped the used factory pads back in, bedded them to the rotors, and taken it in for service. But I'm not doing that.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Uplink

Um... I drive hard?

Seriously though, service manual spec says good to 22mm. They are currently 21 and a few hundredths mic'ed 10mm in.

To be honest, I'm going to say the factory rotor metal is crap. I'm running PFC 08 pads (same ones I've run on my Vette that's 650lbs heavier and carries more velocity for over 10k miles with no significant rotor wear over stock pads) and on the FR-S rotors are toast in 4,600 miles. Ridiculous.

Will not be covered under warranty for wear and I would not waste my time trying. The use of non stock pads can chew up any rotors as they are designed with the stock pads specs in mind. Where I work we make 10 million (yes, million) rotors a year and we may see 100 or so back for warranty claims. Even most of those get denied if all the materials are in spec.

[FirestormFRS]

Originally Posted by Uplink

The funny thing is, the rears are still within spec. Usually cars with EBD wear the rears out first.

I know they are wear items, but some warranties cover that. My buddy's BMW 335i covered brakes AND the first clutch. Figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

If I really wanted to be a DB about it, I would have slapped the used factory pads back in, bedded them to the rotors, and taken it in for service. But I'm not doing that.

Well you could try that DB route but I'm betting you'll run into a bigger DB at the dealership.

[jvincent]

Originally Posted by Uplink

Um... I drive hard?

Seriously though, service manual spec says good to 22mm. They are currently 21 and a few hundredths mic'ed 10mm in.

I'm not familiar with those pads, but that does seem odd.

I just changed my front rotors at 45k km, but that was after 18 months and included the equivalent of 5 full track days.

Since you've got nothing to lose I'd ask the service guys nicely. You never know what they might be able to do.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Uplink

I don't mind paying new rotors, fine, lesson learned they're garbage.

I have 36K miles on my original rotors and pads. They're fine.

Originally Posted by Uplink

Um... I drive hard?

Yep, the problem is you, not the car. You can't expect to beat the shit out of the car and have no consequences.

You're also dishonest. Taking the rotors in by themselves so that the dealer won't know you used aftermarket pads in an attempt to get free parts is fraud. Besides that, if the rotors suck so bad, why would you want another set of the same thing?

I think it's hilarious that you're willing to pay for track days but cry like a little girl when expected to pay for the parts you break when you "drive hard." Boo hoo.