Firestone Complete Auto Care

On 8/20/2019 I went to Firestone Complete Auto Care at 1st St. Humble, TX. I had gotten an oil change, tires, balancing, alignment and brake job.

I did not see a sticker that shows that the oil was changed but the bigger issue is the brake job. I question if it was done or if it was done properly. I went back two times to get this problem fixed.

NOTE: The manger's being referred to is Karon and the salesman is Julian

On 10/01/2019 I went back in because the brakes still squealing when backing up, and steering wheel shaking. Firestone fixed part of the problem. They re-balanced the tires.

However, I am puzzled by the notes on the receipt. Declined work: Brake Fluid exchange with ABS. Well nobody said anything but that should have been part of the brake job. At this point it's only been 2 weeks since the brake job.

Why are they recommending this and not telling me? If they would have mentioned it I would have questioned it. Anyone would have questioned it if they just paid for a full brake job 2 weeks earlier.

The 3rd time was on 11/3/2019. By this date the grinding and noises were more noticeable. Squealing when backing up and shaking when breaking. That day I was told that the front brakes had crystallized.

It has only been 2 months / 2600 miles since the brake job was done. But remember I was just in there getting the brake job checked out. Why did they not notice this? They noticed I needed to exchange my brake fluid. (Supposedly)

Here we go... Red Flags popped up again. When the salesman told me that the brakes crystallized. He said they will need to resurface the rotors and put on new pads. He said not to worry they are under warrant.

I questioned him...how can this be? you folks just did a break job. The salesman just said he did not know, he said sometimes pads go bad.

My gut told me to go check it out. I went to my car and started taking pictures. I saw purple brakes pads and I saw that the front rotors were resurfaced. The back rotor had rust and lines, just did not look like a brake job was done.

I asked two different mechanics if the brake pads were old and both said yes, one scratched at it to prove it and the other one said yes, but you still have some pad left.

I asked the salesman to show me a box of new pads just like what's on my car. He said I do not have them in stock, but I will show you another pad. He never explained to me why the pads were purple. I had no clue until later.

All this time I wanted to see purple pads in a box with the serial number. I want to know if the pads on my car are the pads I paid for.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, IS MY CAR SAFE?

Then I saw that they put the same purple pad back on the front. I took pictures. I then said to the salesman, I thought you had to replace the pads. I don't remember what he said. But he later came in to tell me that he is going to up-grade the pads for me.

Why would he do that? People sitting there said that he had to do something since they got busted. People were giving me advise.

None of this makes sense, Why would the pads crystallize in two months for no reason? Why did they recommend brake fluid exchange with ABS. I want to know is there something wrong or is it a cover up of some sort. My gut is telling me that there is something not right.

Plus, I don't want them to say down the road that the brakes failed because I refused to exchange the brake fluid.

So I filed a complaint with Firestone. I wanted a refund. I would have been happy with half a refund but not now.

I was told that I would be hearing from a guy by the name of Kevin K from the Woodlands office. That never happened. I heard from the manager of the Humble store.

I told the manager I still wanted to talk to Kevin K, he said OK. but he will just pass it onto me. I never did hear from Kevin K. I can tell you this, ITS PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS REPORT.

But it's OK, it allowed me the opportunity to uncover more details that convinced me that its a cover up. What happened next nobody could have predicted.

The store manager asked me to bring in my car. He said that he will give me a refund just for the hassle. I told him I will but I do not want anyone to work on my car. (I was advised not to let them touch my car any more)

I got there and the same salesman was there. The manager wanted to look at my car.
I knew he just wanted to try and prove me wrong.

I asked the manger about the purple pads. He said they do not use purple spray on their pads they use blue, he goes on to say that this is a coating that keeps the brakes from squealing. This was the first time I learned about the coating and that they use blue colored coating. I then headed out to the shop.

The mechanic took off one tire each on the front and back to look at the pads. I notice that the salesman was standing by my car at the front wheel with what looked like a paint can. I would not have paid much attention to it but because of what I was just told I knew to ask.

I asked him what that was for and he said we coat the pads with this. I took the opportunity to asked him if he replaced the front pads. I could see a different looking pad. He said yes, so I asked him why this new pad was not coated? He fumbled for words but finally said that I complained about the coating being on the pads.

I almost lost it right then and there. I just learned 1 minute before about the coating. I yelled stop your lying, I did not care who heard me. I said I just don't trust that the brake job was done. How can my brakes crystallize in as little as two months? I still was not getting the answers.

Anyway, I wanted to see the product code on the brake. I was talking to the manager While they took the brake pads off, what I could not believe is there was a spot of blue paint sprayed on it. It looked like when you take a can of spray paint and spray a spot, it's one big circle of fresh blue paint, the rest of the pad was a dull dirty purple.

You can't make this stuff up.

I took out my phone and said this is the picture and it does not look like that. I wished I had taken another picture at the time, but I was so dumbfounded at what was taking place, I could not believe it.

The salesman did not know I took pictures. They brought the other half of the pad and it looked like they tried to wipe it off. Just where the worn-down spots from either the clips or metal rubbing against metal, the spots were fresh blue color. When metal rubs against metal you get a clear metal rub and not a fresh blue rub, bright and shinny I might add while the purple was dull and dirty. I did not know what to say, I was speechless.

I wanted to see the serial number on the pad. There was 1 2 engraved on the pad. Nothing else. But the manager claimed to see more but there was no room for more than two numbers because it was between the two humps.

It's still does not make any sense. One would only think the pads where already there. This is my confusion and very upset at this point.

Now I know why they did not spray the front pad. It would have left the front pad blue while the back pad is purple. Now I have blue and purple pads.

I told the manager that the salesman was standing right by my car with the spray can in his hand. he just said who did?

I asked the manager why my pads would crystallize in 2 months. He just said who told you that. Why did he not know what was going on? Did he even get a copy of the complaint? Did they even do the report?

When I saw that the manager was buying this dog and pony show I realized he was part of it. I just said that is OK, I knew where this is going. This is not about protecting your employees. People make mistakes, it's about doing the right thing.
BAD BRAKES KILL PEOPLE

But what are they trying to cover up? I hope by now you understand why I am questioning this brake job and the people involved.

None of this makes any sense. It was at that point I knew what I needed to do because I am tired of being screwed over and lied too.

While the manager did replace the hubcaps that they broke I DID NOT get my refund as the manager said he would, I was just handed my keys.

What bothers me the most is that I gave this company a second chance after the last time I was in. Different people but the front salesman refused to do the work because I did not buy tires that he recommended. However, the mechanics did take care of the two issues that I had. The front salesman did not like it very much. But I was OK because the work was done.

I knew going in that day that if this same person was there I would turn around and leave but he was not there. I learned that day that he is no longer with them but I saw him at the Spring location.

By the way, I drove another year on the tires that he wanted me to replace.

I work during the week and Firestone is the only company open on Sundays but I will be finding time to go somewhere else.

I am writing this because I want something in writing. The first complaint went on deaf ears and they put down that I refused the brake fluid exchange. I don't think that they did the brake job.

What I want people to know is to check the work that they are having done, take pictures and ask questions. Get on google.

Pictures 1 and 2 are rear brakes. You can see that the pads are dull dirty purple. Not Blue

Picture 3 is where I saw the old crystallized pad back on the car. Its was changed out after I mentioned it.