Long story short, I have replaced rear brake pad/rotors twice, once at 32,000 miles second time at 55,000 miles. First time at dealer, second at another mechanic w/genuine parts. Interestingly, the dealer told me the first time that the front brakes had 15% left on them, but when they told me they needed replacing again at 55,000 miles they said the front were fine. That is why I went elsewhere for the actual work, and also the cost. Now at 61,000 the car has heavy shimmy and shake upon breaking, most all of the time, but very substantial at higher speeds. I took it back to mechanic who just did brake work in March, and specifically asked them to look for warping in the rotors which I've heard is often the cause. No rotor or break issues but they said there are issues with the bushings and tie rods including a leak. After consulting their Rover contact and finding a TSB, they came back with a huge number to do extensive work including replacing the whole steering column. They advised that they would recommend first just the minimal work ($1400) for the tie rods and bushing to see if that did the trick. So, I took it to Land Rover for another opinion. They called and said it is the front rotors (they are aware I had brakes done elsewhere but I'm not sure they realized it's the rear not front) and that they are not worn, but are warped and are not genuine parts. Hmmm. I've never had anyone touch the front brakes. I checked repair order and the part #'s listed are all genuine and specific to rear brakes. Someone seems to be trying to scam me here, so how do I tell if the front brakes are indeed warped and if they are original parts?
This is a hot mess!
This is a hot mess!
