Last week when I had the car tyre replaced at the dealership, the mechanic noted that the front brakes needed fixing. The guy I spoke to at the desk implied - no, actually told me - that I would need to get the brakes seen to otherwise the car would fail its annual inspection (due in October). Also that one of two things could be wrong, and while the first would cost $250 to repair the other would cost more like $450. And if it was only the first problem now it would turn into the second if I left it too long, so I should get on and get the matter seen to as soon as possible.
So, today I took the car in, fully expecting a two and half hour wait and a large, possibly huge bill at the end of it. An hour or so into the wait I was told the brakes were fine, good for several thousand more miles, they couldn't understand why I'd brought it in.
Well, what was I to make of that? On the one hand, I was happy not to have the expense of replacing the brakes. On the other, I'd wasted a whole chunk of the afternoon taking the car in and hanging around for no good reason - not to mention I'd had to impose on Exile #2 to look after my children.
I've been in America long enough now, I realise, to feel ok about politely expressing a grievance (so long as it's not against a hairdresser, obviously). The upshot was, I received an apology (not from the bloke who'd misled me, however - though apparently he admitted to having perhaps been 'slightly alarmist' in his dealings with me) and no charge for having the brakes examined. And quite right too. Hmmph.
How confusing! I thought it odd that there was a query about brakes on what is a quite young car and a reliable make.I thought that sort of thing happened only in this part of the world.
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