FYI - it is not a good idea to start the day by going to the Dealership for service... what a ripoff.

I have been having some brake judder problems for about 5K miles. I recently researched the problem on the forums here and saw the TSB about it. I scheduled an appointment with the closest Infiniti Dealership in Albuquerque - which, btw, is 90 miles away from where I live - and told them about this issue. So I dropped the car off at 7:30AM so I could get to work, 50 miles away, at a reasonable time. They call me and say that the pads are below the warranted limit of 3mm (I have one, yes ONE pad at 2mm -the others are at 3mm).

They want to charge me $700 just to do a "Brake Job" and won't do any of the warranty work until the pads are changed. What a @#$@$ ripoff. I'm so pissed right now.

What should it cost to do a "Brake Job"?

 

Not $700 freakin dollars. The pads are not down to the 'squeelers' yet so their denial of your TSB claim is total B.S. IMHO.
Drive it home, get a local mechanic to do the brake pads or if you are handy do it yourself for $100.00.
Oh yeah, report the dealer to Infiniti Consumer affairs while you're at it and don't leave out the part where you had to drive 280 miles in one day only to be refused the TSB work.

 

I did the front brakes myself. The pads are $100 from Infniti. Then I turned the rotors at Pep Boys for $16 a piece. $132 plus tax = done.

 

^Thanks... that's exactly what I'm going to do. Infiniti should cover it under warranty -but pursuing that ain't worth my time. I love the car, but hate the unethical dealerships.

 

I just got back from my dealer... was getting an oil change and finished up a fight for them to replace one of my wheels after curbing it.... but that's another story.

While there, I brought up my brake issues AGAIN.
I have had the rotors replaced twice and I've had them turned three times, since purchasing my car in April 07.
In between these events, I've lived with almost non-stop judder as these crap rotors warp at the drop of a hat.
They started some BS on me today, stating that my wheels were incompatible with their rotors and were most likely the cause. I immediately turned it around, brought up the TSB and the manager told me that the TSB was instructing them to "ignore the problem as long as possible"
I said, "No, it states to turn or replace the rotors and to replace the pads"

After a few more minutes of back and forth, in between arguing about my fvcked up wheel, they have agreed to replace my rotors one more time.
I'm at 67K on the car now so this will be the last time they play ball with me.
My next option will be a 1K investment on rotors that don't suck, which I'm not looking forward to.

I have a background in automotive, know brakes well, do my own work and understand why they warp.
These are BS low quality rotors like I have never had the luxury of dealing with before.
Our 06 Acura MDX is driven daily by my very brake abusive wife and with 160K on the clock, we're still on the same original rotors.

Sad...

 

^^^ I would still get Infiniti to do the TSB. They do more than just turn the rotors.
They are supposed to:
1. Identify the brake system by NMC Model Code or visual inspection.
2. Remove the front brake caliper and rotor.
3. Install the new front brake backing plate (splash guard assembly).
4. Inspect the front brake rotor to determine if resurfacing is possible or if replacement is necessary.
5. Reinstall the front brake caliper.
6. Inspect the brake pads and install the new brake pad kit and new hardware kit if replacement is necessary.
7. Perform procedure on the other side of the vehicle.

Notice how the brake pads come after the backing plate and resurfacing?

 

Would you say it's poor steel, to thin or both? I have not put a caliper (the measuring kind) on the rotors to check their thickness.

 

If I had to guess, I'd caulk it up to cheap production costs.
I've read that mass produced rotors are popped out of their molds while they are still hot, allowing them to cool faster, but unevenly.
Leaving them in the molds until cool before removing them allows them to cool evenly and once in use, they heat and cool evenly.... and no warpage occurs.

We should run the question by the guys over at Racing Brake and get their input.
I believe that will be what I end up with once I'm done playing games with OEM... I just can't afford to throw a grand into brakes right now.

 

I've noticed unusual brake performance with my 08. The brakes feel thin and light. What is "judder"? I wonder if it's what I'm experiencing. Anyone have the link to the TSB for this problem?

Thanks!

 

I would question the pads rather then the rotors. Maybe the material is soft and has a tendency to deposit material on the rotors. I few have reported good success with an aftermarket pad after turning or replacing their rotors. If it were me, I would try and get the TSB done (at least the splash shield and rotors) and doing a simple pad change afterwards with a pad of your choice (I recommend Hawk HP Ceramic). Make sure you spend time to bed the pads in properly and also take it easy on the brakes for the first few hundred miles.

 

You guys should not even bother with those cheap OEM rotors. There are rotors out there that can be had for a reasonable price that are of much better build quality than OEM

 

Still wondering what "judder" means. Can anyone give me an idea the symptoms of "judder"? I want to call the dealership, but somehow I don't think telling them my brakes feel weak, airy, and thin will be enough to get them to fix anything.

Anyone have a link to the actual TSB or able to post it on this thread?

Thanks

 

what is the best aftermartket rotors..... they just changed mine but wouldn't change the pads..

what the crap is anti splash guard?

 

Judder is when you apply the brakes and feel shaking through the pedal and/or steering wheel. It does not brake smoothly. I think the link to the TSB is in the other thread...it's on infinitihelp.com.

Re: splash shield. The stock shield does not really shield anything. The TSB replacement covers almost the entire inner rotor surface to prevent splashes from abrupt cooling of the rotors creating warpage (I would assume).

There are a few aftermarket rotor choices but I chose Centric Premium blanks because they are relatively affordable.

 

Thanks for this website. I was completely unaware of it. The brake TSB is #ITB00-024e. I covers various brake issues. One of the issues was an excessively heavy or excessively light braking feel. Since this is such a subjective issue, I doubt the dealership will do anything. They'll likely tell me each car has a different feel and send me on my way.

I need to go in for the gas tank TSB and the weather strip TSB anyways, so maybe they'll take a look at the brakes, too.