Motoring Car Question - Rusty brake discs

[dangie]

I know little about cars, so here is my question.

Car Ford Kuga - Bought my me from new - 5 years old - 13,400 miles

Just put it in for its MOT. Failed on corroded brake discs. Garage says it needs new brake discs & pads. I was surprised as it’s only done 13,400 miles. Could the corrosion be due to the low usage the car has had? It can sit on the drive for a week without being used. Or could the garage be pulling a fast one? The garage is an authorised Ford dealer from where I bought the car from. Thank you.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Just put it in for its MOT. Failed on corroded brake discs

Could the corrosion be due to the low usage the car has had? It can sit on the drive for a week without being used.

Think you've answered your own question. You're at liberty to go get your car re-tested elsewhere, but assuming that the MOT test result was a fail, not an advisory, your money is probably better spent in getting the necessary repair work done, particularly so as it involves essential, safety-critical part(s) of your car.

 

[High Dyke]

Sorry, I can't help with regards the condition of the vehicle. However, I've found before that a dealer or national chain of repair/parts retailer tends to have a vested interest in getting you to pay their prices. The wife and I use an independent tester that doesn't have a vested interest in any work that may be needed. May be worth checking if you have one in your area.

 

[ac6000cw]

Just put it in for its MOT. Failed on corroded brake discs. Garage says it needs new brake discs & pads. I was surprised as it’s only done 13,400 miles. Could the corrosion be due to the low usage the car has had? It can sit on the drive for a week without being used. Or could the garage be pulling a fast one? The garage is an authorised Ford dealer from where I bought the car from. Thank you.

Car brake discs (and drums) are mostly made from cast iron, which rusts. If the car is used regularly, the surface rust gets rubbed off when you apply the brakes - that's why the brakes can sound and feel a bit 'rough' when first applied after the car has been unused for a few days.

But over time, the discs will either wear down until they get too thin or they'll develop deeper rust pits which can weaken the discs (and/or cause higher pad wear) and have to be replaced. If you're not happy with the cost the main dealer is quoting for the work (who often do have higher labour charges), contact an independent garage or two and see what they'd charge.

 

[Buzby]

Could the corrosion be due to the low usage the car has had?

Absolutely - even if the car is garaged, dampness causes condensation with rusting as a result. Going for a short drive every few weeks will ensure it is rubbed off with minimal damage - but if it just left, rust really takes hold and causes serious putting and scoring. Other than really taking the car off the road (wheels off and wire-brush clean) it’ll always be a problem if not used continuously.

 

[skyhigh]

An average of less than 3,000 miles per year is absolutely nothing in mileage terms.

Only doing short infrequent low speed trips is a killer for brake discs.

 

[dangie]

Think you've answered your own question. You're at liberty to go get your car re-tested elsewhere, but assuming that the MOT test result was a fail, not an advisory, your money is probably better spent in getting the necessary repair work done, particularly so as it involves essential, safety-critical part(s) of your car.

Thanks for your replies everyone.
I should have added that I have told the garage to do the necessary work. My question was asked as I was surprised that the brake discs have corroded with so little mileage.

 

[Garmoran]

The garage is probably correct to fail it. Brake discs do spoil faster on cars that aren’t used much.
However a Ford garage will charge you much more than an independent garage. You can probably get replacement discs and pads for under £100 and if the car continues to be used infrequently you should expect to replace them at least every couple of years.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I always aim for a MOT tester that does not do repairs.

Main dealers will screw you so will "ATS", "Kwik Fit", "Halfords" and "National Tyre and Autocare". High charges and looking for work to do. My cars tend to be older and as I keep them until they need scrapping the posh service history (useful when trying to sell) is not so critical.

Note
1) "Halfords" owns "National Tyre and Autocare".
2) "ATS", "Kwik Fit" are the same owner or one owns the other.

For all work I prefer to go to small independent garages where the person I pay has dirty oily hands (no customer services, nice air-conditioned office to pay for). Sure you can get ripped off but it is more likely with the big brands. So search up reviews on "Trust-A-Trader or better "Which-Trusted-Traders".

Next year, before the MOT make yourself take the car for a long hard run. Getting the engine hot will clear out the exhaust etc and help pass the emissions test. Using the brakes gets rid of the surface rust but if it is really deep (not necessarily the case for you) then it is hard to totally remove I don't drive much and have never been failed on discs.

 

[ac6000cw]

In general, to keep machinery in good operating condition it needs to be run/used regularly.

 

[thejuggler]

We had a Toyota Aygo from new, after 3 years and 9,000 miles the front disks were falling apart due to very poor materials (it was a £6k car brand new) and lack of use. Water had rusted the cooling fins to nothing. Why a £6k car with 70bhp needed such disks is anyone's guess, solid disks would have been just as effective.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, discs can rust through lack of use. You'll see when you look at well-used ones that the part of the disc that isn't swept by the pads is always covered in corrosion. This is indeed the likely cause.

If you doubt them, why not have a look? You can see the discs through the wheel, or if you want to see better just jack it up and pop the wheel off.

With regard to pads, you always replace the pads if you replace the discs due to potential issues from uneven wear on a new disc.

I agree with suggestions that it's best to go to a non-dealer, but if it's a "dangerous" fail you won't be able to legally drive the car even if it has previous MoT left so you may be stuck there. (Is it?)

 

[LYradial]

I do a low mileage on a hybrid with very effective regen. braking and hardly ever use the brakes so it looks like I’m going to fork out for new disks and pads soon.
such is life, it has a very good fuel consumption figure so that’s some consolation

 

[Bletchleyite]

Tyres can be similar, for what it's worth - they perish even if you aren't using the car. I reckon that's the cause of a very large number of blow-outs.

 

[Buzby]

I do a low mileage on a hybrid with very effective regen

As an ex-EV user, I became accustomed to how regen worked and rarely had to use the foot pedal. A costly mistake as the brakes became pitted through lack of use. I had to remember to switch off regen every couple of weeks to allow the rust powder to rub off!

 

[LYradial]

As an ex-EV user, I became accustomed to how regen worked and rarely had to use the foot pedal. A costly mistake as the brakes became pitted through lack of use. I had to remember to switch off regen every couple of weeks to allow the rust powder to rub off!

I shall have to do an emergency stop every now and then. Don’t drive too close behind me

 

[Trackman]

I once saw a brake disc explode (well, you know what I mean).
Didn't know until I passed the same location the day after and found bits of a brake disk on a grass verge.

As an ex-EV user, I became accustomed to how regen worked and rarely had to use the foot pedal. A costly mistake as the brakes became pitted through lack of use. I had to remember to switch off regen every couple of weeks to allow the rust powder to rub off!

You know what, I've never thought about that.

 

[75A]

In Northern Ireland the DVA do the vehicle MOT Test, if you fail you take it away and get it repaired wherever you want and then book a retest (free if you do it with 14 days), sounds good doesn't it? only problem is they're about 3 months behind, so you drive around with an out of date MOT which is fine over here because it's understood, not so sure what would happen if you were on the mainland, luckily my cars only 6 weeks old so it's a while until I've got to think about it.

 

[skyhigh]

I always aim for a MOT tester that does not do repairs.

Main dealers will screw you so will "ATS", "Kwik Fit", "Halfords" and "National Tyre and Autocare". High charges and looking for work to do. My cars tend to be older and as I keep them until they need scrapping the posh service history (useful when trying to sell) is not so critical.

Note
1) "Halfords" owns "National Tyre and Autocare".
2) "ATS", "Kwik Fit" are the same owner or one owns the other.

ATS and Kwik Fit have no relation. ATS is owned by Michelin, Kwik Fit by a Japanese company.

It's a bit of a generalisation that main chains will take advantage of you. My local ATS is pretty well regarded. They offered discounted MOTs through Groupon - when I booked the local garage phoned me to ask if there was anything I was unsure on the vehicle passing with. I wasn't sure if the discs needed attention so they invited me to pop down and the tester gave it a quick look over so I could arrange repairs first if needed.

He said as far as he was concerned they'd pass with an advisory but gave me a quote if I wanted the work done. He said an independent would be cheaper however.

If they were just interested in flogging full price repairs then they wouldn't bother with calling and inviting me down before the test. There was absolutely no pressure to get the work done with them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Bletchley Kwik Fit is fine. They are mostly if not all franchises so there will be significant variation, though.

 

[jfollows]

Wilmslow Kwik Fit is good, too. I’ve been there when someone came in to ask them to inspect his car but they diagnosed the problem for free and sent him on his way with no worries. We use them for MOTs. VW main dealer in Stockport is a rip-off.

 

[DustyBin]

I’ve not much to add other than a couple of quick points not covered.

The outer friction surface of a brake disc (or rotor) is easy to inspect visually, but note that with sliding callipers the inner face (and pad for that matter) will often wear quicker than the outer. Worth bearing in mind!

If the car is parked outside, the outer face will corrode more quickly as it’s exposed to the elements (i.e. rain!). I use a product made by Bilt Hamber called Atom-Mac which prevents this “flash rusting”, although I’m more concerned with keeping my wheels clean than damage to the disc. It’s a water based anti-corrosion product which I always think is clever!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Bletchley Kwik Fit is fine. They are mostly if not all franchises so there will be significant variation, though.

It's fair to say generalisations on franchises can be risky. Just a few bad examples can tarnish the reputation of a whole chain/franchise.

 

[En]

I know little about cars, so here is my question.

Car Ford Kuga - Bought my me from new - 5 years old - 13,400 miles

Just put it in for its MOT. Failed on corroded brake discs. Garage says it needs new brake discs & pads. I was surprised as it’s only done 13,400 miles. Could the corrosion be due to the low usage the car has had? It can sit on the drive for a week without being used. Or could the garage be pulling a fast one? The garage is an authorised Ford dealer from where I bought the car from. Thank you.

lack of use...
brake discs pick up corrosion fairly quickly , but if you dirve your car every few days it never gets that far as it gets 'scrubbed' off by the inevitable braking that happens when you drive around even if you are mr / ms/ mx hypermiler expert IPSGA system driver

An average of less than 3,000 miles per year is absolutely nothing in mileage terms.

Only doing short infrequent low speed trips is a killer for brake discs.

agree completely
at that small a mileage unless there is a very specific use case at play it might just be cheaper to get bus pass , rail card and the number of a good cab fim

Bletchley Kwik Fit is fine. They are mostly if not all franchises so there will be significant variation, though.

exactly
I trust my local Kwik fit, I also trust one of the other 'tyre' firms becasue they have the contract for local 999 users - but for things that are striaght forward like tyres and brakes

I use a well regarded but slightly unconventional franchised dealer ( they do the volumes due to being the closest dealer of that marque to 4 o r5 big Military bases and comply with the spirit of what corporate wants even if they premises are not the typical palace of glittering delights )

 

[MotCO]

I tend to keep my car for 100,000 miles +, so take advantage of the free brake pads for life offer at Kwik Fit. Mind you, they then charge you for the drums!

However, my year old car has rust visible on the outside of my offside drum, but the nearside drum is fine. Is this a problem and should it be changed (under warranty)?

 

[Llanigraham]

I do a low mileage on a hybrid with very effective regen. braking and hardly ever use the brakes so it looks like I’m going to fork out for new disks and pads soon.
such is life, it has a very good fuel consumption figure so that’s some consolation

I've got a 20 reg Kia Niro self charging hybrid that has done 72k miles and when it went for it's MoT earlier this month the garage was amazed at how little the pads and discs had worn. I was actually warned that it might be time to renew the pads as they could be getting age crazing, but doing a few hard brake applications evey week won't do any harm.

 

[DustyBin]

I tend to keep my car for 100,000 miles +, so take advantage of the free brake pads for life offer at Kwik Fit. Mind you, they then charge you for the drums!

However, my year old car has rust visible on the outside of my offside drum, but the nearside drum is fine. Is this a problem and should it be changed (under warranty)?

Corrision on the outside of a drum isn’t an issue; in fact it’s inevitable.

Mind, you could always clean them up and paint them red to advertise the fact that you have drum brakes, like some folk do!