2007 Volkswagen Rabbit

OUR 2007 VW RABBIT NEEDS TO HAVE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED... THE CAR ONLY HAS 25K ON IT, AND THIS PROBLEM BEGAN TO APPEAR THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO TODAY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD US THREE MONTHS AGO THAT THE PADS LOOKED OKAY, EVEN THOUGH A NYS INSPECTION STATION SAID THE REAR PADS WERE VERY LOW. NOW, THEY ARE HITTING US UP FOR $450.00 REPAIR; THEY SAY IT IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, BUT IS 'STANDARD' WEAR! WHAT CAR NEEDS PADS AND ROTORS SO EARLY? THIS IS A DEFECT. *TR

2007 VW RABBIT MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHILE USING THE BRAKES. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THE LEFT REAR BRAKE WAS METAL TO METAL AND THE RIGHT ONE WAS ALMOST METAL TO METAL. *KB THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE UNEVEN WEARING OF THE REAR BRAKES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *JB

I HAVE A 2007 VW RABBIT, PURCHASED AUGUST 13, 2007. MANUFACTURED 05/2007 MY BRAKES APPEARED TO BE SQUEALING UNDER LIGHT DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING LOW SPEED BRAKING SITUATIONS. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER NEAREST ME. WHEN ALLEGED REPAIR OF MY VEHICLE WAS COMPLETED THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT REMAINING PAD LIFE AVERAGED 80% FOR ALL FOUR WHEELS. HOWEVER UPON COMPLETION OF WORK VEHICLE SQUEALED LOUDER THAN WHEN VEHICLE WAS DROPPED OFF FOR SERVICE. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE SQUEALS ORIGIN, THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT "SQUEALING WAS NORMAL" I (OWNER) AM A BMW DIAGNOSTIC LEVEL III TECHNICIAN WITH OVER 10 YEARS SERVICE EXPERIENCE. EDUCATED AT UTI, I HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE THEORETICAL EXPERTISE TO UNDERSTAND THE THE PRINCIPALS AFFECTING THE BRAKES SYSTEMS EMPLOYED BY GERMAN AUTO MAKERS. UPON ARRIVING HOME THAT EVENING, AFTER PROPERLY SECURING MY VEHICLE ON A STABLE AND LEVEL SURFACE I RAISED THE REAR WHEELS OFF THE GROUND AND INSPECTED FOR CAUSATION, ONLY TO FIND LESS THAT 5% FRICTION MATERIAL REMAINING. (APPROX 1.5MM) AND ROTOR DAMAGE HAD BEGUN WITH ROTOR SURFACE DEFORMATION THE NEXT LIKELY EVENT. TO ABATE THIS EVENT FROM OCCURRING, I REPLACED THE REAR PADS, AND THE SQUEALING ENDED. WHEN I INQUIRED WHETHER THE CAUSATION OF ACCELERATED AND UNEVEN BRAKE PAD WEAR COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PROPORTIONING VALVE, OR CALIPER DEFECT, THE VW CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE REFERRED ME TO "NITSA.COM" (WHICH HAD ITS DOMAIN EXPIRE 2 YEARS AGO IN 2005) SHE STATED THAT VW WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY ANY SITUATION OTHER THAN THROUGH DEALER REPRESENTATION. THOUGH I RECTIFIED THE MANUFACTURERS FAULT, HAD I LISTENED TO THE DEALER RECOMMENDATION OF 80% PAD LIFE REMAINING I COULD HAVE DIED FROM METAL TO METAL CONTACT OF PAD BASE TO ROTOR WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE OR CRASH. HAVING LITTLE TO NO RECOURSE. THANK YOU FOR ANY AND ALL ASSISTANCE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO RENDER IN THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, PETER VILLAFANA *TR