Had a nightmare with this yesterday!
Drove it a few times over the weekend on short journeys and it seemed to be getting a lot better (Warm but not hot) so I set off on Monday morning to go and get it sorted at the garage. Got about 4 miles away and could feel the brakes spongy so stopped and the damn thing was smoking!! Phoned the AA out because I couldn't do anything and they sent a van who took it to the nearest garage. They didn't have the parts in but said they would free the caliper then I could get on my way and get it sorted.
Anyway, sets off afterwards, get about a mile down the motorway and can smell burning. Pull onto the hard shoulder and sure enough, brake smoking like hell! So call the AA back and they say they will send a priority recovery truck from Manchester (subcontracted)! Bearing in mind I'm on the Burnley end of the M65. So an hour later it arrives, sticks the car on the back and comes off the motorway. Then the guy tells me my cover doesn't cover me for onwards journey to any garage other than their nearest approved one, and I will have to either upgrade my membership with the AA or pay them privately at £240 to recover it to the one I had it booked in at! Otherwise I could only go to the nearest garage (which was the one from earlier), but that was useless as they didn't have the parts in!
Ring the AA up and get through to some stupid cow who said "oh, we'll send another van out to look at it and see if they can fix it roadside". Ended up having a massive argument with her about how someone had already looked at it and how I refused to drive on the motorway again without knowing whether it was safe or not. Plus if the discs have been on fire, it's definitely dodgy whatever! She obviously really didn't want to upgrade my membership but after about 40 minutes with her going backwards and forwards between her "team leader", they said they would. But there was a 50 quid surcharge on top as it was a breakdown situation. As I didn't have any other choices I reluctantly paid it (£80 in total).
So then I said ok, so can we carry on now, the guy said I'll just call and get authorization from their dispatch because we need it. Then he's told that he can't take me because they want to send out an AA recovery truck! Bearing in mind that mine is on the back of his already. So the guy then has to offload it underneath the bridge of the motorway junction and I have to wait anouther hour hour an AA patrol to turn up! I was absolutely fuming, not with the drivers (they're just doing what they're allowed to) but with the operator and dispatch team.
I know it's all about penny pinching, but what an absolute **** up!! I first made the call at about 7am, and it was 12.00 before I was picked up for the final recovery.
So anyway, the caliper is knackered as is the disc and pads. So need new set of those, caliper, brake fluid (it's boiled!), quoted £398 inc vat etc by the garage (dealers) which whilst is probably more than an independant, I couldn't do without the courtesy car and it's the place I always go and trust.
AA seemed to not give a f**k, just interested in making as much money for themselves as possible, no matter how much inconvenience it caused me. Will be looking elsewhere next year. Anyone any experiences with RAC, greenflag etc?
