SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE. OLDSMOBILE FAILED TO ENGINEER SUFFICIENT DURABILITY IN THE METAL ALLOYS TO PREVENT HEAT FROM WARPING THE ROTORS DURING NORMAL BRAKING. THIS HEAT WARPAGE OCCURRED TWICE, IN TWO YEARS, TO MY 1995 OLDSMOBILE. THE FIRST WARPAGE BECAME EVIDENT PRIOR TO MY 30,000 MILE SERVICE ON 9/26/97. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD 50% OF THE PAD REMAINING AT THE 30,000 MILE SERVICE. WHEN BRAKING, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHUDDER RESULTING IN POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR. GUY SCHMIDT'S SERVICE DIRECTOR, RICK BALASKO, TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT ROTORS MUST BE "MACHINED OR RESURFACED" BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED OR OUT-OF-ROUND. RICK SAID THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ALSO SHOULD BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE WARPED ROTORS. BOTH FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED ON 9/26/97. THE IDENTICAL DEFECT RECURRED PRIOR TO THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE ON 8/13/99. WHEN BRAKING, THE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL SHUDDERED WITH A WASHBOARD EFFECT. BILL MOORE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER, BOB STEPHENS, SAID THE FRONT ROTORS WERE AGAIN "OUT-OF-ROUND" AND MUST BE MACHINED AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS 50% WEAR STILL REMAINING ON THE FRONT PADS. BOB SAID THE ROTORS CAN NORMALLY BE MACHINED ONLY 3 TIMES BEFORE REPLACING THEM. BOB SAID THE AVERAGE DRIVER GETS ONLY ABOUT 15,000 MILES ON THE FRONT PADS BEFORE REPLACEMENT IS REQUIRED. BOB SAID IT IS GUY SCHMIDT'S POLICY TO MACHINE THE ROTORS EVERY TIME THE BRAKE PADS ARE REPLACED. THEREFORE, THE AVERAGE DRIVER MUST PURCHASE NEW FRONT BRAKE ROTORS EVERY 60,000 MILES (4TH MACHINING DUE AT 60,000 MILES) AT A COST OF $300 TO $400. THIS IS INTOLERABLE FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF A PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE. THE BRAKE ROTORS OF THIS MODEL OLDSMOBILE ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO SOFT FOR THE METALIC SUBSTANCE IN THE BRAKE PADS. THE RESULT IS DANGEROUS OVERHEATING AND WARPING OF THE FRONT ROTORS DURING BRAKING.