Brakes Plus — Local services in Longmont

TLDR; couldn’t get it right the 1st, 2nd or 3rd time and I could have lost a wheel on the road. Their lack of knowledge, experience, and attention can easily cause an accident, in the best case. Im out $1300 plus the price to fix their mistakes myself.

I really wanted to give these guys the benefit of the doubt, because as someone who worked in the automotive industry for 4 years I understand mistakes can happen, plus I brought them a 30 year old truck.

I could tell I likely needed a full drum brake rebuild on my 92 f250 because it was leaking fluid from the rear drums. Having worked on these before I said I’d rather pay to have it done and somewhere that can warranty the work (which to their credit, they did do). I was not surprised when the service rep told me it would be $1300 for new wheel seals, drums, shoes, cylinders, hardware, the whole 9 so I had them do it. Upon leaving the shop it was evident that they did not even bleed the brakes because the pedal went almost to the floor. Also, I just had the interior detailed ($300) a few days prior to the visit because I bought it used, and the amount of grease that these guys coated on the clean drivers seat carpet was disgusting. Whatever, I was planning on replacing the master cylinder anyways so I’ll do it myself, and steam the carpets while I’m at it. Also the service rep told me that their best technician couldn’t figure out why my parking brake would only engage on one side, and would possibly require another appointment and diagnostic fee to diagnose. In my limited experience and after looking at the cable under the truck for 2 seconds it was quite clear the cable had stretched and just needed replaced (anyone who knows anything about metal cables would be able to tell you that they stretch over time).

Took it back to them roughly a week later because the leak I initially noticed came back, which can ruin a brand new set of brakes, okay I get things happen no problem. The guys made good on their warranty and fixed it free of charge.

Roughly another week later and the other side was leaking. Fine took it back again, fixed free of charge.

Can you imagine my frustration when I noticed BOTH were leaking again? At this point I said screw it and decided to fix the seals myself and replace the diff fluid (oh by the way, not sure how they charged me for, and replaced the fluid because that cover has certainly not been off In years and there no drain plug). When I pulled off the passenger side axle, the hub nut was just a few threads away from coming off, which would mean a tire flying off on the freeway possibly killing myself or those around me. This last part for me was the nail in the coffin, this is unacceptable and this one thing is what compelled me to write this review. I cannot in good conscience allow this to happen to someone else’s vehicle who doesn’t have the ability to see these things for themselves.

I will never take a vehicle here again due to their complete lack of regard for safety (really, a brake shop?),...

I’m so disappointed in these guys. They must have changed management in the past year. They did my rear brakes last June. No issues. Yesterday I had them check the fronts (for some reason, they removed all four wheels) and they said they needed replacing so I did it. However, Joe, the service guy I had, insisted I also needed all four struts and both control arms replaced, as well as alignment. Over $2,400 worth of work. Since my husband didn’t buy any of it, and I was going to be near our favorite Subaru shop today, I brought the car there. Nope, I didn’t need any of those ‘recommended’ repairs Brakes Plus said. My car is at 84,000 miles and at our favorite shop they actually showed me that the struts are dry and though there is a little wear on the control arm, it’s still got almost two years before they need replacing based on my driving. Since BP didn’t offer to rotate my tires (which was needed simply by looking), I asked the Subaru shop to do it. Guess what? The tech at BP overtightened and stripped FOUR of the studs, including 3 on one wheel, which is dangerous! Plus, the tech at the Subaru place noticed that one other in front was brand new! So, the tech and BP had broken another and replaced it WITHOUT TELLING ME. To top it all off, because of Brakes Plus' incompetence, I had to pay for two hours of the other shop's time, and over $400! The ONLY reason I went to the second shop was because Brakes Plus tried to rip me off for repairs I didn't need. You know, if they hadn't done that, I wouldn't have gotten the second opinion, I wouldn't have known that they put me and my car at risk, and I could have had a bad accident.

Although I have a guarantee for the brakes, I’ll have to think long and hard before I go back there. They used to be honest and reliable. I guess that’s just not true anymore. And when I told a friend in Denver about it, she said she’s heard other stories like this about other Brakes Plus locations. So there might be a mandate to increase sales even if they have to lie about it. Buyer beware! Get a second opinion! I want them to pay for the other shop's work to fix what they did, at...

Update 2024: This is the by far the best auto shop I have ever been to. Their service and integrity is far beyond what I've experienced at other garages, and this includes dealerships that are supposed to have specific knowledge on different car brands. The Brakes Plus Longmont Staff truly has them beat in spades. Their integrity really sets them apart from others. They have shown their willingness to ensure a problem is corrected. I recently had my car there for a coolant leak and they successfully fixed it at a very reasonable price. When I noticed the car was still losing some coolant, they were quickly able to get it back into the shop, diagnose the issue, and repair it. They did not try to charge me extra for this. My car had been there for a coolant leak and they told me that was what they were going to fix. This is in stark contrast to the majority of other places that I've taken my car to. I will continue recommending Brakes Plus Longmont to everyone.

I couldn't be happier with the service. The first time I went there, I went for a wheel alignment. While there, I asked them if they could look at my brakes and see if they could figure out a problem that other mechanics, including the dealership, hadn't been able to solve. Not only did they figure out the problem, but they brought me out to see my car as it was lifted and showed me what was causing it. They told me it wasn't something that needed immediate attention, but would in the future. Fast forward another eight months and I my car was desperately in need of new pads. They were able to get me in that day and had it all taken care of quickly. I can't complain about the price as it was hundreds cheaper than competitors and came with a great warranty.

Steven helped me both times I've been in and each time he was kind, professional, and very helpful.

Overall I greatly appreciated the honesty, integrity, and quality of work. I will keep going back and I would recommend this Brakes...