Sooo, in my 8 years up here in the PNW, generally had pretty good luck with Schwabs. Lots of fleet vehicles, so plenty of truck tires, brakes, patch a loader tire at 1am stuff.Last night I drop off my company pickup AFTER calling earlier in the day to confirm they could do what I needed. Shocks, brake pads (maybe rotors but likely not), oil change, balance and rotate tires (Schwab Toyos).Guy calls me this morning to go thru the work needed. Shocks/struts, 1 blown 1 leaking, check. Brakes, pads low on both axles, check.Rotate and balance, check. We don't do oil changes! WTF? Guy yesterday said no problem....ok whatever.How much? Shocks/struts, $900 something, ok good. Brakes? $2100!Again WTF? Sir we only replace ALL components. Pads, caliper and we will see if it needs rotors...Huh? It's a 3 year old truck, no need for calipers. Sorry that's our policy.....Gd@mmit. Now I gotta make like 3 separate service appointments. 1 for the shocks 1 for the brakes and probably 1 for the oil change separate.And to boot, drove my personal truck to work and clipped a limb that was sagging and cut off protruding into the shoulder, smashed my passenger side mirror at 6am in the fog.....Les Schwabs can kiss my @ss. Anyone know who else sipes tires in the Seattle area? That's the only need I'd have to go back there. Since they now won't mount non Schwab tires either.

Discount Tire sipes down here. You could check with them there.

You can thank the proliferation of lawyers and lawsuits for things like you encountered. A business taking on vehicle repairs and not replacing all the components in a system would likely be exposing themselves to an increased risk of being sued should that system fail. I don't think it is a Les Schwab problem, but rather an industry problem. Good Luck

Discount Tire has a lot better prices. So does Commercial Tire if you have them in your area - a bit more expensive than Discount Tire but they're more of a full service shop like Schwab. I think Discount is pretty much just a tire shop.

That's ridiculous. You need new pads and they say only complete replacement including calipers? I wonder if either that particular location lost a punishing lawsuit pertaining to a faulty brake repair? Or maybe you just got the guy who had no idea what he was talking about.

That has to my understanding, always been Shwab's policy. That is how they warranty their work I guess, everything gets replaced...I dont use them, except on rare occasions. I use Commercial Tire and the Tire Facotry stores primarily.

I take back all the good stuff I've said about Les Schwabs!

wnjj
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2019
Discount Tire sipes down here. You could check with them there.
westernrvparkow
Explorer
Nov 05, 2019
You can thank the proliferation of lawyers and lawsuits for things like you encountered. A business taking on vehicle repairs and not replacing all the components in a system would likely be exposing themselves to an increased risk of being sued should that system fail. I don't think it is a Les Schwab problem, but rather an industry problem. Good Luck
IdaD
Explorer
Nov 05, 2019
Discount Tire has a lot better prices. So does Commercial Tire if you have them in your area - a bit more expensive than Discount Tire but they're more of a full service shop like Schwab. I think Discount is pretty much just a tire shop.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Nov 06, 2019
That's ridiculous. You need new pads and they say only complete replacement including calipers? I wonder if either that particular location lost a punishing lawsuit pertaining to a faulty brake repair? Or maybe you just got the guy who had no idea what he was talking about.
ksss
Explorer
Nov 06, 2019
That has to my understanding, always been Shwab's policy. That is how they warranty their work I guess, everything gets replaced...

I dont use them, except on rare occasions. I use Commercial Tire and the Tire Facotry stores primarily.
carringb
Explorer
Nov 06, 2019
Full brake assembly replacement has been their corporate policy for at least the last 20 years. Nothing new there, except that previously local managers had the authority to make exceptions. Most of that local control has gone away, due the "L" word mentioned above. They are upfront about that generally, and if you do need a full brake job, they tend to come in lower than other shops, and much lower than dealers, while having a better warranty. The warranty is 3 years / 25,000 miles. Most OEM brake jobs, and some large chains, only get a 1 year warranty. And some private shops only do a 90 day warranty. If they do one at all.

They've never done oil changes.
Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Nov 06, 2019
LS used to be a great outfit. Since the old man died it went down hill fast.

The other day my car tire was low on air so I stopped by LS and left my car there so they could put some air in one of my tires. I went to pick the car up and the girl said they did not put air in my tire. I say what the hell? She said let me get the tech.

The tech came out and said I couldn't put air in your tire because it was "so dangerous." I'm like ok.

So I get home and take a good close look at the tires. There is nothing dangerous about ANY of them. Where they wearing perfect? Nope, but they for sure worn't low on tread or dangerous.

Of course he wanted to sell me tires. I won't go back there because of that.

Like I said. Things changed a lot since the old man died.
ScottG
Nomad
Nov 06, 2019
Lots of shops will replace calipers no matter what. After a caliper froze on me after a brake job resulted in a tow, it's my policy as well. Should have listened to my old mechanic buddy - he warned me.
Lester has been going down hill for years. Their products, their lies and the shody way they treat their own employess has driven me to the competition.
rjstractor
Nomad
Nov 06, 2019
Grit, that's insane. I took my truck into Schwab in 4 Corners last month (maybe the same one you did). My truck shook like a wet dog and pulled to the right when I hit the brakes, and they just turned the rotors and it drives good now. They said pads were at 8mm so no need to touch them. Four new tires mounted and rotors turned for about $1100.
pauldub
Explorer
Nov 06, 2019
They will take off your perfectly good OEM calipers and install cheapo remans. What a deal.