skysurf

Hi guys,

so my 06 Mustang got rear-ended pretty bad almost two months ago by a mini-van going a good 20-30 mph. She pretty much destroyed the trunk and the rear-left side of the car, and flattened the left tire. The Axle was bent also and had to be replaced.The damage was quite extensive and cost almost $9400 to fix at the body shop.

I got the car back a week and a half ago however there seems to a problem with the brakes. Everytime I hit the brakes there is a loud pulsating squeak coming from the rear-brakes. Now I had the brakes checked by the Ford dealer, rotors re-surfaced, and brake pads replaced just two months before the accident. Everything was ok until the accident, and the day I get the car back from the body shop I have this squeaking problem. I have the documents and showed them to the body shop to prove to them that this problem with the brakes is because of the accident, and they should fix it with the insurance paying for it to return the car to the pre-accident condition.

However it seems the body-shop and insurance are trying to swindle me, mentioning that it's the fault of the Ford dealer that did the brake work TWO months beofre the accident saying that they didn't do something right when they did it. They are saying that they used the same rotors and brake pads and simply put them on the new axle, and there is NO WAY the rotors/brake pads would be affected by the accident. Essentially, they want me to get the brakes checked out by the dealer and pay out of my own pocket for something that seems to have been caused by the accident (I didn't have this problem until the accident.)

Is the insurance and the body shop just trying to screw me over? Is there a good way I can argue against their 'theory' that the rear-end collision could not have affected the brakes/rotors? I would appreciate any advic!! Thanks!!

Best regards.

cobrabobby

I'd check your states website for dept of
insurance and see what your rights are.
Also, get BBB and attorney involved, but
stand firm and demand a fix. That's a
safety issue and it's more than a mechanical
problem. Put lots of pressure on them and
have the bodyshop and dealer talk. Stand
firm, be calm, and don't give up.
Lots of info on web on this type of problem.
Do plenty of research.
Check for bent/warped or loose attachment
points. If need be, take it to a brake shop for
a diagnostic second opinion.
Bob

skysurf

So I finally got the body shop to look at the problem and they said they were going to replace the rear rotors. Since my brake pads were still new (just replaced last September, before the accident,) they said they weren't going to replace the pads.

Is it OK to replace the rotors while keeping the same brake pads (I am worried that 3 weeks of driving the car like this may have caused problems now with the brake pads too) or should I fight with them to put on new brake pads as well?

Also, I am not sure whether they may just try to put some cheap rotors on that may cause problems later on. What kind of rotors should they be putting on for a 2006 V6 Pony Package Mustang??

Would appreciate any help. Thanks!!

danbevsv6rumbler

If you can possibly inspect the pads for any signs of cracking or stress that would be your best bet, although I think you should be okay.

Better safe than sorry though... but your rear pads are going to take near the abuse of the front pads.