Fergusons Auto Center

I am [redacted] , COO of [redacted] ’s Auto Center, Incand a Class A Licensed Brake and Lamp Inspector and Adjuster For reference, a Class A License is the highest status of Brake License achievable from the State of California and is very difficult to pass the intense testing required I, personally, performed the brake and lamp inspections on Ms [redacted] Toyota Solara that had miles reading on the odometer at the time One of the first segments of the Brake inspection is to road test the vehicle, including traveling at mph and braking significantly to measure stopping distance On the road test there was a loud growling noise that increased with wheel speed in the front of the carI am required to remove all the wheels/tires to measure the actual brake pad or lining material that is remaining and the thickness of the steel brake rotorsThere is a minimum thickness for the brake rotors before the factory mandates they be discardedMs [redacted] Toyota brake pads and disc rotors were acceptable and passed that portion of the brake inspectionI did immediately observe the left front brake hose leaking brake fluid where it was bolted to the caliperIt did not appear to be leaking from the actual hose but, from the copper sealing washers that seal the hose to the brake caliper The caliper appeared to have been recently replaced and potentially allowed the washer to not make acceptable contact with the caliper and leakedMs [redacted] did admit that she recently had the front brake calipers replaced at another facility I also found the left front wheel hub to have excessive lateral movement in it and had a loud “growling” when rotatedThat indicated a failed wheel bearingThe brake rotor is bolted to the wheel hub and if the bearing where to completely fail it could cause the brakes to failTherefore, Ms [redacted] Toyota failed the brake inspection for these items The California Brake Inspection regulations state that the tires on each axle of the vehicle must match both in size and tread designIf they do not match, then upon substantial braking the vehicle would pull or brake steer to one side or another and potentially strike other vehicles or veer off the highway completely Ms [redacted] Toyota had different brands of tires with completely different tread designs and failed the brake inspection for this, also The California Lamp Inspection regulations state vehicle exterior lamps cannot have any cracks, gouges, significant scratches or fogged/hazed over in the lens which would impair the refraction or reflector function of the lens Ms [redacted] right rear tail lamp was gouged and scratched in the refractive area of the lensIt could have been polished out and did not need replacementThe left and right headlamps plastic lens’ of the vehicle were fogged and hazed over bad enough that the lamp beam would not appear on a white screen 25’ away Again, the headlamp lens’ could have been polished enough to allow enough light to emit to be safe for night drivingBoth of these items caused Ms [redacted] Toyota to fail the lamp inspection [redacted] ’s Auto Center is not doing business illicitly or attempting to “rip off old ladies” and has been a family run business for years The Bureau of Automotive Repair contacted us and found absolutely no fault on our part If we were out to “scam” or “rip off” consumers then what would be the logic in advising Ms [redacted] that her vehicle required tires when, in fact, [redacted] ’s Auto Center does not even sell tires Lastly, if in fact, Ms [redacted] took her car to another Brake and Lamp Station without having any repairs performed or replacement parts installed, then that Brake and Lamp Station is in violation of the Laws and Regulations outlined for California Brake and Lamp StationsIn my discussion with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the representative stated that the Bureau intended to investigate said station [redacted] ’s Auto Center performed only inspections of the Brake and Lamp systems for Ms***No repairs were performed or charged for No refund will be offered based on thisWe are very sorry that Ms [redacted] feels the way she does and sincerely anticipate that this response letter helps Ms [redacted] to understand the results of her Brake and Lamp Inspections.Sincerely, [redacted]

I am [redacted], COO of [redacted]’s Auto Center, Inc. and a Class A Licensed Brake and Lamp Inspector and Adjuster.  For reference, a Class A License is the highest status of Brake License achievable from the State of California and is very difficult to pass the intense testing required....

 I, personally, performed the brake and lamp inspections on Ms. [redacted] 1999 Toyota Solara that had 169279 miles reading on the odometer at the time.     One of the first segments of the Brake inspection is to road test the vehicle, including traveling at 20 mph and braking significantly to measure stopping distance.  On the road test there was a loud growling noise that increased with wheel speed in the front of the car. I am required to remove all the wheels/tires to measure the actual brake pad or lining material that is remaining and the thickness of the steel brake rotors. There is a minimum thickness for the brake rotors before the factory mandates they be discarded. Ms. [redacted] Toyota brake pads and disc rotors were acceptable and passed that portion of the brake inspection. I did immediately observe the left front brake hose leaking brake fluid where it was bolted to the caliper. It did not appear to be leaking from the actual hose but, from the copper sealing washers that seal the hose to the brake caliper.  The caliper appeared to have been recently replaced and potentially allowed the washer to not make acceptable contact with the caliper and leaked. Ms. [redacted] did admit that she recently had the front brake calipers replaced at another facility.  I also found the left front wheel hub to have excessive lateral movement in it and had a loud “growling” when rotated. That indicated a failed wheel bearing. The brake rotor is bolted to the wheel hub and if the bearing where to completely fail it could cause the brakes to fail. Therefore, Ms. [redacted] Toyota failed the brake inspection for these items.     The California Brake Inspection regulations state that the tires on each axle of the vehicle must match both in size and tread design. If they do not match, then upon substantial braking the vehicle would pull or brake steer to one side or another and potentially strike other vehicles or veer off the highway completely.  Ms. [redacted] Toyota had 4 different brands of tires with 4 completely different tread designs and failed the brake inspection for this, also.     The California Lamp Inspection regulations state vehicle exterior lamps cannot have any cracks, gouges, significant scratches or fogged/hazed over in the lens which would impair the refraction or reflector function of the lens.  Ms. [redacted] right rear tail lamp was gouged and scratched in the refractive area of the lens. It could have been polished out and did not need replacement. The left and right headlamps plastic lens’ of the vehicle were  fogged and hazed over bad enough that the lamp beam would not appear on a white screen 25’ away.  Again, the headlamp lens’ could have been polished enough to allow enough light to emit to be safe for night driving. Both of these items caused Ms. [redacted] Toyota to fail the lamp inspection.     [redacted]’s Auto Center is not doing business illicitly or attempting to “rip off old ladies” and has been a family run business for 36 years.  The Bureau of Automotive Repair contacted us and found absolutely no fault on our part.  If we were out to “scam” or “rip off” consumers then what would be the logic in advising Ms. [redacted] that her vehicle required 4 tires when, in fact, [redacted]’s Auto Center does not even sell tires.     Lastly, if in fact, Ms. [redacted] took her car to another Brake and Lamp Station without having any repairs performed or replacement parts installed, then that Brake and Lamp Station is in violation of the Laws and Regulations outlined for California Brake and Lamp Stations. In my discussion with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the representative stated that the Bureau intended to investigate said station.     [redacted]’s Auto Center performed only inspections of the Brake and Lamp systems for Ms. [redacted]. No repairs were performed or charged for.  No refund will be offered based on this. We are very sorry that Ms. [redacted] feels the way she does and sincerely anticipate that this response letter helps Ms. [redacted] to understand the results of her Brake and Lamp Inspections.Sincerely,[redacted]