[axenstar]

So, I ordered “new” remanufactured BeckArnley front calipers for my 2003 1.8t. Upon arrival there were some rust spots on that particular caliper. I went ahead and installed. In two weeks the entire caliper has now rusted.

I contacted RockAuto. They refuse to replace it. I even offered to buy another one and send this back. Nope!

Now, my “new” caliper looks worse than the old one.

I told them they have just lost a customer and I would share my experience with my buddies at PW.

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[cuppie]

That's reman calipers from just about anywhere for you. They're blasted (as part of the reman process), and coated in an oily substance (to prevent rust while on the shelf.)
If I get a caliper - from anywhere - I always clean them off, and spray with VHT caliper paint before installation.

I'm me, you're you, but.... I wouldn't drop them as a parts supplier over that.

 

[axenstar]

That one was rusted on the shelf. They sent me a caliper with rust spots on it.
Still I installed and the rust spread the whole caliper.


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[cchief22]

agree with Cuppie , I will see if I can find where I got my fronts for my 08 B6 , they were price wise about the same as the other supply houses RocAuto One AAuto etc. however they came epoxy painted (crazy eh) ,supplier was I believe out of Chicago, and to add to Cup's comment I have also cleaned (laquer thinner) or disassembled and painted with the VHT paint, probably could of used Rustoleum as like AndreasPassat rarely use the brakes so they don't heat up,hi temp not necessary

 

[axenstar]

I didn’t know the”new” caliper had to be treated. The left caliper is rust free tho.

Is there a way to reverse or eliminate the rust on this one?


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[Iowegian]

Is there a way to reverse or eliminate the rust on this one?

Depends on how much disassembly and reassembly you want to do. Oxylic acid will remove the rust and is pretty gentle on other materials but it is slow. That will leave bare metal so primer and paint will be required afterwards. Or you could just wire brush it and then paint it some sort of 'rust paint' or a rust 'converter' and that should do a decent job. Or completely take it apart, get it powder-coated and then reassemble. It's all aesthetics so the choice is up to you.

 

[AndreasPassat]

as like AndreasPassat rarely use the brakes so they don't heat up,hi temp not necessary

What is this all about me not using my brakes?
Just because I drive fast...

 

[AndreasPassat]

I think it's pretty crappy that they sold you a rusted caliper, whether it's a lot or a little.

Seeing as I'm in the manufacturing sector I can add some things.
When manufacturing automotive parts, all parts are supposed to be kept free of rust during the process of machining (manufacture).
Every customer (that I've ever dealt with) requires the finished product to be able to resist rust for a said period of time.
Some of the more stringent requirements even call for a RP (rust preventative) that can withstand an 800 hour salt spray with no traces of rust formation.
Every single automotive part that I have been involved with REQUIRES either a full submersion or at least a spray with 100% coverage to prevent rusting during shipping and shelf storage while waiting to be sold.

I can't say how that caliper got so clean as to have no rust prevention left on it, maybe it was sold and someone sprayed it with a degreaser, who knows. But me personally, I think they should allow you to return it or at least given you discount at time of purchase.

I understand your frustration, believe me I do.

But I even though Rock Auto is being kind of a stick in the mud in this one, I don't think it warrants dropping them altogether.
You can get the rust off the caliper by means of chemical application or disassembly and have it bead, sand blasted (which is what I would do) and then spray it with a good quality caliper paint for cheap protection. Powder coat for the ultimate protection.

Even if the caliper came with rust prevention on it, you would still want to prep the surface somehow to keep it from getting crusty with rust.

The only place you can get away with bare metal is in the south, southwest and desert areas.
Any vehicle that goes through a freeze and thaw cycle repetitiously will get horribly corroded. Even worse yet, a climate that sees snow, ice and uses salt or some other chemical on the road to melt the ice or snow.
If that caliper were on my vehicle in the Milwaukee, WI area with no surface treatment, it might last 3 years before it would be so corroded it would stop functioning properly.

 

[axenstar]

The problem with their customer service was they offered no solution whatsoever. They simply said there is nothing they can do about it. This response kinda stunned me. They wouldn’t even take it back for a store credit after I offered to buy another caliper.
Lesson is I am not going to take FCP life time warranty for granted.




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[AndreasPassat]

The problem with their customer service was they offered no solution whatsoever. They simply said there is nothing they can do about it. This response kinda stunned me. They wouldn’t even take it back for a store credit after I offered to buy another caliper.
Lesson is I am not going to take FCP life time warranty for granted.




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I'm not doubting you about your story, but Wow. For Rock Auto just to slam the book closed like that isn't right. If it were me, I'd go higher on the food chain. Those service representatives, or whatever you want to call them have bosses too. They need to know how the customer is getting treated.
I'm willing to bet you if you went higher up the food chain you'd get better results.
If you were to go back to the same person who you spoke to and ask them to speak with his/her supervisor and at the same time, remind him/her that conversations are recorded they would probably change their tune.
That's my .02 cents worth.

 

[axenstar]

I'm not doubting you about your story, but Wow. For Rock Auto just to slam the book closed like that isn't right. If it were me, I'd go higher on the food chain. Those service representatives, or whatever you want to call them have bosses too. They need to know how the customer is getting treated.
I'm willing to bet you if you went higher up the food chain you'd get better results.
If you were to go back to the same person who you spoke to and ask them to speak with his/her supervisor and at the same time, remind him/her that conversations are recorded they would probably change their tune.
That's my .02 cents worth.

Excellent points! I will do this and update here.


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[ylwagon]

Looking at my current Audi, I'm guessing that the OE caliper was Zinc plated for corrosion resistance (Cadmium used to be the metal, but due to health hazards is pretty much out). The sand blaster took the Zinc off, leaving bare Iron/Steel without protection.

I agree with AndreasPassat, that a letter to someone of authority in their Customer Service department would be a good idea- you might be offered a promotional discount, for instance. Keep the letter short and to the point, don't threaten, just say that you have influence with plenty of their customers, and that you are somewhat disappointed to receive a rusted part unfit for use, and a dismissive attitude from their representative when you called to complain. Actual letters are kind of rare now, and get attention.

 

[Hirnbeiss]

Some reman calipers say they are coated, others aren’t.

Powder-Coated Premium Brake Calipers, Remanufactured | CARDONE

 

[cchief22]

got mine for my B6, powder coated, and fine as to performance,quality for my DD, thought they came out of Chicago but supplier was; CARiD.com out of N.Jersey?

 

[KHedges]

I had a bad experience trying to buy an oil pan for the 2.8L engine from Rock Auto and there's NO WAY to contact anything but their customer service bot. I ended up doing a chargeback because they wouldn't address the problem, which seems to be a problem with their catalog.

My car needs the oil pan without a sensor hole. I ordered one from Rock Auto "w/o sensor hole". Well, I didn't verify what I received until near the end of the return period. It had the hole, so I checked the website and did an exchange. New one was the same, so I tried to contact them. By this time, it's outside the return period for the original order, so the system kicked me out.

There's no way to escalate at Rock Auto. I tried calling a corporate number, and when I reached a live person, they informed me they don't talk to customers and I need to go through the manufacturer.

I contacted the manufacturer, who said they can't do returns or exchanges on an end user's product because their customer is Rock Auto. They suggested I drive from the Bay Area to Southern California to the brick and mortar affiliate of Rock Auto. The gas would cost more than a $78 oil pan, not to mention time away from my business during retail busy season.

American Express was appalled by this and was happy to process a chargeback.

I bought an overpriced oil pan at O'Reilly's because I could take it out of the box and verify it was the right part. By this time, my car had been up on ramps for a week and I needed it for a business event in a few days. I didn't have time to order from ECS or whoever, let alone get the wrong one again.

I'm not planning to order from Rock Auto again unless they're the only ones who carry a part. I'm definitely going to check it as soon as it's delivered.