Q: I brought my Land Rover in for service and they did not rotate the tires. The explanation was that it is an all-wheel-drive vehicle and tire rotation was not needed. They told me that the tires were already worn and would need replacing soon and it is best to rotate tires before they become worn.
Do you think they were saving me money or just being lazy?
A: All vehicles that have the same size tires need to have them rotated. Rotating the tires helps even out wear from turning and stopping. At this point I would have the tires evaluated and rotate and balance them as needed.
Your vehicle — like many all-wheel-drive vehicles — will need all four tires replaced. It is critical that to prevent damage to the drivetrain that all four tires are the same.
Q: My car is a 2012 Honda Pilot with 57,000 miles on it. I had a brake inspection performed at the Honda dealer. They said the front brakes are almost worn out and recommended new front brake rotors with the new brake pads. The rear brakes are also nearly worn out, but they only recommended the brake pads on the rear.
At this mileage, is this normal wear? Does it sound like the correct repairs?
A: It is not unusual to replace brake pads at any mileage over 40,000 miles (sports cars' and heavy-duty vehicles' brake wear can be much faster).
If the front brake rotors show any signs of wear or vibration when stopping, replacing rather than resurfacing the brake rotors is money well spent.
The rear brakes are far less likely to cause vibration and don’t need to be replaced as often.
It sounds as if the dealer is being careful how they are spending your money.
Q: I need some advice as to whether my car needs shocks and struts.
I took my 2010 Nissan Maxima to a well-known tire store and they said I will need to replace the struts and shocks. I then took it to my neighborhood garage and he said the struts also need replacement. The car drives just fine and I don’t notice any banging over bumps, why do the shocks need replacing?
A: Like many things that change gradually, we tend not to notice. As the suspension wears the struts, shocks, bushing and steering all loosen up. And, more than likely, the springs have started to sag a bit.
If you could go back to when your car was new and compare it to now you would probably see a fairly dramatic difference in how it rides and handles. Since the car is now nine years old, if this were my car, I would base my repair budget decision on safety first and comfort second.
Q: I recently purchased a new top-of-the-line Chevy Suburban. Now that I have been driving it for a while, I’m starting to notice something. Out on the highway it feels like I am losing the power steering. Around town it is fine, but on the highway, it feels like the steering sticks and I have to force the wheel. The truck is brand new. What is wrong?
A: The first thing you should do is take the truck for a ride with someone from the dealer service department to demonstrate the problem. Although I don’t believe there is a problem, I think the issue is the lane departure correction/centering feature. I believe that as the vehicle gets close to the lines in the roadway, the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is making the correction and you are trying to compensate for it.
Go into the vehicle setup and shut the ADAS system off and see if then problem is corrected.
— John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 30 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put "Car Doctor" in the subject field. At 8:30 Saturday mornings, tune in to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at wrolradio.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.