New rotors - mismatched. Problem?

kbend

25+ Posts
So I bought a used car a few weeks ago and brought it in today to have the front rotors replaced. They were warped and to the point they couldn't be turned.

When I get home I give them a visual inspection to make sure the jackholes at the repair shop didn't put used ones on. Much to my surprise, I noticed that they didn't match. That is, the rotor on the driver's side was obviously a different make or model than the one on the passenger side.

Should I care enough to go back to the repair shop and demand a refund; make them match them? -or- does it matter at all?
 
It might not matter, but it also could cause a problem down the road. That is because there is a great difference in quality of rotors. The difference is in the alloy of the metal used to make the rotors. For Hondas, the factory part is excellent, and the most expensive. Then there are good aftermarket brands, which we use, like Brembo and Mountain brand. Then there are cheapo Chinese made "white box" rotors, so-called because they have no brand name on them.
Here's where the problem comes in-if you drive hard enough, the cheapest parts won't hold up as well as the better parts. The rotors will either have squeaky noises, or warp earlier than the better quality parts. And if you have one good quality brand on the left side, and a cheapo on the right side, then the right side one might give a problem before the left one does.
If the supplier had two different brands, but equal quality, there won't be any difference. I guess the fact they are different won't cause a problem, just the possibility that one may be poor quality and the other good quality.
Did you call around to get the cheapest price in town? Then you got the Chinese rotors, and you got what you paid for. You have no right to complain.
If you paid full price for a quality repair, then you might have a grievance, although it may or may not cause a problem in the future.
 

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