Brake service?

[bucktalk]

Need new brakes as my 70k miles have apparently wore them smooth. I received a local auto dealer bid of $520.00 for front and rear pad replacement and to resurface rotors. Does that price seems a bit high? Any recommendation of a less expensive brake service company?
Thanks.

[BBatesokc]

Sounds high, but it really depends on the make and model of your car. I'd get a second price from a reputable shop (non dealer). I go to the dealer whenever the price is within say 20% of a good non dealer shop.

[Jeepnokc]

Need new brakes as my 70k miles have apparently wore them smooth. I received a local auto dealer bid of $520.00 for front and rear pad replacement and to resurface rotors. Does that price seems a bit high? Any recommendation of a less expensive brake service company?
Thanks.

Firestone does great job and much cheaper. If you keep your cars a long time...spend the extra for the lifetime brake job. I have had my brakes on my 2003 Ford F250 three times under the lifetime.

[emtefury]

Changing brakes is not too difficult. You can save alot of cash doing it on your own. Check out videos on how to do it. $520 is high. Price how much new rotors and brakes cost and see how much labor is being charged

[rtz]

I know someone who has gotten a lot of work done here over the years and the costs are low: https://goo.gl/maps/KfeWX4waGu82

[bucktalk]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[SoonerDave]

Changing brakes is not too difficult. You can save alot of cash doing it on your own. Check out videos on how to do it. $520 is high. Price how much new rotors and brakes cost and see how much labor is being charged

Agree completely. I wouldn't let Firestone touch any of my cars. $520 for pads and a *resurface*??? Good heavens, that's insane. What kind of vehicle do you have?

I'm no mechanic, but I've done brakes on all of my cars and saved myself hundreds over places like Firestone and certainly the local stealerships. Unless you've got some fairly exotic vehicle, most brake parts are readily available at various local shops and if you have a modest amount of do-it-yourselferism, it's very much a doable job if you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty!

[bucktalk]

I have a 2013 Toyota Tundra but have no clue as to if the Toyota dealer is excessive with the cost. My guess is they are higher than most brake places? While I'm fairly handy as a 'fix it' guy I'd be really, really nervous to do my own brakes. If I did my own I'd probably end up like Fred Flintstone and trying to stop my truck with my bare feet lol.

Agree completely. I wouldn't let Firestone touch any of my cars. $520 for pads and a *resurface*??? Good heavens, that's insane. What kind of vehicle do you have?

I'm no mechanic, but I've done brakes on all of my cars and saved myself hundreds over places like Firestone and certainly the local stealerships. Unless you've got some fairly exotic vehicle, most brake parts are readily available at various local shops and if you have a modest amount of do-it-yourselferism, it's very much a doable job if you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty!

[Richard at Remax]

I take my 2012 Audi A6 to Automotive MD in Edmond. They are fair and reasonable and have always beat the dealer by a landslide. I replaced my rear brakes and rotors, and reworked my front rotors for ~$340. Dealership wanted over $700.

[Jersey Boss]

I have a 2013 Toyota Tundra but have no clue as to if the Toyota dealer is excessive with the cost. My guess is they are higher than most brake places? While I'm fairly handy as a 'fix it' guy I'd be really, really nervous to do my own brakes. If I did my own I'd probably end up like Fred Flintstone and trying to stop my truck with my bare feet lol.

The peace of mind of a warrantied job and a lifetime warranty with the multiple replacement jobs covered are factors weighing into the equation. The parts cost of a one time job you do yourself may not be your only consideration.

[SoonerDave]

The peace of mind of a warrantied job and a lifetime warranty with the multiple replacement jobs covered are factors weighing into the equation. The parts cost of a one time job you do yourself may not be your only consideration.

I used to think that, too, until Firestone did my brakes several years back, and my right-front caliper fell apart at 60mph going westbound on I-240 because the tech didn't put the screws back in the caliper housing properly. I could see small bits of metal bouncing off the car in my rear view mirror. The "lifetime warranty" isn't of much solace if I'm wrecked on the side of the road. Fortunately, I didn't wreck.

When I did my brakes the first time - replaced the rotors, put in new pads - and was *flabbergasted* at how much easier it was than I expected, there was no turning back for me.

Obviously, different people have different tolerance levels for risk, so if the OP doesn't feel comfortable doing it, they absolutely shouldn't. No question about that.

Although there are some suggestions things are changing, in general, stealerships will charge a substantially higher amount for service available at other shops. Service centers for most stealerships are a huge profit center, and the "techs" are under tremendous pressure to write up every possible thing they can. When I bought new cars, the last time the dealership touched the car was the day after the original warranty expired.

There are plenty of good, reputable garages in town who can do the work for you. For me, ~$500 for new pads and only a resurface on the rotors is just...really annoying. You can pick up pads for as little as ~$30-$40, and rotors are so inexpensive these days it hardly makes sense to resurface them anymore (unless you have a very specific/high performance brake system). For the "lifetime warranty," whatever the upcharge is, you're just pre-paying the parts and labor up front - and then you have to think about whether you're likely to own the vehicle by the time those jobs become necessary.

Anyway, as I said, different strokes...and if the OP doesn't feel comfortable doing it, they 1000% shouldn't. I'm just a self-taught gumshoe computer guy, and if I can do it, anyone can!!

Here's a YouTube vid of replacing the pads and rotors on a '13 Tundra just for illustration..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBqz6SkxF6E&vl=en

[FighttheGoodFight]

Brake pads are pretty easy but I would think from a good local mechanic I wouldn't pay over 400 for the whole job. Give Metric Motors a call in Edmond.

[Jeepnokc]

It has been awhile but I think I paid 130ish per axle at Firestone. I have had my truck 14 years now with no issues with brakes. Dealerships often want to replace the rotors instead of the less costly turning them which is why the numbers run up quick.

[BBatesokc]

I'm a big DIY'r, but brakes are something I personally think is worth paying the money to have someone else do. While in most cases they are not that difficult, like another poster mentioned, I've had to have them redone more than once because of squeaking, etc. I prefer to use their lifetime warranty than mine. Plus, if you get good brakes and you don't drive unreasonably on them, they can often last for the entire time you own your car.

[rezman]

Due to the sensitive nature of some of todays intuitive braking systems, it could wind up costing more in the long run if the average person doesn't know what they're doing. Most new rotors are easily replaced, but if it involves the older style one piece rotor/hubs, many folks do not know how to properly repack the bearings and install new seals. For those folks, it would be best to go to a professional. Dealers use an established book time for their rates, and most of the cost is labor. The dealer cost for the parts is less than if we were to go buy them ourselves.

[SoonerDave]

Due to the sensitive nature of some of todays intuitive braking systems, it could wind up costing more in the long run if the average person doesn't know what they're doing. Most new rotors are easily replaced, but if it involves the older style one piece rotor/hubs, many folks do not know how to properly repack the bearings and install new seals. For those folks, it would be best to go to a professional. Dealers use an established book time for their rates, and most of the cost is labor. The dealer cost for the parts is less than if we were to go buy them ourselves.

My son's truck had precisely this setup - one piece rotor/hub - and I got an instant education on repacking bearings. He was out of town when I did it, but when he got back and drove his truck the first time, his eyes kinda bugged out and said "wow - what did you do??" Told him I'd replaced his front breaks and bearings, and he said "oh my gosh, this thing actually STOPS now. That's amazing!" Got a kick out of that reaction LOL.

[rezman]

^^^ That's cool.. I'm not saying that packing bearings is becoming a lost art, but there is no substitute for packing them by hand.

Also, most new vehicles have disk brakes all the way around. My 2009 pickup has rear drum. Replacing pads is usually pretty easy, (unless it's on certain fords)
but drum brakes require a bit more finesse.