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Brakes bill $499


MickinMD

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I got a call from the shop working on my car.  $499 to put my worn metal-to-metal front brakes right.

My BiL, a former mechanic, told the guy at the shop we want the removed parts and will look them over when we pick up my care, so hopefully it's all on the level - I like this Precision Tune because they never try to nickel-and-dime me when I get my oil changed and I even bring my own $25/5 qt. (Walmart) of top-grade Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil instead of them charging $70 for it.

BiL says that's a reasonable bill for both front pads and rotors replaced.  The rear brakes are fine and just need cleaning.  There will a fluid flush and I should be good to go in a couple hours.

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8 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Are rotors and brake pads required to be replaced in pairs - ie both front (L x R) rotors?

Required?  No.  But I have always done them in pairs.  Fronts seem to wear faster.  Used to get rotors turned at the local auto parts place, but these days seems one just replaces the rotors, as they make them so thin that there is not enough metal to turn them down to a smooth, true surface again.  

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1 minute ago, jsharr said:

Required?  No.  But I have always done them in pairs.  Fronts seem to wear faster.  Used to get rotors turned at the local auto parts place, but these days seems one just replaces the rotors, as they make them so thin that there is not enough metal to turn them down to a smooth, true surface again.  

I just found the "quantity" weird.  You'd think it would be 2 rotors, 2 sets of pads, etc..  Or the name to reflect it was a pair package???  But, yeah, for pads at least, you would expect them to have pretty similar wear, so need replacing at the same time.

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5 hours ago, jsharr said:

NuBrakes charged me $328 for ceramic pads and new rotors on my 2017 Chrysler.

image.png.6cfc1764cc1255ce71d776d308bf9b64.png

They replaced the pads and rotors on both front wheels of my Honda Fit, $71.99 ea for the ceramic pads, $79.99 ea. for the rotors.  The rest was labor, cleaning and adjusting the rear brakes, and brake fluid.  $494.43 total.

My BiL Brian and I looked at the original parts and Brian said that the rotors were gouged enough to justifiy replacing but they could have been turned and reused. They looked bad enough from metal-on-metal grinding to me. He's been a full-time professional mechanic for a car company in the past and if something begins to go wrong he's right on top of it and I probably wouldn't be.  So I'm ok with the costs - I feel more secure with new stuff.

 

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I almost screwed up badly.  When we went from my sister's house to pick up my car, I had two large zippered shopping bags in my possession with stuff I took for my day at my sister's house while my car was being repaired nearby. One bag contained my my laptop. I put them on the floor of the repair shop office.  After we walked around back to check out the old parts, etc., I got in my car and drove away, forgetting about the bags!

Before I got home I remembered them, pulled over, phoned the shop and asked them to watch the bags for me and I'd be there in 15 min.  So I rushed back and both bags were there and untouched.  Whew!

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31 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

I hope to be far off from needing brakes, but I'd be thrilled if one side cost that much.

And that's why I gave up on my Land Rover, and rather than buying a Mercedes SUV I purchased a Subaru Forester.   If you have to ask how much it costs for just about any LR repair, you can't afford it.  Repairs are a LOT cheaper for WoBG's Honda, my Prius, or our Subaru.

My Subaru had both rear rotors replaced, 2 sets of pads, one caliper replaced, replaced the brake fluid and bleed the system for $610.  So @MickinMD  don't feel bad about the $500.

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21 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

And that's why I gave up on my Land Rover, and rather than buying a Mercedes SUV I purchased a Subaru Forester.   If you have to ask how much it costs for just about any LR repair, you can't afford it.  Repairs are a LOT cheaper for WoBG's Honda, my Prius, or our Subaru.

My Subaru had both rear rotors replaced, 2 sets of pads, one caliper replaced, replaced the brake fluid and bleed the system for $610.  So @MickinMD  don't feel bad about the $500.

Everything costs more now post-COVID. :(

 

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1 minute ago, Longjohn said:

He could have replaced Dr. Mickin’s brakes for $200 with lifetime ceramic pads and rotors. I know I could have but mechanics have to eat too.

Probably 50% of my bill was labor.  I don't want to know what a Subaru dealer would have charge for the repair. 

I used to work on cars a LOT.  That work paid for a lot of my college classes.   I worked on cars after I was marred for several years.  The last big repair I did... one Friday night WoBG walked into our garage. She asks... What is that?    That's the transmission.    I showed her the $30 throw out bearing that needed to be replaced in my 81 Z28 Camaro, and said I need to install this.   WoBG.... OMG will the car work again??  Yes....

Somewhere along the way... I just started paying to get things repaired.   I just didn't want to do the work.

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2 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

Somewhere along the way... I just started paying to get things repaired.   I just didn't want to do the work.

I chicken oot easily when I think of all the things that can go wrong. I found a shop that is reasonable but I am afeared that my brakes are going to cost a fortune, way more than the darn car is worth. But I just can’t junk a car because of brakes, even though it does make the most sense to do that. 

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5 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

I chicken oot easily when I think of all the things that can go wrong. I found a shop that is reasonable but I am afeared that my brakes are going to cost a fortune, way more than the darn car is worth. But I just can’t junk a car because of brakes, even though it does make the most sense to do that. 

Honda brakes are the easiest brakes to work on of any car I’ve worked on.

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I do my own and disc brakes are far easier than the drum brakes. I usually replace rotors every other time...and at 57000 miles probably getting close. Replaced original front at 30k. Price of pads range from $60 to $75 per pair, and DIY I usually splurge with savings. Add to that another $20 - I think both wheels, but may be just one - for an electronic wear sensor that shorts when worn down and triggers the "brake change" message. Rotors, sold each, are around $75. Those are at the local O'Reilly store - not Mini/BMW. Looked at CARiD online and name brand pads (Bosch) were cheaper. They also offered complete 2 wheel set - pads, rotor, indicator -  premium after market euro certified $270 and Mini branded OEM $407.

My big issue is oil. BMW spec oil is not available with any of the majors - Mobil, Castrol, Pennzoil etc as their "euro" lists every euro manufacturer spec except BMW. So it is Mini/BMW or one European brand (Motul) all only sold in quarts/liters and oil plus filter comes to around $80 vs $99 service special...so I take it into Min. A closer mechanic/garage that specializes in euro cars was $150 for oil change. :o

I am considering selling it, but that is a different issue.

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18 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Are rotors and brake pads required to be replaced in pairs - ie both front (L x R) rotors?

The brake pads come in pairs. The rotors are sold individually. Sometimes something happens that damages one rotor. I live on a dirt/gravel road. It is hard on brakes. The last brake issue was last winter when my brakes started grinding. I bought new brake pads and rotors only to find that one brake pad had come unbonded and was gone. All the other brake pads were at 75%. I just replaced the side that had the missing pad with new pads and rotor. After I got the rotor off I discovered for all the noise it was making it really wasn’t, bad. I put the new one on and saved the old one.

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16 hours ago, Philander Seabury said:

Damn!  $500 sounds awfully high to me!

It sounds high to me too, but very reasonable based on my experience with the local area.  I live in the 5th highest avg. income county in the highest avg. income state and our prices are also higher than avg.  Of course, my countywide school system pays WAY higher than the avg. teacher's pay elsewhere so I still come out ahead.

I am constantly amazed at how little my relatives pay for things in places like Wilkes-Barre, PA compared to what I pay here.  My cousin gets good 3/4" thick haddock filets for $5.99/lb vs $9,99 on-sale for me - and I live at a big port and seafood city! Another W-B, PA cousin bought London Broil (Top Round) steak for her daughter's 16th birthday party and pool bash on Sunday for $1.99/lb on sale and I was told it was delicious.

Many people buy homes along the MD-PA border and then drive 90-120 min. to work in Central MD because house prices are half as much there.

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37 minutes ago, donkpow said:

I'm not a biker but I'm pretty sure he is doing that wrong.

It's a rookie mistake but I also seen a pro do it. 

It happens when you get a tank slapper and don't rest your brakes. 

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