how much should front brakes cost? also, does your dealer charge for this…?
by admin on Saturday, December 17th, 2011 | 4 Comments
is $200 too much? i have an extended warranty and asked them to check out my car-they are charging $75 if I don’t pay for the $200 repair. What’s the point in having an extended warranty? is this a normal practice?
I know that brakes aren’t covered. I was referring to the $75 fee that I have to pay if I don’t agree to have them do the repairs after they diagnose it.
$200 for new front pads (no machining) is about right. Brakes are not usually under warranty for normal pad wear.
PS- Often time, extended warranties make dealers and brokers richer rather than serving a real purpose– only if you have a major mechanical breakdown is it worth it.
Brakes are a wear item just like tires. They are not covered under warranty. And 200 is actually not a bad price to pay at the dealership for brakes.
brakes are something that aren’t normally covered by an extended warranty.
$75 is about the norm for a diagnostic fee, unfortunately. You’re lucky that they seem to be willing to get rid of the fee if you have them do the work – my dealership would charge me a total of $275.
That being said, brakes (the parts) cost different amounts for different cars. If you’re in the US, domestic car parts are generally cheaper than imports. Try searching online for parts – there are lots of websites. Just google what you want, such as “2003 Chevy Lumina Front Brakes”.
As far as the labor charges…changing brake pads and rotors isn’t *that* much harder than changing a flat tire. You just need basic tools, except some cars will require a tool to spread the front pad and back pad apart from each other. Autozone will rent you this for free (pay a deposit, get it back when you return the tool). It’s also good to get spray cans of brake cleaner and this sticky blue stuff that’s next to the brake cleaner. Only use the blue stuff on the BACK of the pads. First time you do it, it will take you a few hours, but it feels good to have done it yourself. I’ll never pay for another brake job again. Of course, if this still sounds absolutely terrifying to you, I’m not trying to push you to do something you’re uncomfortable with.