Brake pads are relatively inexpensive, however, their price range depends on the type of vehicle you drive. A standard domestic car will feature cheaper replacements parts than an imported sports vehicle. The supply and demand keep prices down.
When replacing brake pads, an average cost can range from around $25 to $60, depending on quality and availability. The labor rates at some garages will determine the value of brake pads being installed.
But note, brake pad replacement should take an hour or more per side. Flat rate labor is commonly applied to labor charges for new brake pads.
This means that the pads’ replacement is pre-calculated in a service manual and applied to the cheque. If the book says it will take 3 hours to replace the pads on your vehicle, you will be charged 3 hours times the hourly labor rate, even if the mechanic can get the job done within a short time.
Shopping for parts prices and labor rates can be done in the comfort of your own home. Remember that it’s difficult for a repair facility to give you an accurate quote without seeing the vehicle and adequately determining its needs.
Other services may also be required when repairing brake pads, like checking the rotors to see if they are still in good condition, repairing the calipers, and changing brake pad hardware.
Quality
Brake pads are commonly available in a variety of quality. Cheaper brake pads will not last as long as higher quality pads. Inexpensive pads typically feature stick-on brake shims and a small tube of silicone grease.
On the contrary, top performance brake pad sets are designed with thicker friction materials, making it more expensive. These pads will last longer, offer hardware, and staked-on shims.
How frequently is Your Brake Job Done?
How you schedule your brake system job depends on how often you drive your vehicle, what conditions you drive your car, the quality of the parts you equip your vehicle with, and how often you have your brake system maintained.
Quality brake pads should last anywhere between 30 000 and 70,000 miles. However, some may need replacement every 25,000 miles, while others can last far longer than 70,000 miles depending on how you drive your car and your driving terrain.
Brake rotors and calipers, which are more expensive and complicated to replace compared to brake pads, in most cases, rotors do not wear as fast as brake pads. But, the rate at which you should change brake rotors and brake pads depends on several factors.
The typical factors that affect the wear of brake components include the following:
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Environment
Mountainous environments where drivers have to ride the brakes to control downhill speeds can drastically shorten a vehicle’s braking system’s lifespan.
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Driving Habits
Those Drivers who tend to ‘ride their brakes’ are at a significant risk of replacing their brake pads more often than those who like to brake slowly.
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Material of construction
Brake calipers, rotors, and pads are designed with different materials, each of which affects their longevity. For example, carbon-ceramic brakes do not wear quickly, like standard metal brakes. However, these pads are more expensive than their counterparts because they are stronger.
Now that you are well equipped with knowledge of how to replace or get your brake replaced, you might want to know the exact price of new brake and rotors; how much will this particular aspect of vehicle maintenance cost your monthly or annual budget?
What is the actual cost of brakes?
If you can replace your brake pads and rotors by yourself, you can save a good deal of money. However, not everybody has the time to put into brake maintenance.
You can call around for quotes from a few different mechanics to ensure you get the best possible deal. Below are some questions each mechanic should ask you to give an accurate brake job quote:
a.What Brand of Vehicle Do You Drive?
Generally, parts for European-made vehicles such as BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are more expensive than parts for domestic or Japanese-made cars. Moreover, since European vehicle systems differ from American-systems, the mechanic may require more time to make the switch, which means higher labor costs.
b.What Kind of Vehicle Do You Drive?
The mechanic should ask about the make and model of the vehicle you drive. This is because the size and weight play a role in the brake system’s type of materials and how long the brake system repair job will take.
c.What Kind of Driving Do You Do?
If you use your vehicle for standard city or highway driving, your answer to this question should not affect the repair job’s overall cost. But, if you like to push your vehicle to the maximum, you likely need a performance brake system, which will cost you more.
d.What Kind of Materials Do You Want to Use?
The friction materials of brake pads are made of different materials, including ceramic, metallic, and organic, all of which have another performance and price tags. Aftermarket brake pads are always less expensive.
Also, if you go with unpopular pads, you can save some little money. If you are interested in OEM brake parts, be ready to pay a little more, as original parts are often the most expensive.
e.How much does it cost to replace brake pads?
Every mechanic charges a different hourly rate, and every manufacturer prices its parts singularly. If you only want your brake pads to get replaced, it will cost you roughly 30 dollars and 150 dollars for all your car wheels.
Labor usually goes for between 80 dollars and 120 dollars per axle, making for around 115 dollars and 270 dollars for each axle.
Replacing your rotors together with your brake pads is essential for best braking and safety. Rotors cost from $30 to $75 each. Rotors with coated hat and edge are engineered to perform better than the original equipment your vehicle came with, and they are also affordable. Labor at a shop to replace rotors and pads is roughly 150 dollars to 200 dollars. Rotor and pad repair generally come out to around $250 to $500 per axle when visiting a professional shop.
Calipers are the most expensive and challenging aspect of the braking system to replace. A single caliper can cost up to $130. A complete brake repair, including pad, rotor, and caliper replacement, usually averages between $300 and $800. However, depending on your vehicle’s make and model, you can easily spend more than $1,000 on a complete brake job.
Brake Rotor Replacement Costs
A brake rotor is a disc connected to a car’s wheel and is used in the disc brake assembly. Rotors are mostly used on the front wheel of a vehicle. They are designed to work with the pads to slow your car.
Brake rotors should be replaced since they wear out too, but not as quickly as brake pads. When you press on your brake pedal, the brake pads are pushed against the rotors, which in turn slows your car down.
Rotor replacement costs will cost between 200 dollars and 400 dollars for the parts and about $150 in labor costs. This means you are looking at around $350 to $500 for a total brake rotor replacement job.
Brake Rotor Resurfacing Cost
Even though you may have to replace your brake pads, you may not need to simultaneously replace your rotors. Rotors do not wear as quickly as brake pads.
Resurfacing or cutting or tuning your rotors is recommended when there is adequate brake rotor material left on the brake discs. Any service or repair shop that does brake work can do this. The process is to remove a small amount of the rotor material nice and smooth again to protect the brake rotor from corrosion.
This will cost you around $10 to $15, which is much more reasonable than having your brake rotors replaced. However, the service shop will still have to remove and re-install the rotors. This means that there will be labor charges added to the final price.
Brake Pad Warranties
Some garages will give you an exceptional warranty after replacing your brake pads with them. Below are examples of this type of warranty.
- Coverage for 12 months or 12,000 miles
- Eighteen months or 18,000 miles.
- Twenty-four months or 24,000 miles.
The bigger the warranty is, the more you will have to pay for it.
If you can replace your pads, rotors, and calipers by yourself, then you can save a good amount of money. Before deciding to repair your brakes by yourself, you should have in mind that your safety should come before cost. If you don’t feel comfortable repairing yourself, it is recommended that you hire a mechanic. However, if you feel comfortable making the repair yourself, make sure you have the proper tools.
Signs of Bad Brake Pads and Brake Rotors
Below are the symptoms of bad brake pads and brake rotors
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Grinding and Squeaky Brakes
Loud brakes will be the first symptom you will notice for either the bad brake pads or the bad brake rotors; if you hear a squealing sound while braking, it might be an early sign of bad rotors pads. However, if the issue is not fixed as early as possible, the sound may as well lead to a scraping noise when braking.
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Intense vibration when braking
When you feel vibration when slowing down, this might be a sign of worn-out rotors. The brake pads may vibrate. You should perform a thorough inspection of your rotors to see if they have unwanted marks and grooves in them. Then this is a great indication that your pads worn out and need to be replaced.
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Vibration on your brake pedals.
Very close to the indication mentioned above, worn-out brake pads will cause your brake pedal to throb when you push down on it with your foot. This vibration is comparable to the vibrating indications of bad rotors; however, there is a little different since there will be a pulse feeling in your foot while pressing the brake pedal.
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Poor stopping distance.
If you’re still unsure if you need to replace your brake pads or rotors, the first sign will be a slow response when you engage your brakes. When the pads are severely damaged, they won’t stop the spinning rotors, leading to a short stopping distance.
This means that it will be harder for your car or truck to slow down when you need it to. If you are caught in a situation where you need to brake quickly to avoid an accident, having worn out brake pads will prevent you from doing so. This is where you put your life, and the lives of other people, in danger.
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Brake Pad and Rotor Job Rip-Offs.
Unfortunately, you may encounter instances where a mechanic will try and rip you off during the brake pad or rotor replacement job.
Below are some brake pad and rotor fraud that you should know:
- Buying brake calipers when not in need of them
- premium prices for generic brake pads
- up-sold to ceramic pads
- low-quality rotors for higher prices
Conclusion
Replacing your vehicle’s brakes is one of the most unfortunate events that can’t be put off for very long. In safety terms, it is the most crucial area of your vehicle, and a delay in repairs could mean a significant delay in stopping power, which is not a good thing. It’s essential to keep up to date on the current cost of this unavoidable expense so that you have enough money set aside to avoid delaying the repairs.
The brake system is one of your car’s most critical components, and a properly working system will significantly improve your ability to bring the vehicle to a stop quickly. This will ensure your vehicle’s operation’s safety, keeping your passengers and other drivers on the road protected.
A few other hardware pieces are found in the brake system that might need to be serviced, including brake rotors and calipers; however, replacing brake pads is the standard procedure.
A brake job cost will range from 300 dollars to 1000 dollars, with most users reporting an average price of $500.
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