Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
$1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
wnrsm
()
Date: October 20, 2012 12:02AM
A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200 in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and pads.
I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas goon) labor and parts markup for work that would take an hour or two?
My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was wasting their time and was going to do it himself anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers, fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those services are worth $1,000.
He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should quit his job and do brakes for a living.
Do any of you have any idea why that quote was *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these high quotes would scare off their customers.
I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas goon) labor and parts markup for work that would take an hour or two?
My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was wasting their time and was going to do it himself anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers, fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those services are worth $1,000.
He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should quit his job and do brakes for a living.
Do any of you have any idea why that quote was *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these high quotes would scare off their customers.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Just Say No
()
Date: October 20, 2012 12:05AM
I went to the Midas at Tysons once and they quoted me $1,200 for brake work that a guy at the Texaco managed to do for $75.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
hmmmmmmmmmm
()
Date: October 20, 2012 12:09AM
Probably quoting a high price to avoid having to do the work.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
gotbreaks
()
Date: October 20, 2012 12:12AM
I got new breaks/rotors for about ~$400-450. I knew I needed front rotors and pads, but assumed I needed rear pads as well. I used Brake Masters because it's hard to get to a good shop where I grew up an trusted. I didn't know anything about them, but it seems you can only get an oil change or car wash at a gas station in Fairfax. For the service, I thought the quote was fair. My front rotors and pads were replaced. The man that serviced my car brought rear pads, but he said the current pads looked fine and didn't need to be changed.
I got good service and they came to my location. It was a good experience.
In all. ~$400-450 for good quality components and service.
I got good service and they came to my location. It was a good experience.
In all. ~$400-450 for good quality components and service.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Naaa
()
Date: October 20, 2012 12:28AM
wnrsm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Way high even using dealer parts and dealer labor rates. Not for regular old brakes on a truck.
My 4WD truck is kind of expensive because the hub and rotor are one piece and contains the spline mechanism for the front drive but even that's only about $250 for each part at dealer price. Doesn't sound like his was the same though if he could do it for $200.
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Way high even using dealer parts and dealer labor rates. Not for regular old brakes on a truck.
My 4WD truck is kind of expensive because the hub and rotor are one piece and contains the spline mechanism for the front drive but even that's only about $250 for each part at dealer price. Doesn't sound like his was the same though if he could do it for $200.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
JohnGalt338
()
Date: October 20, 2012 07:20AM
gotbreaks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got new breaks/rotors for about ~$400-450. I
> knew I needed front rotors and pads, but assumed I
> needed rear pads as well. I used Brake Masters
> because it's hard to get to a good shop where I
> grew up an trusted. I didn't know anything about
> them, but it seems you can only get an oil change
> or car wash at a gas station in Fairfax. For the
> service, I thought the quote was fair. My front
> rotors and pads were replaced. The man that
> serviced my car brought rear pads, but he said the
> current pads looked fine and didn't need to be
> changed.
>
> I got good service and they came to my location.
> It was a good experience.
>
> In all. ~$400-450 for good quality components and
> service.
What is your vehicle? Just check the prices for rotors and brake pads -- even $400-500 is way out of line. Getting new rotors can be cheaper than paying to have your old ones resurfaced. Replacing disk brakes is really not that complicated. I have done it in my driveway.
When I do have to take my vehicle in for repairs, I have gone to Exline in Springfield but I still generally get the parts because no matter where you go, the mark up on parts is huge if you buy through the repair place.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got new breaks/rotors for about ~$400-450. I
> knew I needed front rotors and pads, but assumed I
> needed rear pads as well. I used Brake Masters
> because it's hard to get to a good shop where I
> grew up an trusted. I didn't know anything about
> them, but it seems you can only get an oil change
> or car wash at a gas station in Fairfax. For the
> service, I thought the quote was fair. My front
> rotors and pads were replaced. The man that
> serviced my car brought rear pads, but he said the
> current pads looked fine and didn't need to be
> changed.
>
> I got good service and they came to my location.
> It was a good experience.
>
> In all. ~$400-450 for good quality components and
> service.
What is your vehicle? Just check the prices for rotors and brake pads -- even $400-500 is way out of line. Getting new rotors can be cheaper than paying to have your old ones resurfaced. Replacing disk brakes is really not that complicated. I have done it in my driveway.
When I do have to take my vehicle in for repairs, I have gone to Exline in Springfield but I still generally get the parts because no matter where you go, the mark up on parts is huge if you buy through the repair place.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Warhawk
()
Date: October 20, 2012 07:32AM
Sucker quote. Brakes on my truck run 250.
__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.
__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Who needs Brakes?
()
Date: October 20, 2012 08:20AM
That is why you should tailgate. Use the motor vehicle in front of yours to decrease forward movement. Its the NOVA way.
Happy Deceleration!
Happy Deceleration!
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
MJPeterson
()
Date: October 20, 2012 08:31AM
wnrsm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Hi wnrsm,
Your friend is most likely correct. I had a Nissan Sentra for which I was routinely getting quoted $400-$500 for a front brake job which also included the brakes and rotors. I did not want to put in quality parts at the time so I ordered the cheapest metallic brake pads for $12 and standard rotors for $53 off ebay. I did the labor myself so the brake job ended up being $65. The reason for the huge difference is that some shops also make money by marking up their parts. If they get a set or rotors for $100, they might mark it up to $200 or more, their reasoning, according to them, for doing that is so that they can "warranty" their parts and work. Also, without the markup, they seem to pay more parts than I do if I order the low end stuff off of ebay. Say they can buy your friend's truck's brakes and rotors for $400, they mark it up to $800 and charge him for 3 hours of labor and then add in all their shop fees, it is not inconceivable that they get to $1200. In reality it won't take them 3 hours to do the work and they overpaid for their typical low quality parts anyway, but they would pass that on to you. Unfortunately, if you have no idea about how easy it is to do a brake job, you may pay the $1200 just to get it out of the way especially if you need to pass a safety inspection. People do pay that much thinking that they have to.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Hi wnrsm,
Your friend is most likely correct. I had a Nissan Sentra for which I was routinely getting quoted $400-$500 for a front brake job which also included the brakes and rotors. I did not want to put in quality parts at the time so I ordered the cheapest metallic brake pads for $12 and standard rotors for $53 off ebay. I did the labor myself so the brake job ended up being $65. The reason for the huge difference is that some shops also make money by marking up their parts. If they get a set or rotors for $100, they might mark it up to $200 or more, their reasoning, according to them, for doing that is so that they can "warranty" their parts and work. Also, without the markup, they seem to pay more parts than I do if I order the low end stuff off of ebay. Say they can buy your friend's truck's brakes and rotors for $400, they mark it up to $800 and charge him for 3 hours of labor and then add in all their shop fees, it is not inconceivable that they get to $1200. In reality it won't take them 3 hours to do the work and they overpaid for their typical low quality parts anyway, but they would pass that on to you. Unfortunately, if you have no idea about how easy it is to do a brake job, you may pay the $1200 just to get it out of the way especially if you need to pass a safety inspection. People do pay that much thinking that they have to.
now THIS is why Fairfax Underground is AWESOME!!
Posted by:
Gordon Blvd
()
Date: October 20, 2012 08:36AM
it's totally great to see OP throw out this question, and ppl knowledgeable about the subject giving VALUABLE advice that will save us (well at least me in the future LoLz) money if we simple pay attention to what they say
THANKS to EVERYONE on this thread for this info :)
THANKS to EVERYONE on this thread for this info :)
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Midas guy
()
Date: October 20, 2012 09:02AM
Thanks to our capitalist nation anyone can quote any price they want for anything. If you do not like the price then do not authorize the work. Automotive repair shops are in business to make money. Sometimes a high quote is given because the potential client does not have a good attitude and there is nothing wrong with that.
I just love it when a client threatens to take his business elsewhere. When they say that I think to myself "please do". The fact of the matter is that business rolls in the door constantly and even more so when the economy is down as more people fix rather than replace their vehicles.
The overhead for an automotive repair shop is very high and good techs need to make at least 90k per year. I cannot compete with Pablo's curbside brake shop and make no attempt to do so. I have made good money from fixing his dangerous and often life-threatening screw-ups.
I just love it when a client threatens to take his business elsewhere. When they say that I think to myself "please do". The fact of the matter is that business rolls in the door constantly and even more so when the economy is down as more people fix rather than replace their vehicles.
The overhead for an automotive repair shop is very high and good techs need to make at least 90k per year. I cannot compete with Pablo's curbside brake shop and make no attempt to do so. I have made good money from fixing his dangerous and often life-threatening screw-ups.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
ah so
()
Date: October 20, 2012 09:04AM
Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good friends in China for making them so crappy that they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the rotors could be turned and used for the life of the car. Rotors now look like they are made from aluminum foil.
People that buy HD pads think they will get a better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap rotors up in no time flat.
People that buy HD pads think they will get a better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap rotors up in no time flat.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Dave Jones
()
Date: October 20, 2012 02:59PM
wnrsm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Midas.........
Men
Involved w/
Deranged
Anal
Sex
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
Midas.........
Men
Involved w/
Deranged
Anal
Sex
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
dontwantmidas
()
Date: October 20, 2012 03:06PM
Stay away from Midas. They probably tacked on all kinds of services (front end alignment, suspension, etc.)
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Joe B.
()
Date: October 20, 2012 04:05PM
If you cannot/don't want to do it yourself, find a shop that will allow you to bring in the parts you need to be installed. I use Mauricio's in Sterling. There are some in FFX Co. too I'm sure.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
jim143
()
Date: October 20, 2012 05:33PM
Gowesty for parts, Hometown Auto Care in Chantilly for installation. Quality/OEM parts and cheap brake job. Gowesty doesn't take returns for wrong orders (which is why they are so low) so you better know what you are ordering.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
bigfoot
()
Date: October 20, 2012 05:40PM
$ 1200 for a break job - Rim job for sure..
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
wnrsm
()
Date: October 20, 2012 08:47PM
ah so Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
>
> People that buy HD pads think they will get a
> better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap
> rotors up in no time flat.
Today's smaller/thinner brake rotors are because they are intended to be lower weight and cheaper to manufacture. It helps meet mandatory minimum mileage requirements and saves a buck or two. It is not just a China thing.
The labor/expense to resurface rotors has gotten higher like all labor rates - and manufacturing labor has become relatively cheaper. They also don't want the old ones back to resurface them and sell them.
I like to convenience of replacing rotors so I don't have to interrupt my brake job to take them out for service. That alone is worth paying $50 more to replace them than service them, especially if it takes hours/days... or there is a problem resurfacing them because they're too warped or the tech is a moron.
One time my '97 BMW failed annual inspection because the front pads were too thin. The brake thickness wear indicator had not yet tripped (a plastic-covered wire that grounds out on the disc when the pads get too low). The original rotors were fine and I only replaced the pads. That was three years ago. I have had a few panic stops and they work fine.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
>
> People that buy HD pads think they will get a
> better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap
> rotors up in no time flat.
Today's smaller/thinner brake rotors are because they are intended to be lower weight and cheaper to manufacture. It helps meet mandatory minimum mileage requirements and saves a buck or two. It is not just a China thing.
The labor/expense to resurface rotors has gotten higher like all labor rates - and manufacturing labor has become relatively cheaper. They also don't want the old ones back to resurface them and sell them.
I like to convenience of replacing rotors so I don't have to interrupt my brake job to take them out for service. That alone is worth paying $50 more to replace them than service them, especially if it takes hours/days... or there is a problem resurfacing them because they're too warped or the tech is a moron.
One time my '97 BMW failed annual inspection because the front pads were too thin. The brake thickness wear indicator had not yet tripped (a plastic-covered wire that grounds out on the disc when the pads get too low). The original rotors were fine and I only replaced the pads. That was three years ago. I have had a few panic stops and they work fine.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Greybeard
()
Date: October 20, 2012 08:57PM
ah so Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
Mmm, not entirely that simple. Rotors are unsprung weight, so there's incentive for the manufacturers to make 'em lighter. Can't just blindly blame China (well, you can, but you'd be wrong in this case).
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
Mmm, not entirely that simple. Rotors are unsprung weight, so there's incentive for the manufacturers to make 'em lighter. Can't just blindly blame China (well, you can, but you'd be wrong in this case).
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
JohnGalt338
()
Date: October 20, 2012 09:00PM
ah so Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
>
> People that buy HD pads think they will get a
> better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap
> rotors up in no time flat.
You obviously have never picked up one of the "cheap China rotors" since they all weigh a ton. Given their weight in metal, it's hard to believe they are as cheap as they are. You can, of course, get much more expensive ones but OEM quality rotors are not that expensive.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rotors are not cheap. We can thank our good
> friends in China for making them so crappy that
> they fall apart and need replaced. Times past the
> rotors could be turned and used for the life of
> the car. Rotors now look like they are made from
> aluminum foil.
>
> People that buy HD pads think they will get a
> better deal but the HD pads will eat those cheap
> rotors up in no time flat.
You obviously have never picked up one of the "cheap China rotors" since they all weigh a ton. Given their weight in metal, it's hard to believe they are as cheap as they are. You can, of course, get much more expensive ones but OEM quality rotors are not that expensive.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
GFR
()
Date: October 22, 2012 07:57AM
$1200 depending on what kind of car you have and how much work they are doing may not be that high. I have used a few different Midas before with no real issues. I have heard of some riping people off.
I have used the Chantilly Midas 2 or 3 times and they have been very honest and fair priced. Couple of years ago I took my car in to have the brakes checked after my dealership told me I needed all new brakes within two months and it would not pass inspection. Dealership also said I needed new tires. Midas said my brakes were fine and so were my tires. Passed my inspection.
A year later took my car back in to Midas for another inspection. Brakes still good to go. Did fail me because I needed new tires. Guy told me up front they could not do my tires but to come back once I had them replaced. Came back a week later for the re inspection, didnt even charge me for the respection.
They have never tired to pull any games or try to sell me anything that was not needed.
I have used the Chantilly Midas 2 or 3 times and they have been very honest and fair priced. Couple of years ago I took my car in to have the brakes checked after my dealership told me I needed all new brakes within two months and it would not pass inspection. Dealership also said I needed new tires. Midas said my brakes were fine and so were my tires. Passed my inspection.
A year later took my car back in to Midas for another inspection. Brakes still good to go. Did fail me because I needed new tires. Guy told me up front they could not do my tires but to come back once I had them replaced. Came back a week later for the re inspection, didnt even charge me for the respection.
They have never tired to pull any games or try to sell me anything that was not needed.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
kevster
()
Date: October 22, 2012 09:51AM
I can't speak to the cost to do breaks on a Porche or BMW, but $1200 for a front or rear set of pads and rotors on a typical car is highway robbery, there's no justifying it.
If you know what rotors and pads cost ($<200 for the set) then you'll soon realize the $1200 includes 500% pure profit.
OTOH, if there was a mis-communication and the $1200 covered front and back, and calipers too then maybe that's another story.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/2012 09:51AM by kevster.
If you know what rotors and pads cost ($<200 for the set) then you'll soon realize the $1200 includes 500% pure profit.
OTOH, if there was a mis-communication and the $1200 covered front and back, and calipers too then maybe that's another story.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/2012 09:51AM by kevster.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
B R A K E S
()
Date: October 22, 2012 01:17PM
BRAKES you illiterate products of the FCPS.
B R A K E S
Repeat it with me...
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
Not breaks
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
Got it now? Of course not.
Yes, I know. I fully expect that the next idiot posting here will spell it breaks. lol
B R A K E S
Repeat it with me...
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
Not breaks
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
BRAKES
Got it now? Of course not.
Yes, I know. I fully expect that the next idiot posting here will spell it breaks. lol
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
James Norsworthy
()
Date: October 24, 2012 06:35PM
Niggers
Niggers
Niggers
Niggers
Got it?
Niggers
Niggers
Niggers
Niggers
Got it?
Niggers
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Pops
()
Date: October 24, 2012 06:48PM
for 1200 bucks they should replace the entire front suspension...
Never ever ever use a chain shop, they are on commission and will flat out rip you off...not worth it for the off chance you may bump into an honest one.
In the immortal words of my old man "Thems the breaks!"
Never ever ever use a chain shop, they are on commission and will flat out rip you off...not worth it for the off chance you may bump into an honest one.
In the immortal words of my old man "Thems the breaks!"
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
wnrsm
()
Date: October 24, 2012 11:08PM
One other idea why it was a $1200 estimate...
Maybe they were busy and didn't need the work. Times are tough and people are keeping their cars longer. They're also not going to the dealership for expensive incompetent maintenance and repair.
Maybe the price would drop if it were a lean month... kind of like how used cars get cheaper at the end of the month or year.
Maybe they were busy and didn't need the work. Times are tough and people are keeping their cars longer. They're also not going to the dealership for expensive incompetent maintenance and repair.
Maybe the price would drop if it were a lean month... kind of like how used cars get cheaper at the end of the month or year.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Bill.N.
()
Date: October 25, 2012 01:08AM
While we are on the subject of brakes, does anyone know why you would use rotors with holes in the face of them rather than the older kind without holes? I am guessing the reason for them is greater heat dissipation, but does it really make a difference, and wouldn't those additional holes just create new spots for rust to form?
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
stephen
()
Date: October 25, 2012 12:09PM
My honda civic $600 for pads and cutting rotors on all 4 wheels. Done at the dealer in 2011.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
jiffylube
()
Date: October 25, 2012 05:52PM
Way too much
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
hoser
()
Date: October 25, 2012 05:59PM
Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While we are on the subject of brakes, does anyone
> know why you would use rotors with holes in the
> face of them rather than the older kind without
> holes? I am guessing the reason for them is
> greater heat dissipation, but does it really make
> a difference, and wouldn't those additional holes
> just create new spots for rust to form?
These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing applications to do exactly what you said. Not necessary for the street.
-------------------------------------------------------
> While we are on the subject of brakes, does anyone
> know why you would use rotors with holes in the
> face of them rather than the older kind without
> holes? I am guessing the reason for them is
> greater heat dissipation, but does it really make
> a difference, and wouldn't those additional holes
> just create new spots for rust to form?
These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing applications to do exactly what you said. Not necessary for the street.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
wnrsm
()
Date: October 25, 2012 10:06PM
hoser Wrote:
>
> These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing
> applications to do exactly what you said. Not
> necessary for the street.
They seem to cover all the types here. I love the internet. (well, mostly... the pictures posted in Off-Topic here make it difficult)
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-parts/brake-rotors1.htm
Ricers use them because it helps them pretend that they are real racers that need braking performance.
>
> These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing
> applications to do exactly what you said. Not
> necessary for the street.
They seem to cover all the types here. I love the internet. (well, mostly... the pictures posted in Off-Topic here make it difficult)
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-parts/brake-rotors1.htm
Ricers use them because it helps them pretend that they are real racers that need braking performance.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Bill.N.
()
Date: October 26, 2012 11:37AM
hoser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing
> applications to do exactly what you said. Not
> necessary for the street.
Thanks for the response.
-------------------------------------------------------
> These "cross drilled" rotors are used in racing
> applications to do exactly what you said. Not
> necessary for the street.
Thanks for the response.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
InAjiffy
()
Date: October 26, 2012 06:19PM
Maybe yall cheap asses should get them done at Jiffy Lube!!!!
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Atom
()
Date: October 26, 2012 06:23PM
I got a $1200 estimates for brakes and rotors on my 528.
Did it myself for less then $200 (got cross drilled rotors to. Worked great for the next 70k miles I put on it before I traded it in.
Regardless of who does it. Make sure you break in the rotors
Did it myself for less then $200 (got cross drilled rotors to. Worked great for the next 70k miles I put on it before I traded it in.
Regardless of who does it. Make sure you break in the rotors
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Mac
()
Date: October 26, 2012 08:47PM
Just take it to Curry's....
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Joe9999999
()
Date: July 20, 2014 11:15AM
Love the trailer park boys quote
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
66VhC
()
Date: July 20, 2014 07:52PM
MJPeterson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wnrsm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> > Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> > *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> > high quotes would scare off their customers.
>
> Hi wnrsm,
> Your friend is most likely correct. I had a
> Nissan Sentra for which I was routinely getting
> quoted $400-$500 for a front brake job which also
> included the brakes and rotors. I did not want to
> put in quality parts at the time so I ordered the
> cheapest metallic brake pads for $12 and standard
> rotors for $53 off ebay. I did the labor myself
> so the brake job ended up being $65. The reason
> for the huge difference is that some shops also
> make money by marking up their parts. If they get
> a set or rotors for $100, they might mark it up to
> $200 or more, their reasoning, according to them,
> for doing that is so that they can "warranty"
> their parts and work. Also, without the markup,
> they seem to pay more parts than I do if I order
> the low end stuff off of ebay. Say they can buy
> your friend's truck's brakes and rotors for $400,
> they mark it up to $800 and charge him for 3 hours
> of labor and then add in all their shop fees, it
> is not inconceivable that they get to $1200. In
> reality it won't take them 3 hours to do the work
> and they overpaid for their typical low quality
> parts anyway, but they would pass that on to you.
> Unfortunately, if you have no idea about how easy
> it is to do a brake job, you may pay the $1200
> just to get it out of the way especially if you
> need to pass a safety inspection. People do pay
> that much thinking that they have to.
WRONG WRONG WRONG
now you'll get overheated or damaged break calipers. they will never be fully retracted and at least give you poor gas mileage and warp sooner, since they are almost never right for the car. they lie.
aftermarket rotors always measure different than OEM
always get OEM parts if your doing your own work (unless you happen to know what the hell your doing)
also: get chilton's or service manual for your car. don't do just any routine you find on internet, they are not all "friendly"
-------------------------------------------------------
> wnrsm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> > Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> > *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> > high quotes would scare off their customers.
>
> Hi wnrsm,
> Your friend is most likely correct. I had a
> Nissan Sentra for which I was routinely getting
> quoted $400-$500 for a front brake job which also
> included the brakes and rotors. I did not want to
> put in quality parts at the time so I ordered the
> cheapest metallic brake pads for $12 and standard
> rotors for $53 off ebay. I did the labor myself
> so the brake job ended up being $65. The reason
> for the huge difference is that some shops also
> make money by marking up their parts. If they get
> a set or rotors for $100, they might mark it up to
> $200 or more, their reasoning, according to them,
> for doing that is so that they can "warranty"
> their parts and work. Also, without the markup,
> they seem to pay more parts than I do if I order
> the low end stuff off of ebay. Say they can buy
> your friend's truck's brakes and rotors for $400,
> they mark it up to $800 and charge him for 3 hours
> of labor and then add in all their shop fees, it
> is not inconceivable that they get to $1200. In
> reality it won't take them 3 hours to do the work
> and they overpaid for their typical low quality
> parts anyway, but they would pass that on to you.
> Unfortunately, if you have no idea about how easy
> it is to do a brake job, you may pay the $1200
> just to get it out of the way especially if you
> need to pass a safety inspection. People do pay
> that much thinking that they have to.
WRONG WRONG WRONG
now you'll get overheated or damaged break calipers. they will never be fully retracted and at least give you poor gas mileage and warp sooner, since they are almost never right for the car. they lie.
aftermarket rotors always measure different than OEM
always get OEM parts if your doing your own work (unless you happen to know what the hell your doing)
also: get chilton's or service manual for your car. don't do just any routine you find on internet, they are not all "friendly"
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
k7VwW
()
Date: July 20, 2014 07:54PM
new calipers or machined calipers same. shop gives you new ones if machining won't work anyway.
it's more GREEN to machine them (no shipping, re-forging, recutting, all that) and employs someone.
get them machined is nicer. but no difference in price taken to the shop unless they give you a deal since your holding them (no removal).
it's more GREEN to machine them (no shipping, re-forging, recutting, all that) and employs someone.
get them machined is nicer. but no difference in price taken to the shop unless they give you a deal since your holding them (no removal).
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
tG9nv
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:00PM
shops used to pay mechanics (not well but ok)
today the area is hiring mostly mexicans and foreigns and paying near minimum wage. they hire kids who aren't well trained for a particular fleet of cars - and the foreigners cheat and steal like hell i know definitely
--------------------------
$1200 ?
$100 / hr used to be $75
used to be up to 1/2 (head of shop) went to mechanic.
today most of the money goes to service writers (lazy lying fuckers) and management (at dealerships they look to new/used cars sales for profit, more than the shop)
$1000 is 10 hr labor
you can ask for the FLAT RATE HOURS for the job. it's only an estimate and usually not to accurate: but should be w/in at least an hour
(why is it inaccurate? some cars are a bitch on certain things. some mech know tricks others don't. etc)
------------------------
it was not until obama the local shops all went to min. wage work and $100 hr labor. i guarantee it.
this is democrat sacks of shit ruining your town and life
today the area is hiring mostly mexicans and foreigns and paying near minimum wage. they hire kids who aren't well trained for a particular fleet of cars - and the foreigners cheat and steal like hell i know definitely
--------------------------
$1200 ?
$100 / hr used to be $75
used to be up to 1/2 (head of shop) went to mechanic.
today most of the money goes to service writers (lazy lying fuckers) and management (at dealerships they look to new/used cars sales for profit, more than the shop)
$1000 is 10 hr labor
you can ask for the FLAT RATE HOURS for the job. it's only an estimate and usually not to accurate: but should be w/in at least an hour
(why is it inaccurate? some cars are a bitch on certain things. some mech know tricks others don't. etc)
------------------------
it was not until obama the local shops all went to min. wage work and $100 hr labor. i guarantee it.
this is democrat sacks of shit ruining your town and life
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
FCdjw
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:02PM
many shops only pay many mechanics min. wage now and hire unknowlegable crap for labor
they don't care if you keep coming back they break shit so you do
trust me. don't go to a min wage foreigner chop shop (untrained staff).
nothing bad on old foreingers been around when shops did everything right. they do know their stuff. and went to training. today ? don't beleive it.
they don't care if you keep coming back they break shit so you do
trust me. don't go to a min wage foreigner chop shop (untrained staff).
nothing bad on old foreingers been around when shops did everything right. they do know their stuff. and went to training. today ? don't beleive it.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
jbjcC
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:04PM
could be orig poster is wrong. $1200 maybe the car needed calipers and the guy doesn't know how to read a quote. and maybe it's bull or maybe they are dragging. go to a next shop tell the story: they'll sell you what you want to hear (the service writers are liars and you'll never know what mech thinks)
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
395runner
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:19PM
Good quality rotors and pads run about $200-400 retail depending on the size. The pain in the ass is needing two jacks (one to lift a size and one for safety), and needing to turkey baster out the brake fluid, and then beat off the old rotors with a ball peen hammer for 20 minutes or so. A professional shop has a fixture that gets the old rotor off in about three minutes, which is why they charge 6x what the parts cost for a 15 minute per side job.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Greybeard
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:35PM
Re cross-drilled or slotted rotors, the arguments are:
- less unsprung weight
- better cooling
- less chanced for glazing of the pads, as the cut edges theoretically clean it off
Now, are any of these valid? Well, I suppose the unsprung weight is, assuming that it doesn't mean reduced strength and thus more warping. The other two--I've never seen anything that convinced me one way or t'other. But it's not just flash, anyway.
- less unsprung weight
- better cooling
- less chanced for glazing of the pads, as the cut edges theoretically clean it off
Now, are any of these valid? Well, I suppose the unsprung weight is, assuming that it doesn't mean reduced strength and thus more warping. The other two--I've never seen anything that convinced me one way or t'other. But it's not just flash, anyway.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Bill.N.
()
Date: July 20, 2014 08:47PM
395 Are you saying $200-400 each or total? Last time I did brakes it probably ran $150 in parts for good quality pads, rotors, brake fluid and other miscellaneous items. The job probably took less than a half hour, and could have been done in less time if I wasn't using scissor jacks and a tire T. Removing the rotors was no problem once the caliper had been removed.
A real pain was replacing the old drum brakes.
A real pain was replacing the old drum brakes.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
GXMPF
()
Date: July 20, 2014 10:10PM
i think the law for "illegally high price" is like 200% over (big purchases / contracts differ - gets into legal commission fees)
so you can't complain really if you didn't shop around you owe to watch your own money.
but the law for loan-sharking is like %30. notice how the penalty on many credit cards is as high as is legally allowed ! %30 is very hard to pay off in any managed profit situation, it's very high - ie: grocers make %2 on sale of some items - how do you pay %30 with %2 profit ? you don't.
so you can't complain really if you didn't shop around you owe to watch your own money.
but the law for loan-sharking is like %30. notice how the penalty on many credit cards is as high as is legally allowed ! %30 is very hard to pay off in any managed profit situation, it's very high - ie: grocers make %2 on sale of some items - how do you pay %30 with %2 profit ? you don't.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
Greybeard
()
Date: July 20, 2014 10:23PM
GXMPF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think the law for "illegally high price" is like
> 200% over (big purchases / contracts differ - gets
> into legal commission fees)
>
> so you can't complain really if you didn't shop
> around you owe to watch your own money.
>
> but the law for loan-sharking is like %30. notice
> how the penalty on many credit cards is as high as
> is legally allowed ! %30 is very hard to pay off
> in any managed profit situation, it's very high -
> ie: grocers make %2 on sale of some items - how do
> you pay %30 with %2 profit ? you don't.
I'd be astonished if there was a law for any non-monopolistic (and thus heavily regulated) industry. The idea is called "capitalism", aka a "free market". If a garage wants to charge $1000/hour for service, the theory is that they'll get so little business that they'll go broke. Part of any business is pricing your product so it's attractive but you get enough profit to make your nut. If you charge less, you sell more, so you may make up the "lost" profit in volume. But it's not against the law to sell for less, or for more.
ObAnecdote:
Two Newfies [insert another group if you want] decide to make money selling melons. They have a truck, so they drive out to a farm and buy a truckload of melons for $1 each. Then they drive downtown and sell them for $1 each.
Back to the farm, another load, lather, rinse, repeat.
After three or four trips, Jorge says, "Ya know, bye, we ain't makin' no money 'ere!"
And Joe replies, "I told you we needed a bigger truck!"
Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress (even if it's take-out) (oops, wrong thread!)
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think the law for "illegally high price" is like
> 200% over (big purchases / contracts differ - gets
> into legal commission fees)
>
> so you can't complain really if you didn't shop
> around you owe to watch your own money.
>
> but the law for loan-sharking is like %30. notice
> how the penalty on many credit cards is as high as
> is legally allowed ! %30 is very hard to pay off
> in any managed profit situation, it's very high -
> ie: grocers make %2 on sale of some items - how do
> you pay %30 with %2 profit ? you don't.
I'd be astonished if there was a law for any non-monopolistic (and thus heavily regulated) industry. The idea is called "capitalism", aka a "free market". If a garage wants to charge $1000/hour for service, the theory is that they'll get so little business that they'll go broke. Part of any business is pricing your product so it's attractive but you get enough profit to make your nut. If you charge less, you sell more, so you may make up the "lost" profit in volume. But it's not against the law to sell for less, or for more.
ObAnecdote:
Two Newfies [insert another group if you want] decide to make money selling melons. They have a truck, so they drive out to a farm and buy a truckload of melons for $1 each. Then they drive downtown and sell them for $1 each.
Back to the farm, another load, lather, rinse, repeat.
After three or four trips, Jorge says, "Ya know, bye, we ain't makin' no money 'ere!"
And Joe replies, "I told you we needed a bigger truck!"
Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress (even if it's take-out) (oops, wrong thread!)
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
XdyUL
()
Date: July 21, 2014 09:08AM
wnrsm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
I usually call around for quotes, rather than take my car there. I always ask for the price of the brake pads (and rotors) just so I have a ballpark.
-------------------------------------------------------
> A friend of mine claims to have gotten a quote
> from Midas for $1,200 to replace the front brakes
> on his truck - and that he did it himself for $200
> in parts. All he did was put on new rotors and
> pads.
>
> I call bullshit... somewhere. $1,000 in (Midas
> goon) labor and parts markup for work that would
> take an hour or two?
>
> My guess is that it was a sucker's quote. Either
> they thought he looked stupid or they knew he was
> wasting their time and was going to do it himself
> anyway. Even if they did more work (new calipers,
> fluid flush, etc) I still can't see how those
> services are worth $1,000.
>
> He sure was proud of that "$1,000 savings". I
> told him that I'd quote him $12,000 and he can
> crow about saving over $11,000 - or that he should
> quit his job and do brakes for a living.
>
> Do any of you have any idea why that quote was
> *legitimately* $1,000 higher? I'd think these
> high quotes would scare off their customers.
I usually call around for quotes, rather than take my car there. I always ask for the price of the brake pads (and rotors) just so I have a ballpark.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
brakes and such
()
Date: July 21, 2014 05:46PM
I just did the rear brakes on my Acura TL. New rear rotors from Advance Auto Parts were $24 each. I paid $48 for nice new pads from AAP, but had I planned ahead I could have gotten a nicer set from Amazon for $33 shipped. I also paid $1.50 for a little sleeve of grease.
I was a bit worried about the rotors as they were so cheap. I asked the guy, and he said they sell them all day every day to every garage in NOVA. When you get your brakes done in NOVA you're getting the AAP Wearever brake rotors.
So, I did the rear brakes for $97. When I had the garage do it the last time they charged me $90 each for the rotors and $70 for these crappy, dirt cheap brake pads, plus an hour and a half of labor. I was out the door for about $425. That was so much I said the hell with it and I need to learn to do brakes.
As another fellow noted, you can have more expensive rotors on some trucks, but still, Amazon sells them for about $50 or $60. He might have needed two new calipers, but even those aren't that expensive. Amazon sells re-manufactured ones for about $50.
Brake rotors, pads, and calipers are cheap. It would have to be the mother of all brake jobs, with like everything being replaced and maybe new brake lines too, to justify $1200.
I was a bit worried about the rotors as they were so cheap. I asked the guy, and he said they sell them all day every day to every garage in NOVA. When you get your brakes done in NOVA you're getting the AAP Wearever brake rotors.
So, I did the rear brakes for $97. When I had the garage do it the last time they charged me $90 each for the rotors and $70 for these crappy, dirt cheap brake pads, plus an hour and a half of labor. I was out the door for about $425. That was so much I said the hell with it and I need to learn to do brakes.
As another fellow noted, you can have more expensive rotors on some trucks, but still, Amazon sells them for about $50 or $60. He might have needed two new calipers, but even those aren't that expensive. Amazon sells re-manufactured ones for about $50.
Brake rotors, pads, and calipers are cheap. It would have to be the mother of all brake jobs, with like everything being replaced and maybe new brake lines too, to justify $1200.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
brakes and such
()
Date: July 21, 2014 05:54PM
Final point, and then I'll move on: Youtube is your friend. There are some excellent DIY videos that walk you through each step of a brake job, letting you know how to do everything. The tools you need are not expensive, but you will need a torque wrench and some jack stands.
Really, it's that simple. Why anybody would pay is beyond me.
Really, it's that simple. Why anybody would pay is beyond me.
Re: $1,200 for a typical brake job?
Posted by:
doyourown
()
Date: July 21, 2014 06:30PM
Do your own brakes its easy. If you cannot or simply have the cash do a little research on yelp and CheckBook (library or online subscription) then call/visit the top 2 candidates - pick the one that understands English.
Dealerships, Muffler shops and especially transmission places are huge rip-offs waiting for the ill informed...
Dealerships, Muffler shops and especially transmission places are huge rip-offs waiting for the ill informed...