I recently went to a local shop for an oil change, and they told me my rear brake pads “look very bad” and need to be replaced ASAP.
The thing is, I’m not sure if they’re being honest or just upselling me. For context, I drive a 2019 Camry SE with 33k miles (mostly highway, but more city miles recently). I rarely brake hard and haven’t noticed any of the common symptoms of worn brake pads (grinding noise, increased stopping distance, vibrations, etc.).
Here’s what I’ve been quoted so far:
Local shop: $400 for rear brake pads only
Another local shop: $600-$700
Toyota dealer: $672 for pads + rotors, plus a multi-point inspection
The Toyota dealer insists on replacing the rotors along with the pads, saying it’s their policy.
Does this sound reasonable? Should I trust the local shop or go with the dealership? Or should I get a second opinion first?
If they didn’t give you a specific measurement, ask for one. I’m a Toyota tech, and I always provide exact measurements and a detailed explanation. Without that, they might just be upselling you.
LUCKY said:
If they didn’t give you a specific measurement, ask for one. I’m a Toyota tech, and I always provide exact measurements and a detailed explanation. Without that, they might just be upselling you.
Thanks for the advice. They told me it’s less than 3.5mm but didn’t give exact measurements. I also noticed streaks on the rotors:
@Beck
From those photos, it looks like your slide pins might be sticking, causing uneven pad wear. This often happens with cars that do lots of short trips. I’d recommend replacing both the pads and rotors, but make sure they also clean and free up the pad holders and slide pins.
If they only replace the pads, the rust on the rotors will wear them down quickly and cause noise. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth doing right.
If the pads are still thick, you could hold off, but I’d get a second opinion to be sure.
@Beck
That doesn’t look too bad to me. Rear brakes don’t do as much work as the front, so they’re less critical. Sounds like they’re just trying to upsell you.
Did they give you an inspection sheet? Toyota usually provides one showing the remaining thickness of the pads. If most of your miles are highway, your brakes should last much longer. I’ve gone over 100k miles on highway driving before needing replacements.
Shops sometimes recommend replacements based on mileage rather than actually inspecting the car. If you’re up for it, you could do it yourself—$50 for tools, $180 for parts, and a YouTube video should do the trick.
The prices you were quoted sound high. My Toyota dealer replaced front pads and turned rotors on my 2021 Tundra for about $300. Are you sure the rotors need replacing?
Harper said:
The prices you were quoted sound high. My Toyota dealer replaced front pads and turned rotors on my 2021 Tundra for about $300. Are you sure the rotors need replacing?
The dealer said they replace rotors as a policy, which might explain the higher cost.
Beck said: @Aman
That’s what they told me too. I don’t know why they insist on replacing the rotors—it seems unnecessary.
Rotors nowadays are often thinner than they used to be, making them harder to machine. Still, it sounds like the dealer just doesn’t want to bother with resurfacing.
Harper said:
The prices you were quoted sound high. My Toyota dealer replaced front pads and turned rotors on my 2021 Tundra for about $300. Are you sure the rotors need replacing?
I bought my Camry at a Denver Toyota dealer! Small world.