I have a 2019 Outback with 68,000 miles. They quoted me around $900 to replace the brake pads, resurface the rotors, and flush the brake fluid. That seems pretty high to me. Is that normal?
You can do it yourself for about $300 if you use good parts from Rock Auto.
Honestly, it’s better to just get new rotors. Most places around here don’t resurface them anymore. It costs about $500 for one end, or $1,000 for both. If you’re handy, you can buy tools and parts for around $600-700 and do it yourself. Brakes are made to be easy to change since they wear out.
@Hadley
Plenty of shops will resurface rotors. I had to replace my front rotors last year at 145,000 miles. They were too thin after resurfacing to meet OEM specs. I paid about $25 per rotor to resurface. Premium pads from Rock Auto cost around $30-60 for a pair. So, we’re looking at $100 with shipping, plus a few bucks for brake fluid to do a bleed or flush.
@Tao
Mechanics in my area won’t even swap pads. They charge $500 for pads and rotors, and they are all so busy that it takes at least a week to get it done. So, I learned to do it myself.
@Tao
Good rotors from Rock Auto don’t cost much more than $25 each. If I have all the parts ready to go instead of waiting to get my rotors resurfaced, the extra $30-50 is worth it to me.
AlexJordan1 said:
@Tao
Good rotors from Rock Auto don’t cost much more than $25 each. If I have all the parts ready to go instead of waiting to get my rotors resurfaced, the extra $30-50 is worth it to me.
Only for the cheapest ones, and that’s for the rear. It’s about $25-30 for rears and $40-60 for fronts. Plus shipping. Usually $50-75 from local auto parts stores where you can pick them up today. I don’t like wasting things. We use a lot of energy to make new parts. Why not save some money and resurface them?
@Tao
I get it, but in my nearly 30 years of car ownership, I’ve never found a mechanic who would resurface rotors, let alone just change pads. Maybe it’s just where I live or something else.
@Tao
My weekend time is worth more than saving a few bucks. An extra $40 to quickly get the job done is worth it, and it’s still hundreds less than paying a shop.
If you can do it yourself, go for it. But I found a mechanic my coworkers trust, and he charged me $500 for pads and resurfacing.
First off, is that price for all four corners? My first Outback had front brakes that lasted about 10,000 miles longer than the rears. $900 might be typical for dealer prices for all four corners, but that’s likely with new rotors instead of resurfacing.
Those dealership prices sound crazy. Don’t bother resurfacing rotors; they usually cost around $50 each. You should expect to pay about $200-250 for parts, which includes new rotors, pads, and brake fluid for flushing. You should be looking at around $500, maybe $600 max, at a good independent shop. Look for a reliable mechanic in your town; you’ll appreciate it.
@DEONTE
It probably depends on what you define as a decent shop. I got my brakes done at a well-reviewed shop in my town, and it wasn’t much cheaper than the dealer—maybe a $50 difference for the same work. I felt the pads were lower quality too; they produced a lot more dust than the original pads. Either my dealer had reasonable prices or the independent shop was more of a premium option.
@DEONTE
Pricing depends on location. Near me, $1,000 for both is standard, and it’s much more expensive at a dealership. That’s one reason I do it myself now.
Hadley said:
@DEONTE
Pricing depends on location. Near me, $1,000 for both is standard, and it’s much more expensive at a dealership. That’s one reason I do it myself now.
Good point. I went to the dealer for warranty work and they quoted me $699 for new front brakes. Hard pass on that.
@DEONTE
Sounds about right. You’re probably in New England like me.
Hadley said:
@DEONTE
Sounds about right. You’re probably in New England like me.
I’m in NY state, so close enough.
I didn’t even know they still resurface rotors. Just get new ones.
I had a local guy do it for $560.
I had my rear pads and rotors replaced for $510 at a Subaru dealership using all OEM parts.