How much does it cost to replace brake pads and rotors? As a car user, we know how frustrating and annoying the replacement of brake pads can be for you.What makes it annoying is actually not the need for replacement, but the time frame between replacements.Either you like it or not, if you drive every day, there is no way you can prevent your break from wearing off faster than expected.Ensure you always create time out of your busy schedule to carry out a quick check on your brakes.The brake is a crucial part of the car and must be treated as such. To drive safely at all times, make sure your brake pads are always in good condition.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace Brake Pads and Rotors Both

Brake Pads Cost of Replacement/Install

To replace your car break, the cost isn’t fixed. There are several factors involved when it comes to the cost of replacing the brake of your car.The following are the average cost of replacing the brake system of your car. We believe this will give you an idea about a possible investment in brake replacement.

01. The cost of replacing the brake pads and caliper rotors

These two components (brake pads and caliper rotors) cost between One hundred and twenty dollars ($120) to Five hundred dollars ($500) on the average.For instance, the brake pad as a component is not expensive in terms of the associated cost of purchase, what takes the load of the cash is the installation.

The price of a brake pad is affordable /pocket-friendly, where the problem lies, is in the cost of labor.During replacement, what takes the load of the time in the replacement of the calipers and pads is the rotor.Apart from the extended time of replacement, getting a new rotor can as well throw your budget off balance.This activity increases the bill with some extra dollars which can amount to hundreds on many occasions.

02. The associated cost of getting the brake master cylinder replaced

This is also another big job when it comes to the replacement of your brake system. One good thing about this component or part is that it doesn’t spoil easily.On many occasions, the changing of this part is always not frequent or regular.In case a replacement is needed, the cost of getting a new one sits around three hundred and fifty dollars ($350) on the average.

Sometimes, it extends up to a thousand dollars ($1,000).Most times, a replacement of this component is as a result of poor maintenance of the brake pads and calipers.If you take care of your brake pads and calipers, the replacement of the master cylinder should not be a regular activity.If you can take good care of your brakes and get the replacement when due, the master cylinder is not expected to suffer any form of major break downs.

03. The cost of replacing the brake fluid

Whenever you get your master cylinder replaced, then there is a need for a change of brake fluid. On a regular basis, make sure you create time to check the state of the brake fluid.You need to run a check on your brake fluid to ensure there is no contaminant, to top it up, and also get it changed when there is a need for it.

The cost of purchasing brake fluid is affordable.In most cases, what you are paying for is labor and not the product itself. On average, brake fluid cost between sixty dollars ($60) and one hundred and twenty dollars ($120).Majorly, the cost of this product depends highly on who is going to handle the replacement for you.

It is important to know that the given prices are just estimates. This means your mechanic may go as far as charging you higher than what we have listed or quoted.The reason for the rise in price is mainly as a result of other faults or other detected issues that are linked or connected to the brake system of your car.Just as we have informed you earlier, the cost of replacement is not fixed, as this depends on various or several other factors.

Factors that contribute to the change in the cost of brake system replacement

The following are some of the factors that contribute to the cost of your car’s brake replacement.

01. The quality of the parts you want to change

There are a lot of cheap brake parts available on several online marketplaces, but we would advise you not to fall for those heart-melting prices. Instead, talk to your mechanic to get those faulty parts for you.From the experience your mechanic has gathered in an automobile over the years, they can easily pick out the brands or types of brake parts that are suitable for your car.The goal isn’t just about changing the faulty part. The goal is to get parts of great quality, the one that would last longer.Remember, you will have to pay the price for great quality and the price is always on the high side.

02. The type/model of car that you use

The prices of brake parts vary with the type/model of the car you use. If you are using a new model of a particular car brand, it is believed that you would get the affected brake part changed at a premium price.For old models or average cars, you can get the affected brake part changed at an affordable price.If you are using a car that is not really common, otherwise known as “a rare car” you would also have to pay a premium to get the parts fixed, and to also hire the service of a specialist to get the affected brake part fixed.With this type of car, you have no option than to spend more than usual as a result of how difficult it is to find the spare parts.

03. Your mechanic

Mechanics command different prices. The pricing approach is not the same. Apart from charging for labor, they as well go ahead to factor in the cost of running their day to day activities.So, you should always be up for a surprise on every visit to the mechanic workshop.Brakes are one of the most important parts of a car because they play a very vital role in stopping your car. So being extra careful about maintaining the brakes of your car is very important.Most of the people don’t know the replacement cost of brake pads and end up paying more than the actual price.So today in this guide we’ll be talking about the factors involved in the replacement cost of brake pads and what are the things you need to keep in mind. So first things first, let’s talk about the parts

04. Brake Pads

The part price for brake pads depends upon the car you are driving for example if you drive a Toyota Corolla you will get the brake pads cheaper as it is a normal sedan car, however, if you drive a BMW or a Mercedes the part prices to increase up to double triple.Another thing to keep in mind is the type of brake pad you are going to get, brakes pads come in different types for example for sports cars, etc ceramic brake pads are used which are quite effective in stopping cars at a very high speed.However, normal cars use normal brake pads which last a little lesser than ceramic brake pads and cost cheaper. So the price of brake pads totally depends upon the car you are driving.

05. Labor Charges

Labor charges typically depend from area to area and from which place you are getting your brake pads replaced.If you get the brake pads replaced from an authorized dealership they will charge a lot for the labor even though the brake pads cost will be the same, however, if you get the brake pads replaced from a normal workshop.You can get it done for a lot cheaper. The average labor charges for replacing brake pads cost about $100 to $300 excluding the parts depending upon the car you are driving.

06. Extra Costs

There come the extra costs which you don’t know about, sometimes what happens is you get your brake pads and go to a workshop to get them replaced, the mechanic opens the wheel finds out that the rotor is not in its best condition and it needs replacement as well.So yeah that cost can come into play as well. Now again the pricing of the rotor depends upon the car you drive and how many rotors are bad.Since you have gone through the main things that involve money and the costs, let’s talk about when to replace the brake pads, and how long should you wait for the next brake pad change.

When to Change Brake Pads?

There are several indicators which can tell when you should replace brake pads:

1. Electronic Indicator

Most of the new cars have electric indicators into the brake pads when the braking material on the brake pads remains very less the cluster shows a sign of weak brake pads.When you see a break pad warning sign on the cluster. It means you need to get the brake pads replaced.

2. Squealing Noises while braking

So the brakes work when you press the brake pedal and then the brake caliper which has the brake pads installed in it is pressed from both the sides on to the rotor.Which then stops the car, after a certain period of time when the brake pad’s braking material gets worn off, there is an indicator pin which starts to scratch against the rotor and produce squealing noise to let the driver know that the brake pads are weak and needs replacement.Now it doesn’t matter if you are hearing from the front side or the backside.If you hear from any of the sides. Get all the brake pads checked. Because all of them would be weak at that point and get all of them changed.

3. Vibration

If you feel a vibration while braking then it is time to get your brake pads replaced.Here I am not talking about the ABS vibration if you feel anything unusual vibrating when applying the brakes it means that the car needs brake pads replacement.This happens when the rotors are not smooth and become thinner over time.This leads to vibration and if this happens you might need to get the rotors resurfaced again for smooth operation and working of brakes.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN8MfoWzee0

4. High Mileage

Now if you don’t face any of the above issues. It doesn’t mean that you should be replacing the brake pads.When the last time you replaced brake pads and that mileage period is over now, you need to get the brake pads replaced.Don’t wait to see the above symptoms to get the brake pads replaced.Now we have explained the symptoms involved with the bad brake pads, let’s answer a few frequently asked questions:

Q- Is it safe to drive with bad brake pads?

No, it is not safe at all to drive with brake pads, because of the fact that when the brakes pads get weak they tend to increase the stopping distance of the car, which can be very dangerous at times. So always change the brake pads on time.Also if your brake pads start squeaking you can drive the car for a while but I’ll suggest changing them as soon as possible.Because usually in cars, if one thing goes bad and you don’t get it fixed, other things related to it start getting faulty.Which ends up increasing the bill to double triple. So always get the things fixed and replaced on time.

Some things to keep in mind

Always get the brake pads of all four wheels replaced, if you see that you are hearing squealing noises from the front side, don’t just save money and get the front pads changed.It will pull the car to one side due to the unbalancing of braking power.So always get the brake pads replaced as a set and don’t forget to ask the mechanic to apply the grease on the caliper, most of the mechanics do but you should remind them just in case.

Conclusion

So we have gone through this detailed guide about the replacing cost of brake pads and the symptoms about when to change the brake pads. I hope you were able to understand everything.

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