What You Should Know About a "Brake Job"

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Donna McCord

One type of phone call we receive frequently is from someone concerned about their brakes and asking how much it will cost for “a brake job”. In most cases, they’re confused because they have already called a few other shops and everywhere they call they hear a different price. This is one example of what can be frustrating about the auto repair industry. Unfortunately, there is no official definition for a “brake job”. This means that every place you call will be giving you a price estimate on a different repair procedure, based on their own definition, performed by different levels of qualified employees, and using different levels of quality parts. Also, keep in mind that without inspecting the brake system of your vehicle first, repair shops have no true way of knowing what will be needed to accomplish the repairs. It would only be a guess, and potentially an incorrect one at that. Here is what you should know:

A brake inspection should consist of:

1. A road test to check brake operation
2. A wheels-off inspection to measure brake rotor thickness. Every brake rotor has a spec for thickness to ensure safe operation. When they are outside this measurement, they cannot be used.
3. Measuring the thickness of the brake material to determine if it is above a minimum thickness. The brake pads not only provide the necessary friction, but also help dissipate heat. If pads are too thin, they cannot perform these two important functions.
4. Inspecting the brake calipers for damage such as torn dust boots, sticking pistons, etc. If the brake calipers are not performing as designed, they will not allow enough force to be applied to the brake pads to stop the vehicle.

At a minimum, a brake repair should consist of cleaning, inspecting and lubricating the brake hardware and components. In most cases, this would also include machining brake drums and rotors. It’sW important to understand that these procedures are not performed with most “cheap” brake services, and are probably the most critical to be done. Lastly, the brake repair should include installation of new brake materials that meet or exceed the original design specifications.

Important Tip: Do you know that many newer vehicles, including BMWs, Volvos and some Fords, are now manufactured with brake rotors and pads designed to wear out together? This means that they need to be replaced at the same time. If the brake rotor is not replaced with the pads, it can result in brakes that are not going to function as intended. Be sure that whoever is working on your brake system is aware of this new trend.

The quality of parts used is another important aspect of the brake repair to be considered. There are lower-cost brake rotors and drums out there that are made of low-quality metal and improperly heat treated. If inferior quality components are used, they will not allow the vehicle’s brakes to operate within the design criteria. Stopping distance increases. For example, if a vehicle is designed to go from 60 mph to 0 mph in 230 feet, when low quality parts are installed that distance can increase to 280 feet or more. This could mean the difference between no accident and a serious injury accident.

A correctly performed brake repair should do what is needed to allow the brakes to perform as they were designed. A “cheap” brake repair (one not done correctly or done with low-quality parts — or both) may result in your vehicle not being able to stop in time to avoid an accident.

In short, deciding where to get your brakes repaired should not be based solely on the cost. Remember, it is important to have a brake inspection performed first, in order to receive a realistic estimate for the correct repair. For such an important and potentially life-saving procedure, it is best to stick with a shop you know and trust.

Donna McCord
Owner, Dean’s Automotive
650-961-0302

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  • http://www.atticusuncensored.com Heidi Alberti & Atticus

    Thanks for clarifying the term “brake job”, Donna. Maybe you should create an auto repair dictionary of sorts — a quick reference guide for us folks who don’t know what any of the auto verbiage means.

    Good to see you are writing again!!

    Heidi & Atticus
    http://www.atticusuncensored.com
    “commentary to give you paws…”

    • Donna McCord

      Thank you Heidi and Atticus! interesting idea! I love your support and inspiration!

  • http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/blog/ Judy Stone-Goldman

    As always, you provide information I need to know! I trust my service department, but I always like having better understanding of what’s really going on. Really interested about the new cars where rotators and pads wear out together. Thanks, Donna!

    Judy Stone-Goldman
    The Reflective Writer
    http://www.thereflectivewriter.com

    • Donna McCord

      Thank you, Judy; that is so great that you have a place you trust to take care of you, but you are right that having information helps you communicate better with them. I always appreciate your comments!

  • http://www.smartbusinessowners.com/blog Merlyn Sanchez

    Great information! It’s so difficult to find a repair shop that you can trust when you don’t know if what they’re telling you is accurate! Your blog has become my car repair primer ~ thank you Donna!

    Merlyn Sanchez
    http://www.smartbusinessowners.com/blog

    • Donna McCord

      That makes my day! Thank you, Merlyn!

  • http://www.essentialselling.com Carolyn Ziel

    OMG This drives my husband nuts: Important Tip: Do you know that many newer vehicles, including BMWs, Volvos and some Fords, are now manufactured with brake rotors and pads designed to wear out together? I always felt like it was my fault…but it wasn’t…it was the lexus and before that the toyota solara…thanks for the great article

    • Donna McCord

      You are welcome, Carolyn; thank you for your comments!

  • http://backngroovemom.com Rachel Blaufeld

    Thanks Donna – as always– very useful info.
    I do mostly city driving with a lot of stopping and starting, so I run thru brakes quickly. Now, I can be a more savvy consumer.

    Question – for future posts. I am always confused with replacing a tire on an all wheel drive vehicle. Is it really true that when replacing one due to a flat, you have to replace all 4 on an AWD car?
    Thanks, Rachel

  • Donna McCord

    Thank you for your comments, Rachel! As for your tires, whenever one tire is replaced it is always important to at the minimum replace the other, corresponding tire ie. if you replace the front right tire, replace the front left unless the front left is almost new already. With all wheel drive, it is even more important to make sure the tires are as equally worn as possible. If one or even two tires are new, and the others are worn it can result in damaging your drive train, a much more expensive repair than new tires. Hope this helps!

  • http://www.mywealthspa.com Darcie Newton

    Great stuff…and very timely. Brakes seem to be our nemesis when it comes to car maintenance and the squeak that comes from brakes can send my hubby into a tail spin (figuratively). I will be printing your post to get him more educated about brakes…thanks.

    Darcie Newton
    Wine, not whine. Nature not nurture. Discipline for profit, none for cheese.
    http://mywealthspa.com

    • Donna McCord

      Glad this can be of some help! Thank you, Darcie!

  • http://backngroovemom.com Rachel Blaufeld

    thanks Donna! your answer was helpful! AND, now I will look informed when I visit the service station! Rachel

  • http://wallisgroup.wordpress.com/ Rob Wallis

    Great advice! There is so much bad information out there regarding autos, it’s nice to hear some straight talk from the source. I believe that with pricing, the answer is always “it depends.” And it’s true! So many things can be causing so many things. Thanks!

    • Donna McCord

      Thank you, Rob! It’s very rewarding for us to know our efforts are appreciated; the more informed the consumer is, the better it is for us.

  • http://www.brandymychals.com/mb Brandy Mychals

    Wow, Donna…I know nothing about car repair and am often frustrated in dealing with it. I would normally never read about it, but that is part of the unique thing about Blogger Monday…I’m going to become more informed about some subjects whether I want to or not, and that’s a good thing – LOL!

    I find it very interesting to connect with someone that owns an auto repair business and cares enough to take the time to blog and really educate people about these topics. That’s the type of auto shop owner that I would want working on my car :-)
    Keep up the good work!
    Brandy Mychals
    Communications Coach
    Creator of Split Second Perceptions

    • Donna McCord

      I hear you about the car thing; a few years ago I never would have pictured myself writing about auto service and repair! nor would I have been able to even make an intelligent comment about it either! It is so much better for the industry as a whole to make sure people understand about what is going on with their cars — otherwise, how can good decisions be made? and there are so many places out there that are helping to create a negative image of the auto repair industry that only customer education will be able to weed those places out. Thank you so much for your support!

  • http://fearfully-n-wonderfullymade.com Rachel Lavern

    I recall the days when I was always frustrated when I had to take my vehicle in for a brake job. Seems that I was always told that I needed new pads, rotors and calipers. The explanations that were provided never would sound logical to me. Thank God that we have had a great mechanic for the last few years.

    • http://fearfully-n-wonderfullymade.com Rachel Lavern

      Oops. I intended to add that the benefit that I receive from your posts is the equipping me with knowledge so that my eyes do not glaze over when our mechanic is talking to me :-)

      • Donna McCord

        Great! Thank you, Rachel! I am glad you have someone now that you trust, and being able to inform people so they can communicate with their service provider is what I am hoping to accomplish with these blogs!

  • http://www.fierceover50.com Julie Labes

    Donna. Thanks so much for the tips. i think it is great that you are blogging on this topic and that so many of us are reading them whereas we probably would never have read about this before. i know I would have thought “This is guy stuff” and now i know better so thanks for allowing me to find that out about myself

    Julie Labes,…The Fierce over 50 feels much younger point and click junkie loves to travel does not use a jogging stroller and before you ask this is NOT my granddaughter..Woman

    • Donna McCord

      You are so welcome, Julie, and I’m glad you have found some value in what can definitely be just “guy stuff”, but is important for us gals to understand too.

  • http://www.silkandart.com Fiona Stolze

    What struck me the most was when you said that deciding where to get your brakes repaired should not be based on only the cost. Car repairs are something that I would indeed have done on the basis of who offers the best price because I don’t know what is involved, so many thanks for this informative article.

    Donna, it feels so good having a woman explain all these things even though a lot of it goes a bit over my head because I’m not at all technically minded. Thanks again.

    Fiona Stolze
    http://fionastolze.wordpress.com

    • Donna McCord

      Yes, price is often the only thing that the consumer has to make a decision with, but in most cases it will not help make the best decision. If something is cheaper but is not done correctly or means that you either have to have the work redone at a later time or something else goes wrong, then over the long term you have spent more than you thought! I am so glad this blog can be helpful, and I understand about feeling like something goes over your head…after you have heard it a few thousand times (like I have), it starts to sink in! I am not a technical person, believe me, but now a lot of all this has just come to make sense — so much of it is just pure logic (although my husband doesn’t describe me as being a logical person either!)

  • http://reignitingromance.com/risquebusiness/ Rachel Miller

    Wow, this is great information. Certainly one of those thing I have been guilty of going the cheap way on. I’ll certainly be more careful going forward.
    Thanks

    • Donna McCord

      Thank you, Rachel! So many people only know to make decisions based on price, but it doesn’t always result in what they are expecting in terms of value. I am glad this was helpful to you!

  • http://www.LaurieHurleyOnline.com Laurie Hurley

    Thanks for breaking down very technical information into laywoman’s terms! Very handy since my car is going in for it’s 30K mile check up on Saturday. If new brakes come up, I will be armed with the right info!

    • Donna McCord

      Thank you, Laurie! I am so glad I can be of help. Hope your service goes well and that your car gets a clean bill of health!

  • http://www.myautorepairadvice.com/index.html Steve

    Thanks for this great information. It is hard for consumers to know where to find good information. It’s good to see that you are providing some of it.

    • Donna McCord

      You are very welcome, Steve; so glad this information is of value to you!

  • http://www.eventsbysako.blogspot.com Jen Sako

    I always enjoy your blog posts. They are so well-written and easy to understand–even for someone like me that knows nothing about car repair! Thank you for clarifying and being the online mechanic that we can all trust.

    • Donna McCord

      I really appreciate your kind words, Jen, and thank you for your trust — that’s so important to me!

  • http://www.patzahn.com Pat Zahn

    Donna – you are so good at explaining car repairs so that anyone can understand. Brakes are such an important part of your car’s functioning and safety that we can’t afford to just pick the cheapest place.

    Pat Zahn, Photo Solutions Superhero
    http://www.patzahn.com

    • Donna McCord

      Thanks, Pat! Cars are really complicated these days, but I am learning that most of what goes on with the services and repairs is pretty basic and logical. The stuff that is confusing to me I just ask my husband to explain!

  • http://LYShome.com Jennifer Duchene

    It really is so important to pay attention to the details. Not just having brakes inspected and repaired, but also the quality of the product. I often tell my clients when they start shopping around for the cheapest fireplace for instance that its better to have a quality job done at one place including the installation and the purchase than try to save a few dollars and land up spending hundreds more in the long run, or worse, risk safety issues, because their handyman doesnt know how to connect the gas line to code. Definitely worth going where customer service and safety are included.

    Jennifer Duchene
    Home Makeover Mixtress blending lifestyle and laughter
    http://LYShome.com

    • Donna McCord

      Love you, Jen! You get it! you would be our perfect customer! : )

  • http://louiseedington.com Louise Edington

    Thanks Donna for another really informative post. I do still tend to leave the car maintenance to my husband and he has found a place near to where he works that he is happy with for our servicing. I am, however, enjoying learning all these tips from you – I just don’t let him know or he’d try to pass that job onto me – LOL.
    Louise Edington
    Facing Fears For Freedom
    http://louiseedington.com

    • Donna McCord

      Be happy you have someone to take care of all that stuff for you! and yes, sometimes it is best to just stay blissfully unaware! Thank you for commenting anyway, Louise!

  • http://MagnoliaJazz.com/blog Robbie Schlosser

    Hi Donna,

    Thanks for another informative post. You’ve hit a lot of “hot buttons” here.

    Good job! I agree with you that everyone in business ought to spell out just what their service/product brings, and what makes them different and better than others in the same line of work.

    Years ago, I’d receive lots of inquiries about “the going rate” for a band. I’d patiently (at first, anyway) explain that there is no “going rate band”. Like the idea of a going rate for a car, the fee depends on what benefits you want, and what features provide them.

    Are you getting more of these inquiries these days, now that all of us are so cost-conscious?

    • Donna McCord

      Hi Robbie, Thank you! we have some stuff in common! yes, we are getting a lot more “price shoppers” these days; we try to help them understand that sometimes the less expensive repair is going to end up costing them more money in the long run, and we also tell them about the differences in quality, our warranty, etc., but when someone has cash flow problems, they don’t want to hear that. All we can do is share our wisdom and offer options, and then it is up to the customer!

  • http://www.himalayanbootcamp.com Connie Umbenhower

    This is a wonderful post. I have a Volvo and am thinking of upgrading to a newer model and it is very interesting that rotor and pads need to be replaced at the same time. I wonder if they wear out at the same time (I did not think so but I may be wrong). That sounds like an expensive proposition.

    I really enjoy your blog posts – they are so practical and helpful. Thank you Donna.

    • Donna McCord

      You are welcome, Connie! yes, they are designed to wear out together and it may be a little more expensive when replacement is needed, but the material used in the rotors is actually softer in this scenario which means the brakes will be quieter and there is improved stopping ability.

  • http://www.emotionalrelease.com Barbara Hyman

    Let’s see, the key goes in the ignition right? The pedals work? That’s as far as my interest in cars go. But, for those who are interested in the mechanics, this is great information!

    • Donna McCord

      LOL! I used to feel that way, too! But it’s good to have some info for those times when you may have to make some decisions about your car’s care; if you already have someone that can do that for you, though, that is great! Thank you for commenting!

  • http://www.evolvingjourney.com Maridel Bowes

    Your in-depth knowledge is so obvious, Donna–as well as love for what you do.
    This is sound, applicable information that will make me more savvy next time I need new brakes.
    Thanks!
    Maridel

    • Donna McCord

      Hi Maridel! Thank you for reading this post and commenting! I am so happy that you found this to be of value to you. That makes it all worthwhile!

  • http://www.rayskillmanautomall.com/ Leisa Dreps

    These would probably be so useful for women. Inspecting a car’s brakes can be quite confusing. You should inspect your car (not only the brakes) to avoid encountering accidents and hassles in the middle of your road trip.

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