$550 to replace rear brake pads: reasonable?

[jastevenson]

Hi all,

Dealer said my rear brake pads need replacement and quoted me $550.

Also, they recommend that I get the brake fluid flushed at the same time.

Car has 55k miles on it.

1) Is the quote price reasonable for a rear brake replacement service?

2) Do I need the brake fluid flushed? Not sure how much extra it will cost.

Thank you!

 

[SyndicateZ]

I think its reasonable..

seems alot less than my dealer would do just for the back...

My dealer quoted me $1500 to do all 4 corners, New brake pads and rotors. Not sure if that included brake fluid though. I ended up going to my independent shop and had all 4 done for $975 . They didnt flush the brake fluid tho, It was at 63,000 miles

 

[SyndicateZ]

Even dealers are trying to take advantage of "inflation" and jacking up prices for no real reason IMO

 

[Calidad]

I did them my self took me 45 minutes used the factory pads. Easy brake service setting in the dash display so the parking brake doesn’t crush you

 

[sixstring]

For a brake job I would shop a local auto repair business and not one of the chains. Find one that wont rip you off like a dealer.

 

[SyndicateZ]

Also - note to the independent shop that the rear brakes will need to be put into "maintenance mode" before touching them.

 

[BMW2FORD]

If that includes removing the rear rotors and putting a fine cut on them then it’s a good deal but depends if the rotors need it or can take it. I’d do the brake fluid flush if around $100-200. Every car I’ve done it on that has fluid older than three or four years usually will have better pedal feel and response with new fluid.

 

[rd618]

Hi all,

Dealer said my rear brake pads need replacement and quoted me $550.

Also, they recommend that I get the brake fluid flushed at the same time.

Car has 55k miles on it.

1) Is the quote price reasonable for a rear brake replacement service?

2) Do I need the brake fluid flushed? Not sure how much extra it will cost.

Thank you!

Pads alone? Not rotors or cutting rotors? If that’s the case you can get a lot of local shops to do a pad replacement for under $200. Pads are cheap. Like $60 for the rear pair for motorcraft from rockauto and 1 hour labor cheap.
Rotors are more like $100 each and typically 1 hours more labor and should to be done with new pads.

The fluid flush is all labor. The fluid is cheap, but to flush every line on these takes time. Probably 1 hour quoted.

Where I am, dealer labor is $185/hour.

 

[Expoxone]

No! It's not that difficult. Save your cash and do it yourself. You just need to put the vehicle into maintenance mode, which is a sequence of mashing down your accelerator and pulling the parking brake switch in a specific way. Use YouTube. Other than that, it's a regular brake job. You can get top of the line pads for $65.

 

[Mr Big]

May be a decent dealer price but a brake shop will be half that for the exact same job.

 

[Hawkeye07]

Brake pad replacement is super easy - I’d just buy the pads at Rock auto and do it myself. Same with fluid flush.

 

[Calidad]

No! It's not that difficult. Save your cash and do it yourself. You just need to put the vehicle into maintenance mode, which is a sequence of mashing down your accelerator and pulling the parking brake switch in a specific way. Use YouTube. Other than that, it's a regular brake job. You can get top of the line pads for $65.

Nope
Its just a vehicle setting in the dash now.

 

[chrismills]

A lot depends on what you are getting for $550. If it is just pads then they are gouging you a bunch. if it is rotors and pads then it is still very high. A brake flush should be around $150 but review your service manual---not required till a 100K so they are gouging you again.

 

[LazSlate]

Done tons of brakes. Brake flushes are a waste at that mileage UNLESS you did a lot of towing and hard braking. Fluid takes a very long time to break down as the system is sealed unless you overheat the fluid. Also a lot of dealers do not even flush the brakes they just charge you as there is no way to prove they did. Lots of videos on this.

If you can take a wheel off the rear, inspect the brakes and inspect the rotors and mark with paint on the caliper bleeder.
After the service you can verify they turned the rotors and cracked the bleeder screw.

 

[BlackBetty]

Way too much in my opinion. Did mine for approximately $225. Installed carbon ceramic pads/ rotors front and back. They have a lifetime warranty.

 

[bryz_expy]

As others have said pads only, too expensive. But if you are getting a flush that’s still pricey but they have the equipment to flush the old fluid also to cycle the ABS and not get a lot of air in the system. . If they are just bleeding them you can do that yourself.

 

[jimbosidecar]

$550? Yikes. First of all you shouldn't need rear pads at just 55,000 miles. Secondly Rock Auto and Youtube are your friend. I've got 230,000 miles on my 2001 Expy (bought it at 94,000 miles) and I've done the front pads twice now and the rears once. About an hour to an hour and a half per axle

 

[bryz_expy]

I needed rear pads at 48k. Vehicles with adaptive cruise will use rear brakes to regulate speed, also it would seem vehicles these days use rear slightly more to maybe minimize nose dive on hard braking? Just a theory.

Picture of my rear pads at 48k. Old vs new.

 

[Calidad]

$550? Yikes. First of all you shouldn't need rear pads at just 55,000 miles. Secondly Rock Auto and Youtube are your friend. I've got 230,000 miles on my 2001 Expy (bought it at 94,000 miles) and I've done the front pads twice now and the rears once. About an hour to an hour and a half per axle

Rear pads on the current generation Expedition wear faster than the fronts and yes 40,000-50,000 is very typical replacement point. If anyone tows trailers that could be lower. In comparison my Toyota’s were 1/2 that!! My non towing Subaru was 90,000 miles my towing subaru identical car was 65,000.

 

[jjscsix]

I would have to see what is involved in putting it in brake mode. A google search would answer that.

You only said the rear brakes. Even for all four it's a lot. For the rear two way too much. Does the dealer have a “quick lane”. I used one for changing the oil on a Lexus GS460. It was $80 with full synthetic and a Lexus Oil Filter. They also inspected everyhting including the brakes. I thought that was a great deal.