Moderator: volvite
seems a bit early to me tooBandy1080 wrote:Just dropped my 2009 Pathinder LE at the dealer for new brakes.
$460 for new front brakes and rotars
and he said that I will probably need new pads and re-surfaced rotars on the rear as well and that would be $290.
Is this a fair price or am I getting ripped off?
The car only has 42k miles, it seems a bit early to be replacing the brakes.
Basically any mechanic can do a brake job, and any reputable mechanic will install parts you carry in and only charge you shop fees and labor. At least this way you know for sure what is being put on your vehicle. Some small shops make a huge markup on parts and they may give you a hard time in which case you might want to find a new place to do business with. For example I got quoted $95 parts cost on a valve cover gasket for my Ford from the local oil and tire place but it was a $40 part at NAPA.Bandy1080 wrote:The pathfinder was used for highway and city driving but I am constantly stuck in Boston traffic every morning and evening so I assume thats why the brakes wore so fast. Also I bought it pre-owned with 33k on it already so I have no clue how the other driver drove it.
I already bit the bullet with the dealership on this one, but I am considering going elsewhere for the rear brakes. Could my local mechanic install the OEM brakes on it? Would I have to purchase the pars for him or is that something he could handle?
Sorry for being so naive, I don't even change my own oil....
having been on the "reputable mechanic" end of this for quite a few years, please allow me to point out just a few (of many) reasons that it is beneficial to purchase your repair parts from who is installing them for you:deezx5 wrote: Basically any mechanic can do a brake job, and any reputable mechanic will install parts you carry in and only charge you shop fees and labor. At least this way you know for sure what is being put on your vehicle. Some small shops make a huge markup on parts and they may give you a hard time in which case you might want to find a new place to do business with. For example I got quoted $95 parts cost on a valve cover gasket for my Ford from the local oil and tire place but it was a $40 part at NAPA.
There is a minimum thickness for every rotor. If the rotor is machined within that tolerance it's not more prone to warp or crack than any other rotor. I have had replaced and turned rotors on my wifes Altima and neither one makes it past 30,000 miles without warping. I had the front rotors turned on my '05 Pathfinder at 46,000 miles and currently have a little over 70,000 on the rotors. Best of all it only cost $8.00 to have them done at a local shop and I still have the original pads that came on it when it rolled out of the factory. I'm not easy on them either, I tow a boat and utility trailer quite often, so that brake job sounds quite early to me. I'd request to see the parts they pulled off.dieselfan wrote:As a rule we don't skim the dics (rotors) it's too much of a short term solution
Sorry, it's a rip off.Bandy1080 wrote:Just dropped my 2009 Pathinder LE at the dealer for new brakes.
$460 for new front brakes and rotars
and he said that I will probably need new pads and re-surfaced rotars on the rear as well and that would be $290.
Is this a fair price or am I getting ripped off?
The car only has 42k miles, it seems a bit early to be replacing the brakes.
A reputable mechanic also won't kill you on parts by marking up 100%+ yet most places seem to do this especially on things like brake pads if you want to go above house brand quality. I know that an auto shop is a business not a charity but pads and rotors are a fairly common parts not generally known to fail. If the OP was having an alternator or engine repair etc... then I agree that the shop is probably the best parts source if they stand by their work and offer a warranty on parts and labor.eieio wrote:having been on the "reputable mechanic" end of this for quite a few years, please allow me to point out just a few (of many) reasons that it is beneficial to purchase your repair parts from who is installing them for you:deezx5 wrote: Basically any mechanic can do a brake job, and any reputable mechanic will install parts you carry in and only charge you shop fees and labor. At least this way you know for sure what is being put on your vehicle. Some small shops make a huge markup on parts and they may give you a hard time in which case you might want to find a new place to do business with. For example I got quoted $95 parts cost on a valve cover gasket for my Ford from the local oil and tire place but it was a $40 part at NAPA.
1) many times, and for many reasons, provided parts are incorrect. this sometimes doubles (at least) the amount of time to get the job done (phone calls, down time, tied up lifts, etc). shops charge & are paid for on the basis of time. who pays for the additional time & effort? if the shop made the error in ordering, they should incur the additional expense. if the customer who provides the parts or the person(s) who sold them to the customer makes an error, would you expect the shop to incur the expense?
2) in the event that provided parts are defective, would you expect the mechanic to stand behind the additional labor to remedy the situation?
3)if a shop bills a customer for labor only, they are making less money than if they were selling the parts with the job. expecting them to charge the same will not build a good customer/shop relationship. if a repair shop can make a reasonable profit on the parts that you buy from them, it will, in the long run, benefit both the shop and the customer, by allowing it to be a more profitable, and therefore, more healthy & stable business.