Avoid the High Cost of Brake Repair

When your car doesn't work, you may find yourself in for a big bill. There are very few things on a car that don't cost a lot of money to fix. Either the part is expensive or it takes a while to do the work so the labor is expensive. Sometimes both are expensive. Brake repair is no different -- there are some pieces that are quick, easy, and relatively cheap to fix, and then there are other parts that aren't so cheap to fix. But there are some things you can do to help lower the bill.

Inspection, inspection, inspection: there is no way around it. If you have your car inspected from bumper to bumper at least once a year, preferably once every six months, you can catch some of the problems before they become major maintenance issues. Brake repair is no different. Your mechanic can actually detect when you need to get new pads before you start hearing the grinding and squealing. By doing this you can save the money that you would have had to spend on rotors should you have let your pads wear down and then not changed them quickly enough.

Another way to save some money on that brake repair bill is to shop around. If you know you're in the market for new pads, call around and find out who is having a special on pads. You might even consider purchasing a non-name brand, generic pad instead to save a little money. They do make a little more noise than the top of the line pads, but if you're on a budget, what's a little noise when compared to your checking account? You can also ask about labor costs, since that varies from shop to shop as well.

When you settle on a brake repair place to do the work, get a line item estimate up front before any work is performed. This way you can see for yourself what they are planning to do and what they are planning to charge. Should there be any variation from what you were told they should contact you immediately and get approval. Should this be necessary make sure they explain exactly what the extra work entails, how much extra time that will take (because you'll be billed for the labor), and how much the cost is. Make sure they tell you what the labor and what the part cost is total.

When you go to pick your car up and pay the bill look closely at it before you pay. Speak up if you see anything that looks out of place or wasn't agreed to. Don't be afraid to have them clarify a billing line if you don't understand it. By calling them on the discrepancies you can actually save money. All services should be pre-approved by you prior to the work being performed and you shouldn't feel ashamed of pointing that out to them.