Brake Repair and The Costs To You

When it comes to safety, brake repair has to be right up there at the top. It would be difficult to say which aspect of maintaining a car is the most important. Each aspect is important in its own way and can keep your vehicle running smoothly over a long period of time. Of course, like all aspects of maintenance, this can be somewhat pricey. If you know where to look, however, you can get a good deal. To know the difference between a good deal and a bad one, here is a look at some of the common costs charged for brake repair.

If you want to save money, one of the best things you can do is practice early and preventative maintenance. A common reaction to bad sounds for a lot of people is to jack up the volume on the radio and pretend like nothing is wrong. This head in the sand approach may give you some temporary peace of mind, but it is almost certainly going to cost you more in the long run. Eventually you will have to go in for brake repair, so it might as well be sooner than later. Take a close listen for any grinding or squealing. These can be signs that it is time to bring your car in for maintenance.

A light grinding sound or a squealing sound usually means it is time to take your car in for new pads. If you know your way around a vehicle, this is one of those jobs you can do yourself. If you are like most people, however, you’ll want to go ahead and take it in to the shop. If you do it yourself, you are probably going to be looking at spending about $10 per brake pad. Don’t just change one, however; you should always replace these pads in pairs, and you should go ahead and replace the calipers as well. All in all, you are probably looking at about $60. If you take it in to the shop, you are probably going to spend around $100 to $200 for the job, which is certainly worth it if you have no experience with doing the work and little desire to learn.

Remember that the brakes are what keep you safe when you are moving through traffic. For that reason, you shouldn’t be tempted to do brake repair on your own just to save a little money, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Find a shop that will treat you fairly and get that maintenance done as early as possible.