Brake Repair: Making Choices At The Shop

Whenever you take your car in for brake repair, you'll often be presented with several choices you can make about how to proceed. Sometimes the right choice is so obvious you barely realize you made a decision at all. Other times, the choice requires a great deal of research and thought before you can move forward. It helps to know what you're getting into ahead of time, which is why it is advisable to do some research on your problems before you get in front of a mechanic. This will let you intelligently discuss the problem, make wise decisions, and know when you're being taken for a ride. Here are some of the choices you may be faced with. Where to Take The Car Obviously, one of your first choices is where you're going to go for brake repair. If you have a regular mechanic you count on, you may not need to spend much time making this decision. It's worth considering, however, even if you always just go to the same place. Are you really getting the best service and price possible? A lot of drivers get into the habit of familiarity and never pause to consider whether or not they are being treated fairly. If there are better options out there, you should make yourself aware of them. National chains, dealerships, local mechanics. They all have their pros and cons, so consider every choice individually. Replacement The most likely scenario when you bring your car in for brake repair is that the mechanic is going to come out and tell you that you need something replaced. Often, this replacement part will be the pads. These wear out in time and have to be changed out. But whether it's pads, shoes, rotors, or something else, you have a choice. Do you want to spend the money to replace the part or are you ready to give up on the car altogether. Obviously, with pads and shoes, that's going to be a simple choice 99.9% of the time. With more expensive replacements, however, it's something worth thinking about. Lifetime Pads Sometimes a brake repair shop will try to talk you into buying something called "lifetime pads". These pads are designed not to wear out and many customers find it worth spending the extra money for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you'll never need to worry about it again. Think hard about this decision, however. These pads are harder and will take a toll on your rotors. In the end, you may not be saving much money by choosing one over the other.