ABOUT HOW MUCH WOULD THIS cost me??

Question

i need brakes and rotors for my car i took it over to midas and they came back with this long list of over 900.00 worth of stuff that i need done to my car.well they said i need brakes and i know this part is true,and they also said i need rotors,how can i tell if i need these or not?? my brakes are not grinding or anything they are just sqeaking a little....

Answer 1

if you need new rotors you will be able to tell when you apply the brakes and your steering wheel shakes. if it isnt shaking you dont need new rotors. if it shakes a little they probably can be "turned" this just means that they shave the old rotors down until they are smooth again. and if it shakes really bad and the rotors are already been turned before, you will need new rotors. 900 dollars is way to much for this type of work. if you woould buy the parts from an independant parts seller like autozone you are probably looking at a set of pads (2) being no more than 40 dollars (thats high end) and rotors being about 70 to 100 a peice. so without labor you are looking at the most being 250 dollars. and it shouldnt take more than an hour to do the work. if you are paying more than 300 bucks you are getting screwed. tell midas to eat it and take it to a mom and pop mechanic

Answer 2

What type of car is it first. I work in a brake shop and do a lot of brake jobs. I've done brake jobs that have cost over $2000 and i have done them for $150. It all depends on the cars. And Norh (spelling?) that is not the way to check rotors. That checks for a runout or unequal paralelleism. The only way to corectly check rotors are to measure them using a micrometer and checking the value between the micrometer and the vehicle manufacture specs. If they are close to the "Discard" or "Minimum Machine To" values they are useless and need to be replaced for safty reasons, I've seen a rotor get thin enough it snapped because of the heat it generates. Thicker rotors will disapate heat better (new rotors) then thin rotors (rotors near discard for example).

As for the brake pads, when they start squeaking , that is a sign that the pads are getting low. The squeaking is a squealer tab that is attached to the pad and when the pad gets to that point the tab will rub up against the rotor and squeal.

What are the other things needing to be done? And ask to see the specs of the rotors and the manufacture specs. if they are close (give or take .0030" [Thirthy thousandths of an inch]) then they need replacing, or if they are heat cracking, glazed, or have "hot spots". You said that they had a list. What was on it. If tie rod ends, ball joints, ect were on it, they are important and should be replaced if the play is close to or surpasing the vehicle manufactures specs. if you need any more help give me an e-mail, and i will gladly help. also prices will vary from place to place, I am in Canada so my prices are in CDN dollars. Every mechanic will use his/her own discression on what it needs, some may call a part as bad, others may call it as good. and by not seeing the car and doing the inspection, we can not tell for sure.

Answer 3

First of all, none of us have seen the brakes on your car so we could not really judge as to whether your car needs such repairs. The estimate sounds ridiculously high but as a mechanic and a former service writer, I can't assume that you are just getting ripped off, as I have not seen your car.

First of all, the make and model of the car will greatly affect the price of the parts and labor. Parts for a Mercedes are far more expensive than those for a Chevrolet truck.

Secondly, is all of that 900 dollars related to what you took the car in for? Did they try and sell you a cooling system flush, fuel injection flush, transmission flush, etc...? Many of those places tell customers stuff hoping they will "bite" on a service which is sometime not really needed.

Thirdly, what kind of labor are they charging for the work (and see #2 again). If you brought your car in for a check up then don't be angry with them, they did what you asked, "look for problems" and gave you an estimate. This does not mean that all of the quoted work need be performed. You may ask to see what repairs are necessary, and go from there.

Most importantly, see another mechanic!! You have a choice to choose who, and where you have your car repaired. Shop around, ask friends, family and co-workers about who they take their cars to for repairs. Just like a doctor, get a second opinion. Having done numerous brake jobs, myself, you could probably perform the repairs yourself. In most cases brake work (in general) is not that difficult!

Get a third opionion if you like, then make your assumptions about the first guy. If the next two estimates are close to the first one, obviously you have some issues.
I hate to see people getting ripped off, and I am a mechanic. It hurts our reputations and business. I also hate to see people who instantly assume that because repairs cost more than they think they should pay, they are being ripped off. Sometimes, unfortuantely, repairs do cost a lot of money. Had you provided a little more info about your vehicle, and what the estiomate/work order said was required, I could have at least given you an idea of how much the parts would cost.

Answer 4

The brake rotors are certain thickness when new. When they wear, they are trued in a lathe. The rotor MUST be a certain thickness or it can not be trued as it would be too thin and the pads would not contact the rotor with enough pressure. The thickness is mandated by govt regulations and shops risk losing their license by putting you on the road with unsafe brakes.

Any chain repair shop, like Midas, is going to try to get every penny out of you they can. Look for a *reputable* neighborhood mechanic and let them care for your car. Once you find a mechanic you trust, stay with them and let them do the regular maintenance on your car, like the oil changes. They will get to "know" your car and will advise what you NEED, not what they want to sell you.

When you have the brake work done, spend a few dollars more and put ceramic brake pads on the front at least. VERY long lasting pads that make the extra initial cost very much worth it.

Answer 5

Hunybun, Call your specific car dealer, auto parts store, (NAPA- Car-quest), they'll be glad to tell you what the MINIMUM allowable thickness is for your specific rotor. If you can borrow a set of vernier calipers or micrometers you can measure, or ask any machinest relative or a high school tech. person to measure the thickness of your old rotors for you. I asked a Midas shop: Who makes your rotors and from what country do they came from. They would not answer my question! When you take your car to a dealer you are given many options. Among these are you can buy your own parts where ever you want. The best rotors are made in the USA and Canada. The metallurgy is more suited to this application. The "off shore" rotors usually come from China. Their life expectancy is two yrs. at best. They wear out, corrode, rust and warp easily. There not worth putting on your vehicle particularly if you plan to keep it over two years. Wagner makes great rotors and pads. their newest and greatest is The Wagner Quiet Pad. If your car needs brake calipers all auto parts sell Cardone re-built units with a solid warranty. Lets add these things up worst case. For the front America / Canada rotors $55.- $70 each. Shop around for these. Chinese Rotors $25 - $35. each. Calipers on a return core basis $20. - $30. each. Pads $25.- 60. The cheap ones are guaranteed for only a year at best. Rear parts: Rotors, slightly less than the fronts in most cases. Pads, slightly less in both cases. calipers, the same price. If your car has drums and shoes, American / Canadian drums $55. 70. each. Chinease drums $30. - $40 each. rebuilt wheel cylinders (necessary for shoes) $10. $16. each. Brake shoes $25.- $40 Please get your car away fron Midas. GOOD LUCK.

Answer 6

If not grinding your rotors might be fine. Grinding is relative to the brake pads wore down to the studs that hold the brake pads. Those studs holding the pads are grinding into the rotors. That what causes the grinding and the rotors replace. Squeaking could be caused by brake dust that in between the pads. or dirt in between pads and rotors. When buying brake work they have extras like mounting hardware which is not included in the warranty of the pads. I'm had brake work done about $500 on all 4 brake. I hope this help you.

Answer 7

I dont know the type of car you have, but I would check the rotors if they dont have lip on the outer edge arent scored or below minimum thickness (usually stamped on the side of your rotor)usally you just slap pads on but issuess can arise from not turn your brake rotors so to sum it up have front rotors turned for best pad life and check clean and replace or adjust rear brakes too these are just as important as the front flush brake fluid if dark and nasty check brakelines for cracks swelling etc.hope this helps DO NOT PAY 900.00 the are rippin you off.300.00 for front and rears parts and labor with a brake flush a little more if it involves a bearing repack.or 4 wheel drive etc.400.00 would be spendy in my book.

Answer 8

When I do work I always recommend changing the rotors not turning them. If they have been truned once thaen they have to be replaced. 900 bucks fir one axle or both front and rear. Remember Midas does have a lifetime warranty as long as you own it. 900 is about right for all the parts they put into it.
This is high but then it is Midas. Go to a shop like mine, a reputable shop that someone you work with or family takes their car to. Shop for a price
Midas is Muffler and Brakes this is 2007

Answer 9

Midas is a muffler shop. Take it somewhere else and get a second opinion.

See http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/midas_brakes.html which says in part...

Deborah of Phoenix, AZ (8/4/05):
I went to Midas because they sent me a coupon for a brake special. I had them install back brakes on my 1992 Ford Explorer. They called me with an estimate for all sorts of repairs that I really didn't think I needed, but I agreed. The bill came to $800.00.

Answer 10

it has be answered many times by all these people yet princess explained it in a long detail and AA explained it in a simplified short answer and here is the thing look back at your life, since you were a kid, till where you stand right now imagine your were ignorant all that you will lose from that time to this and to the future that is your cost, the cost of your ignorance ( not calling you ignorant, just making an example ) then think however of the gain of ignorance then compare both gains and YOU tell me which is the costly one