Rear brake job price reasonable?

[SBMongoos]

My local Mazda dealership quoted me $509 for new standard OEM, not value line, brake job on the rear. Just short of 85k miles. This is new disks and pads. I'm down to 3. Fronts are at 5 yet. Presumably OEM is Akebono. They don't seem to be clear here. However that does not include a brake fluid flush and fill. This is only the rears. This seem like a reasonable price?

 

[wlong01]

Did you mean rotors and pads?
Have never had disks replaced.

 

[cadcamjim]

Discs and rotors are synonymous terms.

I have always serviced my own brakes, so that price seems very high by my point of reference but may very well be the going rate for OEM parts and a labor at a dealership.

 

[SBMongoos]

Yes I did mean discs and pads. Some of that wear is coming down from a buddies place who lives up on the mountains. A reasonable elevation drop with a lot of switchbacks. Another dealership wanted $620. And a private place I think was around $500 and something.

Unfortunately I don't have a set up to do it myself otherwise it would.

 

[wlong01]

Discs and rotors are synonymous terms.

Learn something every day. That's why I don't do my own brakes.

 

[wlong01]

Just had the rear brakes done in April at the dealer. $210.78
They did not replace the rotors/discs, only resurfaced them.
I think your dealer is high.

Not sure but I think the brakes on the turbo are a little heftier than on the non-turbo so if that's the case the price is really high.

 

[sm1ke]

My local Mazda dealership quoted me $509 for new standard OEM, not value line, brake job on the rear. Just short of 85k miles. This is new disks and pads. I'm down to 3. Fronts are at 5 yet. Presumably OEM is Okebono. They don't seem to be clear here. However that does not include a brake fluid flush and fill. This is only the rears. This seem like a reasonable price?

Did they give you an itemized invoice where you can see how much their prices are on pads and rotors? You can try to see if ordering your own parts and having a shop do the install might be cheaper. You can also price match sites like RockAuto with a local store that carries the same product to save on shipping and wait times.

Unless you've got brake pulsing, you probably don't need new rotors. You can check to see if the rotors have reached their minimum thickness - if they haven't, you can probably just replace the pads to save a bit of money.

 

[ceric]

In SF bay area, dealers want $500 just for the pad replacement.
I had to go to a remote (40 miles away) dealer to have it done for $350.

 

[SBMongoos]

Just had the rear brakes done in April at the dealer. $210.78
They did not replace the rotors/discs, only resurfaced them.
I think your dealer is high.

Not sure but I think the brakes on the turbo are a little heftier than on the non-turbo so if that's the case the price is really high.

Well, my discs are down to 3 mm so they cannot turn them. That would be savings right there. And presumably Akebono which I think have a higher price tag but people seem to like.

 

[SBMongoos]

Did they give you an itemized invoice where you can see how much their prices are on pads and rotors? You can try to see if ordering your own parts and having a shop do the install might be cheaper. You can also price match sites like RockAuto with a local store that carries the same product to save on shipping and wait times.

Unless you've got brake pulsing, you probably don't need new rotors. You can check to see if the rotors have reached their minimum thickness - if they haven't, you can probably just replace the pads to save a bit of money.

They're at 3mm which is recommended replacement. I'm sure up and down mountain roads is a contributor. There has been a little bit of pulsing going on for a bit as well.

 

[SBMongoos]

In SF bay area, dealers want $500 just for the pad replacement.
I had to go to a remote (40 miles away) dealer to have it done for $350.

Ya, prices have really gone up over the past few years. Just got an AC replacement estimate for my condo. Basically doubled. Yikes! $11k. LOL

 

[murky]

Well, my discs are down to 3 mm so they cannot turn them. That would be savings right there. And presumably Akebono which I think have a higher price tag but people seem to like.

Surely they mean your pads are at 3mm. No way the rotors are 3mm thick, that's a little over 1/10th of an inch.

 

[wlong01]

Ya, prices have really gone up over the past few years. Just got an AC replacement estimate for my condo. Basically doubled. Yikes! $11k. LOL

Make sure the AC meets the energy standards thru the green new scam and you can take a 30% tax credit. Might even be some state credits.

 

[N7turbo]

Not sure how saving money through efficiency is a scam, but if it's a mini-split type setup, it's possible to DIY the install then have an HVAC person come and finish the vacuum part and an electrician do the remote shut off box. If it's central AC then yeah, I don't recommend DIY.

Anyway back to brakes. It's probably a normal estimate if you need new rotors as well.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Here was my DIY parts prices, along with a $20 container of new brake fluid and likely $75 for the Motive bleeder & adapter

2015 CX-5 OEM pad/rotor/hardware (MazdaSwag) and brake fluid flush

Gathering the parts… I’m fine with performance of OEM hardware and going to do a flush with my Motiv brake bleeder Local dealers wanted $100 or so more than this on parts. If others get OEM parts cheaper let everyone know. I purchased through Mazdaswag https://www.mazdaswag.com/ I was...

mazdas247.com

This was my front and rear pads, rotors, and hardware and not value line

 

[yrwei52]

They're at 3mm which is recommended replacement. I'm sure up and down mountain roads is a contributor. There has been a little bit of pulsing going on for a bit as well.

Like @murky said, there’s no way a disc rotor can be 3mm thin. For Mazda, if this’s the first time for rear brake pad replacement at 85K miles, the rotors most likely are thick enough and need only re-surfaced, not replaced. However, the rear pads rarely last 85K miles under most driving conditions. $509 is high to me, but you get 2 new rotors which can be as high as $100+ each on OEM. BTW, Mazda dealer could use “Value Line” MV brake pads AND rotors, avoid them at all cost.

If you have Brakes Plus near by, highly recommend to use them for your brake job.

 

[kaehlin]

It's in line with what I would expect for dealer service, and your comparison pricing confirms it. I paid about the same for front brakes on another car recently, at a tire chain.
It seems like these types of questions always bring out "DIY" recommendations, and that is obviously a way to save a lot on the service, but not for everyone. Unless you know someone working side jobs or with a very low overhead business model, you'll have to pay what your local market demands.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

I know that not everyone is DIY... I posted mainly so one could see parts prices and then to see how much they were being charged for the labor.

I had replaced the brake pads on all four wheels of my CX-5 years ago. However, I haven't had positive experiences with turned rotors in modern vehicles. With modern ABS, stability control, and EBD systems constantly working the brakes to some degree, pad usage has increased. My turned rotors only worsened the situation, leading to increased warpage and brake deposits on the rotors due to the reduced heat dissipation from the rotor shaving.

 

[Mazdiod2]

Not sure how saving money through efficiency is a scam, but if it's a mini-split type setup, it's possible to DIY the install then have an HVAC person come and finish the vacuum part and an electrician do the remote shut off box. If it's central AC then yeah, I don't recommend DIY.

Anyway back to brakes. It's probably a normal estimate if you need new rotors as well.

I installed a mini-split last summer and ended up buying a vacuum pump, digital torque wrench, and various other specialized stuff. HVAC guys make much more money doing the complete installation and I couldn't find anybody to do the finish stuff.

 

[SBMongoos]

Like @murky said, there’s no way a disc rotor can be 3mm thin. For Mazda, if this’s the first time for rear brake pad replacement at 85K miles, the rotors most likely are thick enough and need only re-surfaced, not replaced. However, the rear pads rarely last 85K miles under most driving conditions. $509 is high to me, but you get 2 new rotors which can be as high as $100+ each on OEM. BTW, Mazda dealer could use “Value Line” MV brake pads AND rotors, avoid them at all cost.

If you have Brakes Plus near by, highly recommend to use them for your brake job.

I'll have to ask in the thickness of the rotors. They must have been referring to the pads that's a good point. And they said they cannot use the value line because I have an e-brake. Other dealerships were higher by 100 or more. I know the one that gave me the quote for $509 said they do nothing with the brake fluid at all.

I'm waiting to hear back from the guy who did my transmission flush. It's a bit of a drive to get to him though. Currently I'm vacation. Seems to know a lot of details about Mazdas. It's his own shop.