How to Reduce the Potential for Expensive Brake Repairs

You pull your car into the brake shop ready to take advantage of the $99.00 brake special advertised on TV. You think maybe the brakes need replaced because your trick of turning up the radio louder to drown out and ignore the high pitched noise coming from under your car as you drive down the road isn't working. Now, you can feel the vibration of the grind traveling through the body of the car as well as through your own body as you cruise down the road. Today, you decided it might be time to get your brakes repaired.

Hearing that it will take a couple of hours to get to your car, you sign the service ticket authorizing the brake shop to repair the brakes on your car because you are still happy knowing it will only cost $99.00 for the repairs if they find anything wrong. You are even impressed the brake repair shop offered to drop you off at your house to wait for your car to be repaired.

You see it has only been an hour and half when the phone rings and you smile when the caller ID identifies the brake shop as the caller. Answering the phone in a friendly manner, you hear the assistant manager say it will be another two hours to have your car ready. Concern creeps into your thoughts as you say okay while thinking that seems like a long time to have your car brakes repaired.

On the way back, a small alarm goes off in your head when you find out the mechanic who picked you up is actually driving another customer's car to come pick you up. You wonder if they used your car to pick up one of their other customers but you push the thought out of your mind. After all, you are only out $99.00 to get rid of that awful noise interrupting your peace of mind while driving your car.

Back at the brake shop, you smile at the manager and he smiles back at you while handing you the bill at the same time he informs you the repair cost will be $898.00. You think you are hard of hearing until you see the invoice for your self. The amount looks as large as the invoice while your brain stays stuck on the $99.00 special. Your smile went out the window along with your extra money if you are lucky enough to have $800 lying around!

You stammer. "I only owe you $99.00 plus tax."

The manager smiled. "Let me look at the invoice. HmmmmmmmmI'm sorry you didn't read the special closer. That $99.00 you are talking about is per axle and only includes pads or shoes only. In addition to putting new pads on the front and shoes on the rear, your car

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needed two front rotors, two rear brake drums and two new brake calipers which cost extra. There was also the additional labor cost required to install the extra parts"

You snatch the invoice from him and read the small print wondering where you went wrong. Now mad at yourself for not reading the small print and seeing you are stuck, you cry out. "I only owe you $99.00 for the brake job or you can take the parts back off of my car."

The manager not smiling now firmly replies. "There is no way to put the parts back on. The brakes fell apart when we removed the tires. That is why you heard the grinding noise. We can try to put the broken parts back on but you'll most likely have to get your car towed home or to another mechanic shop."

You snort. "I am only paying $99.00! You are ripping me off!"

The manager now angry threatened. "Look lady, it is not my fault you did not read the information on the brake special offered. You said fix your car and we did as you requested. You signed the service ticket authorizing us to repair your car. If I take the new parts off, you will not be able to drive your car. I don't want to have to call the police to settle this issue. We can set up payment plans for you by issuing you a credit card for car repairs if you don't have the money."

Seeing red and knowing you signed the service ticket, you agree to get a credit card to pay off the unexpected $800.00 because you need your car and definitely don't want the hassle with the police.

Does this scenario actually happen in brake repair shops across America? You bet! Everyday, the breath taking and blood pressure rising high cost of repairing brakes surprises and financially shocks people.

Depending on the vehicle, brake repair cost has been known to set back people over $1600.00 for repairs. The higher cost usually involves replacing front rotors, rear brake drums, brake cylinders, wheel cylinders and sometimes even the spindle and bearings.

You can help reduce the potential for expensive brake repairs by doing the following:

Periodically, turn your car radio down and actually listen to your car going down the road. Your brakes come with Brake Wear Indicators that warn you expensive problems are on the way if you choose to ignore the high pitched squeal that you will hear when your foot is not on the brake. You can usually avoid the high cost of replacing rotors and drums if you get your brakes inspected immediately after hearing the noise. You may get lucky and only need pads or shoes
which are where the $99.00 specials come into play or you can cry later about spending $800.00.
Have your brakes inspected based on your manufacturer's specifications. Typically, these inspections will need to be completed at 15,000 to 20,000 mile intervals. Competitive shops will usually inspect your brakes for free
Understand the too good to be true low cost brake specials typically are for front brake pads or rear brake shoes replacements only with the rotor or drum surfaces hand sanded to remove any high burrs on the surfaces . Usually the $99.00 special is for one axle only. The low cost brake specials are TEASERS to get you into their shop. READ THE FINE PRINT

Shop around for a good mechanic shop before you need one. Compare their hourly labor rate. Is it a true hourly labor rate or do they use the industry standard rate book that states how long a repair should take. The repair may take an hour but they still charge you the industry standard rate of two hours.
Look to do business with a shop that will tell you their markup cost on parts, allows you to come into the work area to look at the parts in question and takes the time to give you a best case versus a worst case scenario for repairing your brakes. Ideally, you would like to do business with a shop that allows you to buy the parts yourself instead of paying the typical 15% markup on parts. Ask if they use customer's cars to pick up their other customers.
Never sign a service ticket giving a blanket authorization to repair brakes on your vehicle. Write "Inspection Only" next to where you sign your name to avoid any misunderstanding. Point this out to the manager or mechanic to serve notice that you are a smart consumer.
Don't leave the brake shop if at all possible.
Tell them you expect to look at all of the parts replaced.
Do ask if the rotors are still thick enough to be turned to avoid buying new rotors.
Do ask if the rear drums are still thick enough to be turned to avoid buying new drums.

Will you ever totally eliminate the need to replace the more expensive items associated with brake repairs? No, but you can minimize the replacement frequency and control the cost by getting your vehicle brakes inspected periodically. The inspections will allow you to plan out future repairs that fit your budget.