New Brakes...Was I Charged Too Much?

[chakis24]

i just got my front brakes done- ceramic pads and new rotors...came to $572 total (parts, labor, and tax). they have $185 listed for each rotor. that seem like a lot? i'm looking on places like autozone, advance auto, napa, etc. and am not finding anything close to that price, not even for cross-drilled ones ($125 at napa). i called them to check and the guy at the shop said it was right...he said that they were more because of the extended cab and 4x4. really? i didnt think that made a difference.

for ceramic brake pads they also charged me $112.99 for both (not including labor and tax- i dont think thats horrible comparing to napa).

it just seems high.

[Neanderthal]

Before reading your post, I thought "Hell yes!"

If you went to a GM dealer, I think "Hell yes!"

If you went to another automobile dealer, I think "Hell yes!"

I could've saved you enough money so you could've paid for tint for my caah. Oh well.

[Ed753]

I think they hosed you on the rotors..........

Check out here, you can look up by application or part number, your receipt should have part numbers listed.

http://parts.nalleygmc.com/

[smokyn454]

I bought OEM ceramic pads and new rotors for my 06 sierra through A1 auto and I paid $165.

I installed them myself but these weren't cheap junk, they were direct factory replacements.

Seems a bit high for rotors. 0

[bballr4567]

$572 doesnt sound bad for the whole job honestly. You got to think they probably have about 3 hours wrapped up in if they are fast. 3 hours at 80 an hour adds up. Im figuring their shop is using a price book that adds in the price of the part.

[balthazar]

It's called markup.
Had a shop try and charge me $80 for 2 pulleys that cost $31. Unfortunately for them, I picked them up at the dealer and paid for them, so they lost out (on the markup, and ever getting me back as a customer).
Dealer wanted to charge me $2200 to replace the brake lines on my 2500HD, I put all SS lines on; with bleeders & fluid it ran me $330.

[VS Ute 5Litre]

You get what you pay for - a lot of rotors on the market are rubbish at about 500 bucks fitted at a dealer i think you did great

[BigAls87Z28]

Balthazar is right, you were hit with mark-up. Even if they purchased the rotors from AZ, Advance, Napa, shops are going to add something on the top to cover their end. All shops do this.
Some shops add more mark up than others, some big-box shops have a set mark up percentage. You are going to have to pay for the convenience of having someone do it for you.

[CadiEldo67]

It's called markup.
Had a shop try and charge me $80 for 2 pulleys that cost $31. Unfortunately for them, I picked them up at the dealer and paid for them, so they lost out (on the markup, and ever getting me back as a customer).
Dealer wanted to charge me $2200 to replace the brake lines on my 2500HD, I put all SS lines on; with bleeders & fluid it ran me $330.

$2200? Maybe the 2500HD requires something different but replacing brake lines in vehicles, especially the GMT800s, is common in NY, and it isn't even a quarter of that.

[demonspeed]

I feel like this may be a bit high, even if it were at the dealer and Delco parts. Even if they are aftermarket parts and the service center is marking them up, they generally aren't marking them up past retail because they are getting "jobber" pricing from Advance, Napa, etc.

"GM Certified Service" (the old Goodwrench) is always offering service specials on regular maintenance stuff like oil changes, suspension, and brakes. Just another plus to going to the dealer -- and they use Delco and/or GM parts.

If it were for both axles then I think it'd be pretty fair. This is just the front, though...

[balthazar]

$2200? Maybe the 2500HD requires something different but replacing brake lines in vehicles, especially the GMT800s, is common in NY, and it isn't even a quarter of that.

I realize, but that was the informal quote. Actually, the service guy (who I am acquainted with), said he paid $2000 with his employee discount, on his personal Tahoe (I'm assuming 10% off). One line went out on me- he said I was looking at $700 for ONE LINE. WTF.

And what I thought was very strange- he said they bend all their lines inhouse. Inline Tube, 2 days from order to shipment, all 7 tubes in SS, $299 delivered. If the dealership can hold the vehicle for 2 days, they can make a killing saving the labor to bend all those lines and still charge the same (not that I'm advocating that, but you know dealership service departments).

[Ed753]

$572 doesnt sound bad for the whole job honestly. You got to think they probably have about 3 hours wrapped up in if they are fast. 3 hours at 80 an hour adds up. Im figuring their shop is using a price book that adds in the price of the part.

With new rotors, that is a 30 minute job (once you have the parts and the truck is on the hoist) unless we are missing some details.

One of the most laborious tasks of a front brake job is machining the rotors, but since they just replaced them, that doesn't apply. (unless they rebuilt the calipers, which I doubt)

Now that doesn't meant they didn't charge you 2 - 2 1/2 hours labor, the technician gets about 50 bucks (gross) out of that +$200 labor.

All of the above is why I'm no longer a technician, and do my own brake-jobs in the driveway.

[solman98]

Another reason I do my own. I recently replaced my brakes and actually went to a larger rotor which required a different caliper bracket from an HHR SS (along with the SS rotors). Total cost for me under $150. I used Raybestos rotors & Bendix ceramic pads. Total time to do the job, maybe 1 hr. But if a shop shows 3 hours to do the job, that is what they will charge you.

[sonjaab]

That price is about right!
Was it a GM dealer?
Does your truck have 6 or 8 bolt wheels?

GM list on a 6 bolt rotor is $133 bucks.

8 bolt rotors are real $pendy!
Ask me how I know.................

Your lucky it wasn't the rear disc (if equipped) and the "clip" that holds the
parking brake assembly together that usually breaks when removed for a pad replacement on trucks in snow/salt/ice land.
Then its another $200!

[MrCritical]

Sounds about right.

Lol @ comparing dealer and autozone brake parts prices.